For example, tech companies use iteration all the time. They produce software and release a version of it so people can test it. People use that software, find and report bugs, and the tech company in turn releases a 2.0 version. People use that new version, find and report bugs, and then a 3.0 version gets released. And on and on we go.

But iteration far predates the tech world. In fact, Samuel Beckett said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Failing better is iteration in a nutshell.

So, what does this have to do with writing? Just like tech companies might use iteration to improve their software, we can use iteration to improve our writing process.

I think of iteration as a cyclical process. Iteration is vital to innovation, and VITAL is an acronym. (If you’ve been in the DIY MFA ecosystem for thirty seconds, you know that we love our acronyms.) Iteration is a cyclical process by which we can refine and improve our writing process. (It’s a bit meta, I know.) Here’s how it works.

• V = choose a variable
• I = collect information
• T = set a tripwire
• A = analyze the data
• L = learn and decide what’s next

We start with choosing the variable, then work our way through the VITAL process until we get to “L,” at which point we decide whether we’ll keep testing the same variable, or try something new with a different variable. Let’s walk through the process step by step with an example.

V is for Variable

To start off the VITAL process, you need to choose a variable. Actually, you’ll choose two: an input variable and an output variable. The input variable is the thing you’re testing, while the output variable is the result you’re measuring. The input variable can be any condition you put on your writing—time of day, location, background music, etc. The output variable needs to be something concrete and easy to measure. In writing, that usually means either time or word count. Note: word count tends to work better if you’re in the drafting stage, while time can be a more effective measure of your progress during revisions.

Suppose you’re deep into drafting your book and you want to determine where you do your best writing: at home or at a coffee shop. Location is the input variable. Word count would be our output variable. Then all you have to do is write a few times at home and a few times at the coffee shop, then compare your word counts.

I is for Information

Once you’ve determined your variable, the next step is to run a mini-experiment on yourself. You do a series of writing sessions—some at the coffee shop, some at home—and then you measure your output to see where you’re most productive. The key at this stage is to make sure you have enough data points at each location. After all, you can’t base your analysis off of only one or two data points because they could be outliers.

Generally, I recommend a total of 10-12 data points, split evenly between the two locations. (I know, I know, this won’t give you a statistically significant result, but we’re not trying to publish this experiment in an academic journal. We’re just looking for a pattern.) You’ll want to mix up the order of when you write in each location to account for days of the week or other factors. Basically, try to choose your location as randomly as possible.

Now, all you have to do is write. Do your writing sessions and record your output. You can record word count, time, and even calculate words-per-hour if you want to get super nerdy.

T is for Tripwire

Sooner or later, you have to stop collecting data and start analyzing it. That’s where the tripwire comes in. The tripwire is a signal to yourself that tells you when to start your analysis.

The reason the tripwire is so important is because (as my late, great violin teacher used to say): “Practice does not make perfect, it makes things permanent.” If you keep repeating the same writing behavior for long enough, it can eventually become a habit. That habit may not necessarily be good for you, and if you make that habit permanent, it will be all the more difficult to break that habit down the road. This is why you want to analyze your results before the behavior becomes ingrained in you as a habit.

Research says that it can take anywhere between 21 to 90 days to form a new habit. This means that you want to try to fit your 10-12 data points in before that 21-day mark. You’re aiming for a sweet spot: enough data points where you can see a pattern, but not such a long stretch of time that you create a bad habit.

A is for Analysis

From here, you simply look at your data log and try to spot a pattern. On average, which location gave you better results? Which location was less productive for you? The key at this stage is not to judge the data (they’re just numbers, after all) and to stay as objective as possible. No value judgments allowed.

L is for Learning 

Once you’ve done your analysis and you’ve gotten a sense for what’s working and what’s not, now you have to make some decisions. If something’s working for you… keep doing it! Don’t fix something that’s not broken. If something’s not working for you, then you should consider trying to change things up. At this point in the process, you also need to decide whether to retest the same variable (like maybe this time you want to try coffee shop vs. library) or whether to choose some entirely new variable to test.

There are so many variables you can test through iteration. Time of day. Day of the week. Writing by hand vs. on the computer. The computer software you use. Background music vs. ambient noise. Diffusing essential oils or lighting a candle. These are just a few ideas, but I’m sure you can think of dozens more.

The Meta-Mindset

In the end, the purpose of iteration is for you to take on a meta-mindset. You need to step back and look at your writing process with objectivity, figuring out how you do your best work. We need to be intentional about this process because it’s very easy to get sucked into the writing itself and not see the forest for the trees. When we build iteration into our writing process, we automatically make room for that meta-mindset and that ability to see the bigger picture of how our process really works.

Now, I’m curious: Are you going to use iteration? If so, what variable do you plan to measure first? I myself have used iteration to test location, writing implement (write by hand vs. computer), and background music vs. ambient noise. Where do you plan to start with iteration?

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: How to Use Iteration in Your Writing appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.

In this episode I discuss:

• Why it’s important not just to build something, but build the right thing.
• How failure plays into innovation, and why we should accept it rather than avoid it.
• How originality is about the execution of the idea, rather than the idea itself.
• Why it’s crucial to embrace the concept of “good enough.”

Link to Episode 476

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If you liked this episode…

Head over to Apple or Spotify and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 476: Lesson 1 – Jump First, Build After appeared first on DIY MFA.

You hit send, and then can’t resist the temptation to take one more—

*GASP* 

Ok, maybe a totally different four letter word just echoed through the room, but say it ain’t so! Right there, staring at you in black and white, is a blaring frickin’ error.

