I’m guilty. Of overwriting. Of indulging in hooptedoodleeandering. But not always. I just completed National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). I wrote a poem and posted it on my blog everyday in April. I chose to do NaPoWriMo because I often overthink when I write, which leads me to overwrite. Or worse, freeze up and not… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am delighted to have author and editor Joe Fassler on the show! Joe earned his MFA from the University of Iowa Writing Program and is a senior editor at The New Food Economy. His writing has appeared in many journals including The Boston Review, Electric Literature, and Creative Nonfiction,… Read more »
November is a difficult month for me. My struggle has nothing to do with visiting relatives, cleaning sprees or the holidays, though. It’s the whole novel writing thing. NaNoWriMo. (If somehow you’ve missed what NaNoWriMo is, listen to this podcast, Episode 169: Boost Your Creative Mojo with Grant Faulkner.) Beginning each October, the NaNo fever… Read more »
I almost didn’t write this article. My every attempt at beginning failed. Interestingly enough, my last Writing Small article, Tips and Techniques for Training Your Writing Brain, covered a number of techniques to fire your writing muscles up. Yet somehow, I still found myself at a loss. While I’m by no means a prolific author,… Read more »
I do my best writing reading. Yes, you read that right. I write best when I read what I want: spicy romance, psychedelic fiction, heart-expanding poems. I finish one book; I pick up another. Along my meanderings, I discover good writing across authors, genres, and forms. How does all of this indiscriminate reading help my… Read more »
Through fresh use of the very language we speak every day, poetry creates intrigue, and builds a connection between the author and the reader. But you don’t need to be a poet to use and benefit from poetic tools! Here are 5 tangible suggestions for learning to incorporate poetic tools into your prose. 1) Find… Read more »
Web Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Brenda Joyce Patterson, poet, writer, librarian,and the newest columnist for DIY MFA! In her column, Writing Small, she’ll be talking about the world of short fiction and poetry! Raise your hand if you read poetry. How about short stories? I so wish I could be a fly on… Read more »
Hi there word nerds! Today we’re talking with Ken Zak about writing poetic prose and the process behind his book The Poet’s Secret. Kenneth Zak is an aquatic nomad of Bohemian-Polish ancestry. As a lad, he dove into Lake Erie in search of a silver coin. Decades later, he surfaced off the island of Crete… Read more »
This is a very special episode for DIY MFA Radio because it features a wonderful writer–and one of my writing heroes–Jane Yolen. She has written over 360 books, but what truly sets her work apart is her artristry and versatility. She has written in just about every genre imaginable, and for just about every type of… Read more »
Today’s interview is all about writing and the magic of poetry. I’m so thrilled to introduce Marilyn Singer, who I first met at Book Expo America many years ago and whose work I both love and admire. A New Yorker born and raised, Marilyn has published more than a hundred books for children and young… Read more »
