A little over a week ago, I wrote this email sharing initial steps that my team and I are taking to amplify black voices and also make DIY MFA more inclusive of diverse voices. I realize that I have been fairly quiet on the subject since, but that by no means indicates that this subject… Read more »
Dear word nerd, For the past week, I have watched with outrage and horror at the events that have taken place. The murder of an innocent black man, the violence and aggression toward peaceful protesters, and the perpetual lack of initiative and empathy from many of our leaders during this time of extreme crisis. I… Read more »
One of the things I hear from writers again and again is how much they dislike marketing. Any time the dreaded p-word (ahem, platform) comes up in a room (in person or virtual), you can hear the collective groan ripple among the crowd. Marketing, sales, and promotion do not rank high among writers’ favorite things…. Read more »
Last week, the Internet Archive (the organization responsible for the Wayback Machine) announced that it was removing all waiting lists for its Open Library, effectively making 1.4 million copyrighted works available for free without the permission of writers or publishers. News outlets like NPR, The New Yorker, and Vice have reported on this “National Emergency… Read more »
Just in time for the holidays! Here are some writing lessons from Santa Claus and insights about how the Big Guy in the red suit tackles obstacles and maintains his creative momentum, even during the chaos of the holiday season. Mr. Claus is a wise man. In fact, when it comes to important things like… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! For the past several articles, we’ve discussed the concept of a Storytelling Superpower, and how we all can find ours. The secret is the heart of every story–the character. There are four main character archetypes, and discovering which one resonates more with you can help you unlock your own storytelling superpower…. Read more »
Hey word nerds! We’re continuing my series on your Storytelling Superpower today by digging into the first two of four character archetypes. But first a quick recap: In my first post, we talked about how character, more than plot, world or any other story element, drives a story forward. If your reader doesn’t care about… Read more »
In my last post, we discussed how a protagonist is the driving force behind every story. And there are four distinct types of protagonists, and different writers are drawn to different ones. They all exist on a spectrum, between what a character wants and his or her personality. Which do you gravitate towards? Let’s take… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! You might be doing a double-take right now because this episode is airing on a Thursday and not on Wednesday like our usual schedule. In fact, this is a bonus episode to celebrate the 5-year of podcasting at DIY MFA Radio. That’s right… exactly five years ago today, we announced this… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! OMG DIY MFA Radio is 200 episodes old! Whether you’ve been with me since the beginning of this journey or are just tuning in now, thank you for listening. Since this is our 200th episode, we’re doing things a little bit differently. Instead of being the interviewer, my producer Marielle Orff… Read more »
