Today I am delighted to have executive director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and cofounder of 100 Word Story, Grant Faulkner, on the show!

His stories have appeared in dozens of literary magazines, like Tin House and The Southwest Review, plus his essays on creativity have been published in places like the New York Times and Writer’s Digest.

Grant’s latest collection of essays, Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo, is now available and none too soon with NaNoWriMo just around the corner.

Listen in as we discuss Grant’s book and get some tips on how to push through your blocks to reach your writing goals using the NaNoWriMo philosophy.

In this episode Grant and I discuss:

• NaNoWriMo: what it is, why you should take part, and how to rise to the challenge.
• Why you should adopt a “beginner” mindset no matter the stage of your writing career.
• Failing better, and how to bounce back when you stumble and fall.
• Why you need to avoid perfection to discover your creative process.
• What three of the biggest creative blocks are, and how to smash through them.

Plus, Grant’s #1 tip for writers.

About Grant Faulkner

Grant Faulkner likes big stories and small stories. He is the executive director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the cofounder of 100 Word Story. His stories have appeared in dozens of literary magazines, including Tin House, The Southwest Review, and Puerto del Sol. His essays on creativity have been published in the New York Times, Poets & Writers Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and The Writer. He recently published a collection of one hundred 100-word stories, Fissures, two of which are included in The Best Small Fictions 2016. His book of essays on creativity, Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo, is now available from Chronicle Books.

Grant is also co-founder of the Flash Fiction Collective, a member of the Oakland Book Festival’s Literary Council, a member of the National Writing Project Writers Council, and a member of Lit Camp’s Advisory Council. He received his B.A. from Grinnell College and his MA in creative writing from San Francisco State University.

To connect with Grant check out his website at www.grantfaulkner.com.

Pep Talks for Writers

Every writer knows that as rewarding as the creative process is, it can often be a bumpy road. Have hope and keep at it! Designed to kick-start creativity, this handsome handbook gathers a wide range of insights and advice for writers at any stage of their career.

From tips about how to finally start that story to helpful ideas about what to do when the words just aren’t quite coming out right, Pep Talks for Writers provides motivation, encouragement, and helpful exercises for writers of all stripes.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase DIY MFA makes a small commission at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 169

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 169: Boost Your Creative Mojo — Interview with Grant Faulkner appeared first on DIY MFA.