Dear Word Nerds, As we launch into the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful things that have come of this year, and—more importantly—all the people who helped me get where I am. While DIY MFA started off as a one-woman show, these days it is far from that…. Read more »
Hey Word Nerds! Welcome to this week’s episode of DIY MFA Radio. Now that Book Expo America (BEA) is behind us, I wanted to take a look back at the conference and its notable moments and start looking ahead at the publishing industry and the trends I see coming up in the future. This year… Read more »
When looking for a writers group there isn’t always one to find, or if you find one, it isn’t always the right one for you. Here’s a happy-ending tale of a writer who transformed a dying group into a supportive family. Meet Richenda Gould, the leader of the Princeton Writers Group (PWG). “I knew that… Read more »
Hello and welcome to today’s episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m thrilled to talk about social media for writers with Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick, co-authors of the book, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users. In this interview, we discuss social media, how it specifically applies to writers and how we can use it to… Read more »
The thing that writers most often say they love about DIY MFA 101 is the vibrant community. And I have to say that this is probably my favorite aspect of the class as well. Writers who join DIY MFA 101 are dedicated and independent, but also quick to share ideas and give each other support. It’s a combination… Read more »
Random fact: whenever I go out to write, I carry with me a few essentials. These include an unlined notebook, a fountain pen, and an unsharpened pencil. Why the latter? you may be wondering. The unsharpened pencil symbolizes untapped potential, all the endless possibilities and stories yet to be written. Now with a new session of… Read more »
One of the things I always tell my students is that the writer’s job is to tell the Truth with-a-capital-T. It’s not always about getting the facts straight, because depending on what you write, there’s wiggle room to shape the facts so that the story rings true. That said, it is the writer’s responsibility not… Read more »
Happy Halloween everyone! Since Halloween is this Friday, I wanted to dedicate this episode to things that go bump in the night by talking about creative monsters in our lives. Creative monsters take many forms and use a variety of techniques to rip our creative ideas and spirit to shreds. In this episode, we’ll learn… Read more »
At some point in your career as a writer, you’re going to have to ask for help. Whether it’s asking readers to buy your book, or asking a mentor for advice, asking someone to help you promote your project… etc. Asking for help means swallowing our pride and admitting that we can’t do it all… Read more »
“Write beautifully, with a strong, distinctive voice, and have a premise worthy of such great writing.” These words–from my own agent (Jeff Kleinman at Folio Literary Management)–are probably the best advice I’ve ever received as a writer. After all, the #1 way to improve your odds of getting published is to write a great book so… Read more »
