She never misses an opportunity to attend one of his concerts especially when they are within a five-hour or less drive. One way. So when he was scheduled to be in Boston, an easy two-hour trip from her Vermont home, she was determined to go. Not wanting to go alone, however, she asked her friends and family if any of them would be willing to go with her. Few people in her life are as enamored of Enrique as she is, and since it was a busy time of year, all of them said no. 

After Gia persistently pleaded, her sister-in-law, Lara, consented to go as a favor to her, comforting herself with the possibility of a nice evening out for the two of them away from the demands of their jobs and their children, where they could talk, commiserate, and have dinner at a fine restaurant before the concert.

On the evening of the momentous event, they settled themselves in their front row seats, right next to the stage. Gia willingly spent money on expensive tickets because the highlight of every Enrique concert is the moment he selects a woman from the audience, pulls her on stage with him, and sings to her. It has always been Gia’s dream to one day be that woman. 

So, dressed as she always did for his concerts in a beautiful black outfit (her informal research into these lucky women indicated to her that they were always dressed in black) and armed with confidence and hope, she settled herself into her seat, ready to call out the mantra, “pick me, pick me!

As the night went on, the audience sang and swayed to their idol’s voice, applauding and shouting praise whenever he began or ended a familiar song. Finally, they reached the moment that everyone anticipated: Enrique stopped singing, and looked out over his audience ready to select that one lovely and lucky woman from among the hundreds. 

He moved to the side of the stage where Gia and Lara were now standing and shouting along with the crowd. 

As he came closer, Gia’s eyes widened, he looked her way, then bent down and extended his hand. It all seemed to unravel in slow motion, her idol leaning over from the stage, smiling, his hand inching toward her. She could hardly breathe as her dream of a lifetime was about to be granted. 

But fate can be unkind, the gods, cruel, and as she followed his hand reaching up to take it, it veered left, away from her and toward her sister-in-law. 

The singer, grasping Lara’s hand instead, pulled the startled woman up on stage. 

For the next 20 minutes Enrique sang love songs to a stunned Lara, while Gia sat equally stunned in the audience, trying to make sense of how close she had come to fulfilling her dream, and how in an instant, it melted away from her. 

She obeyed the first principle of making her dream a reality—by going to the concert, she showed up; she understood that she had to be “in it to win it”—but it in that one moment, no matter what else she did, it came down to a matter of luck that Enrique chose Lara and not her.

Writing Is a Matter of Luck too

In a way, writers are much like Gia. 

With millions of books published each year, they do everything in their power to be noticed. They endlessly post pictures and blurbs on Facebook and Instagram, they make TikTok videos, hawking their books as the next great read, and themselves as the next great, best-selling author. They spend hours talking about their books and themselves on podcasts, even when they prefer a more private life. They give away their books to people interested mostly in obtaining something for nothing. 

They do this because they are told that this is the way they might find that one powerful person, that one influencer who will see them and their book for what it is and help propel them up onto a wider stage. 

They do all of this and more as it is their version of the concert mantra, pick me! pick me! 

They show up and understand they need to be in it to win it. 

But when the hand of the powerful influencer is finally extended, and it glides not toward their book, but the one next to it, they understand that at the end of the day, it’s all a matter of luck. 

Just like an Enrique concert…

Susan Speranza was born in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and for a time worked in Manhattan, enjoying the hectic pace and cultural amenities of the City. Eventually, however, she grew tired of it and exchanged the urban/suburban jungle for the peace and quiet of rural Vermont living. In addition to her latest release, ICE OUT: A Novel, she authored two other books: The City of Light, a dystopian story about the end of western civilization, and The Tale of Lucia Grandi, The Early Years, a novel about a dysfunctional suburban family. She has also published numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Along the way, she managed to collect a couple of master’s degrees. When she is not writing, she keeps herself busy exhibiting and breeding her champion Pekingese.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter.

The post Writing, Enrique, and the Matter of Luck appeared first on DIY MFA.

Amanda is a writer, book coach, and food writing columnist for DIY MFA. She began her career with acting and improv, she shifted focus to food writing which led to her being the first dedicated segment producer of Facebook Live for Time Inc.

While in that role, she oversaw more than 300 live segments and created the company’s Food Media Junket, bringing in James Beard award-winning and Michelin-Starred chefs for over a dozen food and lifestyle brands. These days, she helps food folks through the book writing process, helping them craft a story only they can tell. 

Her work has been featured by Cooking Light, Time, Southern Living, Food & Wine, and more. She lives in Nashville, but a piece of her heart will always belong in California.

