There’s a lot of advice, including here on DIY MFA, about how to squeeze writing into a busy day. For example, we recently shared an article on eliminating distractions. But what happens when something much larger than an everyday distraction stands in the way of your writing? Like a big life event that throws your… Read more »
There have been a few condescending articles throughout the years about why adults should not read young adult literature. I won’t bother linking to any of them, because I think they’re totally wrong and don’t deserve the web traffic. Despite how these articles denounce YA lit, adults still make up a large percentage of its… Read more »
Do you remember when you first fell in love with reading? I’m going to guess that for most of you, it was when you were a child. Maybe, like for me, it was love at first picture book. Or maybe a teacher or librarian handed you a book that resonated with you, and you kept… Read more »
For the past six months, Bess McAllister (DIY MFA web editor) and I have been hard at work on a top secret project: scouting and on-boarding new columnists for the website. Today we are thrilled to introduce you to the four newest members of the DIY MFA team. At DIY MFA, we believe building your… Read more »
Today I’m talking with debut author Erin Petti. Her debut novel, The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee, us out now and it just might be one of my new favorites. Right away when I chatted with Erin, I felt like I had found a long-lost bestie. She lives in Massachusetts and loves to read about… Read more »
Hey there Word Nerds! Today we’re doing something totally new at DIY MFA Radio. We’ve had co-authors on the show before, but this is the first time we have an author-illustrator team. In this interview I talk with writer Pamela S. Turner and illustrator Gareth Hinds about their book Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto… Read more »
Hey there Word Nerd! Today I’m thrilled to interview Megan Dowd Lambert, author of Reading Picture Books with Children and children’s literature expert. Megan is a senior lecturer at Simmons College, where she earned her master’s degree in children’s literature after completing a B.A. at Smith College. She writes for Horn Book Magazine, served on… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Anna Harwell Celenza, a music professor of Georgetown University where she teaches courses in music history, radio journalism and the music industry. She has written several scholarly books, is a writer/commentator for National Public Radio’s Performance Today, and her work has been featured on nationally syndicated radio… Read more »
Hey there Word Nerds! I’m so glad you can join me for today’s interview with YA and middle grade author Jen Calonita. In this episode, she and I talk about writing what you know (and what you don’t know) and also how to make the shift from one writing niche to another. We dig into the… Read more »
Graphic novels are enjoying a great deal of popularity these days, with some of them taking home some significant awards. El Deafo by Cece Bell, was named a Newbery Honor Book in 2015, the first ever graphic novel to win this distinction. The graphic novel Smile, by Raina Telgemeier, was an American Library Association Notable… Read more »
