Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for February is romance, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Ryan Dalton and I discuss:

• Why he wrote This Last Adventure as a middle grade story, as opposed to YA.
• How he created a sense of hope when his amorphous antagonist was undefeatable. 
• Writing group scenes and what to include and what to leave out to make each character distinct.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About Ryan Dalton

Ryan Dalton spends his time thinking up stories when he’s not wearing a cape and fighting crime. He’s a singer, a voiceover artist, a pretty decent amateur chef, and a lover of all things geek. Ryan lives in an invisible spaceship that’s currently hovering over St. Louis, Missouri. Please don’t tell anyone he’s Batman–it’s a secret.

You can find him on his website or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads.

This Last Adventure 

Archie’s grandpa has always been his hero. But after Grandpa is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the confident and adventurous man Archie’s known all his life starts disappearing. He’s not just losing his memory. He’s losing pieces of himself.

Archie desperately wants to slow the progression of Grandpa’s memory loss. Using Grandpa’s old journal entries as inspiration, he creates shared role-playing fantasies with epic quests for them to tackle together–helping Grandpa to live in the present while staying in touch with his fading memories.

But there’s a limit to the power of the fantasies. And not all the memories recorded in the journal entries are happy. When Archie learns a painful secret about Grandpa’s past, he questions everything he thought he knew about his hero.

As Grandpa’s condition worsens, Archie has to come to terms with the reality of what he’s losing and decide what it truly means to live a life worth remembering.

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 396

(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 396: When Fantasy and Reality Intersect: Writing Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction – Interview with Ryan Dalton appeared first on DIY MFA.

Sacha is an author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules.

Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing.

When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling about film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.

She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.

In this episode Sacha Black and I discuss:

• The main types of supporting characters and what you should do with each type.
• Why you need to create contrast between your supporting characters and your protagonist.
• How to balance giving supporting characters depth without letting them take over the story.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Sacha Black

Sacha Black is an author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules.

Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing.

When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.

She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.

You can find Sacha on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Patreon. You can also join her Facebook group.

8 Steps to Side Characters

Do your characters fail to bring your story to life? Are they flat, boring or have no depth? Is your story lacking a little cohesion or sparkle?

In 8 Steps to Side Characters, you’ll discover: 

• A step-by-step guide for creating side characters that bring your story alive
• The main types of side characters and what you should do with them
• The key to crafting character depth that hooks readers
• How to harness your character’s voice to deepen your reader’s experience
• Tips and tricks for using details to enhance characterization 
• Methods for killing characters that will help deepen plot, theme and story
• Dozens of ideas for creating conflict with your side characters 
• Tactics for differentiating characters and making them feel real to your reader 
• Character archetypes and functions
• The most common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid 

8 Steps to Side Characters is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create the side characters your story needs. This book is packed with tips and tricks for polishing characters for writers at any level.   If you want to power up your characters, eliminate dull and lifeless archetypes, and perfect your characterization, this is the book for you. By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your characters to give your story, prose and plot the extra something special it needs to capture readers and fans for life.

If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create better side characters, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting supporting roles with intention, purpose, and power. Read 8 Steps to Side Characters today and start creating kick-ass stories.

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 388

(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 388: How to Craft Your Supporting Characters – Interview with Sacha Black appeared first on DIY MFA.

Rhys and I chatted about this light-hearted series moving into the dark times of the abdication and WWII, the origin of Darcy’s name, what she really thinks of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and how she chooses from the large supporting cast when she is crafting a new installment.

About Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including The Venice Sketchbook, The Victory Garden, The Tuscan Child, and the World War II-based In Farleigh Field, the winner of the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel. Bowen’s work has won over twenty honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she has fans around the world. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona.

You can find Rhys on her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

About God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen

Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans. She has moved to a house on the edge of the Sandringham estate, near the royal family, and wants to invite Darcy and his new bride for Christmas. Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests: Mummy, Grandad, Fig, and Binky all head to Sandringham.

Georgie soon learns that the notorious Mrs. Simpson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, will also be in attendance. It is now crystal clear to Georgie that the Queen expects her to do a bit of spying. There is tension in the air from the get-go, and when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt. Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.

Interview with Rhys Bowen

Sara Farmer: How do you decide which members of the supporting cast will appear in each novel? Do you try to make sure each one gets a storyline regularly? 

Rhys Bowen: I try not to leave them out for too long. I know which members fans love to see in the story. Obviously Queenie, Granddad, and Mummy. Fig and Binky make occasional appearances, because she really is rather horrid. And Belinda has to have her moment, too. Since she featured in the last book, The Last Mrs. Summers, I felt I could leave her out of this one. It’s hard to get them all involved, but the Christmas house party worked well for that.

Sara: Is Darcy named for Mr. Darcy? 

Rhys: Of course. Every time I write him into a scene I see Colin Firth climbing out of that lake!

