Happy Sunday, Leisure Learners!! While school is literally always open here at DIY MFA, September has a special feel for passionate learners like ourselves. That sparkle filled with notebooks and pens and elevated thoughts enters the ether as we put aside the beachy reads and fall in love once again with our most substantial literary… Read more »
Regardless of how good your story idea is, how great your writing is, or how powerful your manuscript is, you must get past the gatekeepers of traditional publishing before an agent will read a single page of your manuscript… and hopefully fall in love with your story. Two of those gatekeepers are the query and… Read more »
There is nothing more fun than building a world from scratch. Entire magic systems, new technology, alternate timelines, fascinating characters… And you, and only you, make the rules for your world: what creatures exist there? How does physics work (or not work)? Where in time does your world take place? We introverts are stuck in… Read more »
One of my marketing clients came right out with the TRUTH recently: “I hate social media,” she said. “I don’t even know where to start, what to post, and the whole thing just gives me stomach cramps.” Writer, does this sound like you? Then take a DEEP BREATH. In this blog, you’ll get a quickstart… Read more »
What does Music have to do with writing you ask? For some people, nothing; for some, it is setting the Mood. Some people swear by the use of background music to stimulate their creative flow. Stephen King comes to mind with his use of heavy metal to stimulate his creativity. Other people, such as myself,… Read more »
Welcome, beautiful people on the internet! Have you ever wondered what it would seem like if fairy tales merged with science fiction to create a realm of wonder and awe? In this wondrous universe of imagination and limitless possibilities, we find ourselves surrounded by a dazzling array of subgenres. Each has its own unique flavor… Read more »
Why do we do the things we do? Or, why don’t we do the things we say we most want to do? We all want to eat healthier and exercise, and anyone reading this article wants more magic and writing in their lives. So, why is it so difficult to wake up early to write,… Read more »
Welcome back, poets! This will be my final post as a columnist for DIY MFA. This is a bittersweet departure for me, but I’m excited to begin another chapter of my life! It’s truly been an honor writing for you all and I thought I’d leave you with some of the lessons I’ve learned from… Read more »
You know that part of you that seems to roar to the surface and lead you to be your worst self? It might be from a series of small triggers that tumbleweed into a berserker rage over time, or one big conversation or event that sets you off. But regardless, you react out of instinct… Read more »
I wish I may; I wish I might. Stargaze to find your hero and heroine’s true romantic delight! I hope by the time you finish reading this article; you are excited to use celestial-inspired characterization with the help of the astrological sun signs, the wisdom of the universe, and a barrel full of doggone, genuine… Read more »