In this episode Amanda Polick and I discuss:

• Why food writing can encompass so much more than just the “how-to” element.
• How to find your own voice and discover what is unique about you in your writing.
• The importance of challenging yourself as a writer and what you can learn in the process.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Amanda Polick

Amanda Polick is a writer and book coach. After saying “see you later” to her acting and improv career, she fell into food writing which led to being the first dedicated segment producer of Facebook Live for Time Inc. There, she oversaw over 300 live segments and created the company’s Food Media Junket, bringing in James Beard award-winning and Michelin-Starred chefs for over a dozen food and lifestyle brands.

With over 20 years of storytelling experience and helping hundreds of writers, Amanda now guides food folks through the book writing process. She believes in using her clients’ work as a whole to craft a story only they can tell. 

Her work has been featured by Cooking Light, Time, Southern Living, Food & Wine, and she’s a food writing columnist for DIY MFA. Amanda lives in Nashville, Tennessee now, but a piece of her will be in California forever. 

You can find Amanda on her website.

Link to Episode 385

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 385: Life Lessons from Food Writing – Interview with Amanda Polick appeared first on DIY MFA.

Catherine is a writer and journalist who has contributed to many media outlets, including Slate, Quartz, CNBC and NBC News. She is a frequent podcast and radio guest, with appearances on NPR and Lifehacker’s Upgrade. Catherine currently lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and baby son. Today we’ll be discussing her first book, Poe for Your Problems: Uncommon Advice from History’s Least Likely Self-Help Guru, which came out this past September.

In this episode Catherine Baab-Muguira and I discuss:

• How Edgar Allan Poe unexpectedly inspired her to write a book about mental health.
• Why she keeps her day job and how it helps her avoid literary snobbery.
• The value of learning to write good copy and the art of marketing your book.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Catherine Baab-Muguira

Catherine Baab-Muguira is a writer and journalist who has contributed to, among others, Slate, Quartz, CNBC and NBC News. A frequent podcast and radio guest, with appearances on NPR and Lifehacker’s Upgrade, she lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and baby son. Her first book, Poe for Your Problems: Uncommon Advice from History’s Least Likely Self-Help Guru, came out from Running Press/Hachette in September 2021.

You can find Catherine on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Check out the Substack post Catherine wrote about the long, long journey to a book deal, and what her P&L statement looks like.

Poe for Your Problems

Of all the writers anywhere, Poe might be the least likely person you’d ever turn to for advice. His life was a complete dumpster fire: he married his cousin; got fired from one job after another; constantly feuded with friends and rivals; and he was always broke. But that’s also precisely the point. Though Poe failed again and again, he also persevered.

Drawing deeply on his works and life, Catherine Baab-Muguira takes the familiar image of Poe in a new and surprising direction in this darkly inspiring self-help book. Despite what you might think, Edgar Allan Poe is the perfect person to teach you to say “Nevermore, problems!” and show you how to use all the terrible situations, tough breaks, bad luck, and even your darkest emotions in novel and creative ways to make a name for yourself and carve out your own unique, notorious place in the world.

An inspirational tale for black sheep everywhere, Poe for Your Problems will teach you how to overcome life’s biggest challenges to succeed at work, love, and art—despite the odds and no matter your flaws.

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 via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 383

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

In this episode, we mentioned a summit, which is now over. It will be housed in the DIY MFA Members HUB. To get on the waiting list for the HUB, click here.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 383: The Mashup as a Model: Lessons for Your Writing Career from Edgar Allan Poe – Interview with Catherine Baab-Muguira appeared first on DIY MFA.

Is there a better question to stoke the imagination and create anticipation? The promise of a story has always electrified me. I’ve wanted to become a writer since my parents read me bedtime stories filled with fantasy and adventure. I would often sneak out of bed and stay up late scribbling ideas in a notebook. The clacking of a keyboard still heightens my senses and warms me like my parents’ embrace.  

After college, I worked as a reporter before taking a twenty-five-year detour into law enforcement, but that’s another story. I retired in 2017 to work as a novelist, and today, at age fifty-five, I published my debut novel—Furious: Sailing into Terror. Better late than never.

I’ve made many mistakes over the past four years of full-time writing, and I want to share the lessons I’ve learned. There’s a big difference between having a story idea and getting published.

Lesson 1: Writers Write 

I developed a daily writing practice, which allowed my subconscious to stay engaged with my characters and plot. I jotted notes on my iPhone when I was away from my computer, and I memorialized ideas on a waterproof pad in the shower. Seriously, steam solves plot problems. I’ve written over 600,000 words since retirement because I silenced my inner critic during first drafts. I can fix bad writing, but I can’t edit what I haven’t written. I don’t make excuses—I write. 

Lesson 2: Read Your Genre

I pen thrillers, so I read the genre to understand reader expectations. Classics are great, but I also consumed contemporary bestsellers, because writing styles change and what worked fifty years ago will not hold a reader’s attention today. I understand conventions and avoid tropes, but I also break rules and try new things.