Sara: Do you have a particular one of Queen Victoria’s daughters in mind as Georgie’s grandmother? 

Rhys: I created a fictitious daughter as I didn’t want her to be bound by real history. However, there are shades of Princess Louise, who married a Scottish Duke of Argyll. (He was a commoner when they married, hence a real love story!) But since Queen Victoria had so many children I felt that I could invent another one. I never name her and only describe her as Queen Victoria’s least attractive daughter.

Sara: How long did it take you to write your first book? Do you have drawer novels? 

Rhys: You know, I’ve been writing since I was four. I wrote several angst-ridden novels in college that will never see the light of day, although I think I may still have them in an attic. After college, I went to work in BBC drama, wrote my first radio play that was accepted, and have been published ever since. In recent years, I have not had to write any book that didn’t already have a publishing home. 

Sara: How do you plan to handle the accession of Edward VIII and then George VI? Will Queen Mary still give Georgie missions? 

Rhys: Oh, yes. I have been looking forward to the drama surrounding Edward, Mrs. Simpson, the abdication. I’m sure Queen Mary will rely even more on Georgiana as she is devastated by the behavior of her oldest son.

Sara: How do you feel about the relationship between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson? Do you have sympathy for them? Do you think that things worked out for the best for the country with his abdication and his brother’s accession to the throne? I’m surprised Georgie doesn’t have a tiny bit of sympathy for them, since she encountered royal roadblocks to being with her true love. 

Rhys: I have little sympathy, I’m afraid. Wallis was a manipulative, ambitious woman who really believed that she could be queen. She dominated and bullied Edward. He was infatuated with her, but I’m not sure that she ever loved him. She had married up the social scale twice before she met him. 

I’m afraid he was always a weak character. A stronger one would have done his royal duty. He could always have married suitably and then kept her as a mistress. That was considered normal! But it was an absolute blessing for the future of England that he abdicated. They were both enamored of Hitler, went to visit him the moment he abdicated. They would certainly have handed over England to become a puppet state with a puppet king. Hitler had this in mind and that was why Edward was shipped off to the Bahamas, where America could keep an eye on him.

Winston Churchill once said, “We should erect a statue to Mrs. Simpson. Without her we’d have been slaves of Germany.”

Sara: WWII is fast approaching Georgie’s world. Do you plan to continue the series into those years? 

Rhys: I’m really hoping to take it to the war years. Mummy stranded in Nazi Germany? Darcy sent on dangerous missions? Of course, it will be a challenge. This is essentially a light-hearted series. I know we have serious topics lurking in the background, but I’ll be walking a fine line when it comes to the horrors that war brings.

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Interview with Rhys Bowen appeared first on DIY MFA.

Leslie was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA and went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, and Ralph Macchio, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. She later earned a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years.

Most recently, Leslie has written personal essays for online magazines such as Huffington Post, Maria Shriver, and SheKnows. She loves dogs and in addition to having two adorable Labradors, she volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter in Burbank, California. Leslie lives in Los Angeles and has two sons, and a husband she’s been with since college. After Happily Ever After is her debut novel and it is out now.

In this episode Leslie and I discuss:

• How she captured family dynamics by writing about three different generations.
• The ways her past as a sitcom writer helped her create a strong supporting cast.
• Why she chose to write about after the typical “happily ever after” ending.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About the Leslie A. Rasmussen

Leslie A. Rasmussen was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA and went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, and Ralph Macchio, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. Later, she earned a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years.

Most recently, Leslie has written personal essays for online magazines such as Huffington Post, Maria Shriver, and SheKnows. She loves dogs and besides having two adorable Labradors, she volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter in Burbank, California. Leslie lives in Los Angeles and has two sons, and a husband she’s been with since college. After Happily Ever After  is her debut novel.

You can find Leslie A. Rasmussen on her website, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, or check out her book After Happily Ever After on Facebook.

After Happily Ever After

Maggie Dolin is forty-five and isn’t dealing with getting older very well. Seventeen years ago, she gave up her job in publishing to raise her daughter, Gia―but now her only child is about to leave for college, and Maggie isn’t sure what her new purpose will be.

She’s been the caretaker and nurturer for so long that she can’t even remember the last time someone took care of her. She wishes Jim, her husband of nineteen years, would take that role on―but he’s been distracted and disconnected, and she’s convinced he’s hiding something from her.

Her self-involved, judgmental mother and resentful brother, meanwhile, are certainly no help, and her father―the only person in her life who’s always been there for her and asked nothing in return―is dealing with increasingly serious health issues, leaving Maggie without her rock.

As all these stressors pile on, a chance meeting with a younger man causes Maggie to act in a way that is completely out of character for her. As she gets deeper in, she’s forced to make some big decisions about what she wants and deserves―decisions that could change her life forever.

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 362

(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 362: A Deep Dive into the Supporting Cast – Interview with Leslie A. Rasmussen appeared first on DIY MFA.