Lesson 3: Learn the Craft of Novel-Writing 

Despite having worked as a journalist, I still needed to learn how to write fiction. I studied dozens of craft books to understand structure, style, tone, pacing, setting, character, conflict, dialogue, description, etc. 

My top-ten favorite books about writing are: 

1. The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman 
2. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass 
3. Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk
4. Save The Cat Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody
5. The Writer’s Journey, by Christopher Vogler
6. Story, by Robert McKee
7. Writing the Blockbuster Novel, by Albert Zuckerman
8. The Writing Life, by Annie Dillard
9. On Writing, by Stephen King
10. The Elements of Narrative Nonfiction, by Peter Rubie

Lesson 4: Edit Multiple Times

After completing my first draft, I conducted a structural edit for plot arc, clarity, missing scenes, and extraneous characters. I followed that with a character arc edit, making sure I included characters’ wants and needs. Next came the copy edit where I fixed bad dialogue, lengthy backstory, passive voice, head hopping, weak verbs, excessive adjectives, and a myriad of other amateur writing mistakes. Last, I proofread for spelling, grammar, and consistency, then read a paper copy out loud, because mistakes jump off white paper. I edited my manuscript at least thirty times.

Lesson 5: Interact with the Writing Community

I swapped opening chapters with my critique group partners and sent my completed manuscript to beta readers. Receiving objective criticism was crucial and critiquing other writer’s work helped me spot similar problems in my own. I joined writers’ associations and attended several conferences. DIY MFA and other writing podcasts became a staple of my daily walks. Interacting with other writers, editors, and agents has been an important part of my education. 

After I polished my manuscript, I sought a literary agent to reach imprints in the big-five publishing houses. In 2017, I had signed with a big-name literary agency for a nonfiction book idea, but I acted too quickly and had to fire my agent a year later. I hired another agent for my nonfiction, but still needed representation for my novel. This time, I researched agents on Publishers Marketplace, Duotrope, and Manuscript Wish List, then logged my queries on a spreadsheet. I received one response in five minutes and others took nine months to get back to me. Some never did. 

Lesson 6: Querying Is an Art Form

My three-paragraph query letter started with a one-sentence hook, and included the title, genre, and word count. The second paragraph was a synopsis that avoided spoilers, much like my back-jacket copy. The last paragraph summarized my platform, professional accomplishments, writing credits, and awards. I was careful to follow each agency’s guidelines, which asked for things like a synopsis, pitch, comparable titles, target readers, and similar authors. One agent wanted to know which Hogwarts House I preferred.

When I could not find the right fit for my thriller, I submitted the manuscript to my favorite independent publishing houses and received several offers. I selected Black Rose Writing, sans agent, and used an Author’s Guild attorney to vet the contract. Had I not found a publisher, I would have considered self-publishing as a last resort. It’s hard to make a novel stand out among the two million books authors self-publish each year.

After three years of studying the craft and writing until my fingers ached, I finally sold a book. Mission accomplished, right?

Wrong. 

Lesson 7: Just the Beginning

Selling my manuscript to a publisher ended a long query process but began a new set of challenges. I had to learn how to interact with my publisher during editing, cover design, audio creation, and marketing. I had to choose categories to identify the book and pick keywords to help readers find it. I had to write back-jacket copy and an author bio, get blurbs from other authors, and take a portrait.

Black Rose Writing does not have national distribution like a big five house, so I had to learn how to advertise in magazines and on Facebook and navigate book promotions on Goodreads and BookBub. I never thought I’d worry about cost per impression, click rates, or sell-through. Since I set my novel on a yacht, I advertised in nontraditional markets, like marinas, sailing schools, and boating magazines. 

I developed my platform by writing articles, short stories, and guest blogs. I researched newsletters, branding, swag, and public speaking. I’m scheduled to be a panelist for both virtual and in-person conferences. I contacted bookstores, libraries, reviewers, and bloggers to promote my work, and since writers must write, I continued working on new books. Black Rose Writing will publish my second novel later this year, and my third novel is out for submission now.

Seeing my name on a book cover thrilled me, not for the promise of profit, but because people will read my work. I hope readers buy Furious—a story that has received wonderful praise from critics and readers alike—because I want to stir imaginations the way my parents did for me. That will give me the greatest satisfaction of all.

Now, do you want me to tell you a story?

Jeffrey James Higgins is a former reporter and retired supervisory special agent who writes thriller novels, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received both the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. Discover his writing on his website at https://JeffreyJamesHiggins.com, or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The post Lessons Learned by a Debut Author appeared first on DIY MFA.