A word repeated twice in the same paragraph. The wrong to, their, or your. Punctuation gone horribly awry. You used a different agent’s name in your query letter, or spelled your comp title wrong. 

Long story short, you screwed up. Makes you cringe just thinking about it, doesn’t it? And I can guarantee every single person reading this has got not so fond memories of one, if not more, of those examples. 

Me? Oh, I’m guilty of every single one of those writing errors on more than one occasion. 

Which is why I’m here to tell you that none of them are the end of the world, and are only as bad as you make them out to be. 

Here’s some things to think about that will take the sting out of writing errors.

Sin #1: Repeat Words

Ugh I get it, and was just guilty of this in a recent Writer Fuel, which inspired this article. Check it out: 

“Not like pig in a tutu weird, but a little lipstick isn’t outside the realm of possibilities. I’d introduce myself, but I’m gonna bet you’ve already figured out that it’s not Gabriela or Lori typing this up.”

Yup, I double loaded on the buts and seriously winced when I read it. Especially since the sentence structure was so similar. 

BUT, you know what? Most readers read for enjoyment. Unless it’s super egregious, most people will cut you some slack over your writing errors. 

Overall, that article got some great feedback, and the only person looking at buts was me.

Ahem.

Which leads me to Sin #2.

Sin #2: The Wrong Word

This one is a straight up groan, and though AI programs are pretty good, not even a computer will catch all of these all the time. And yeah, sure, there are the usual suspects I mentioned above, but what about the sneaky ones like compliment (a polite expression of praise or admiration) vs. complement (a thing that completes or brings to perfection)?

Why yes, that is a super specific example. I wonder how I could have chosen it…

Look, unless you’re swimming in the Mensa side of the gene pool, you can’t expect yourself to know every single in and out of the English language, or any other language for that matter. 

That’s what editors are for, and even they miss stuff, which is why the publishing process goes through so many rounds of revisions.

And I’m gonna bet you’ve picked up a traditionally published book at some point in your life and there’s been an error that snuck through. Speaking of which, let’s check out Sin #3

Sin #3: Punctuation Gone Horribly Awry

Commas, I’m looking at you. True story, the last time I had a full-length manuscript professionally copyedited, it came back with over two-thousand corrected commas. To add insult to injury, I had run it through one of those AI programs before I sent it off.

If a computer is fallible when following specifically programmed algorithms, how can you expect yourself to be perfect every time? 

I mean, I get it. Those stupid little sickles of doom have given me a complex, and quite frankly, I’m so terrified of semicolons I won’t even use them. 

See the above editors / publishers comment and give yourself some grace.

Sin #4: Wrong Names and Misspelling

Using the wrong name on a query letter. Seriously, come on! You’ve researched the living daylights out of this person, agonized over toeing the line between informed and stalker-ish, the tears you’ve shed trying to distill your book into a frickin’ paragraph—

And instead of addressing it to Jack, you spelt it Jac, or called him Karen. 

For the record, at this point, it is entirely acceptable to curl up into a fetal ball of misery. Oh yeah, been there done that. Twice, actually. Repeating the experience doesn’t make it any easier in case you were wondering. And that also goes for misspelling a comp title or author name. 

So how do you deal with it? Well, at some point, you just have to laugh at yourself, and you know what? Agents are people, too. They have good days and bad, and they can tell a carefully crafted query with an oops from some schmuck just whipping out form letters.

In cases like this, you have to trust that the rest of your query will shine. And if the agent isn’t able or willing to look beyond that one flub, I’m gonna bet they’re not someone you want to tie your career to. 

Trust me, especially with the misspelled name thing. I’m kind of an expert with that. I mean what kind of a sadistic parent would saddle their kid with Alysen?

Um, this girl’s.

So, as someone whose family members can’t even spell her name correctly, it really isn’t that big of a deal. People who freak out about it generally have a chip on their shoulder and are best avoided.

Sin #5: Something You Wrote Rubbed Someone the Wrong Way

Are you laughing? I’m laughing. Because um, yeah, I’ve been here too. On numerous occasions and sometimes purposefully. Like, I have Lori scan all of my copy just to make sure I’m not saying something that’s too over the top. 

Look, almost none of us want to be hurtful or upset other people, but it’s inevitable that you’re going to unintentionally put your foot in it with someone at some point. 

And I will be the first to admit that my writing style and voice can sometimes be shocking.

But I like pushing my readers to look at the not so pretty and safe side of things. I write gritty books with edgy characters, and though my editorial prose is much lighter, there’s some bite to the self-deprecation. 

It’s not going to be for everyone, and neither is your work. That’s ok.

For me, writing is about eliciting emotion and making my readers feel something. A lot of the time, I want them to feel like they’re not so alone on this journey, and that they’re definitely not the only one making mistakes. Other times, I want them to question a preconceived notion. And I’ll admit it, sometimes I just want the shock value and a burst of startled laughter. 

That’s not without risks, and I’ve absolutely had people unsubscribe from my mailing list. But again, that’s ok. Not everyone liked you in high school and it doesn’t happen in real life either.

If you didn’t learn your lesson then, I’m here to tell you now: if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one, least of all yourself.

And at the end of the day?

Institute a ritual, and celebrate your writing errors. 

Order nachos, break out the fancy bourbon, and text your BFF about what a bonehead you are. 

Promise yourself you’ll never do that again, knowing full well it isn’t a promise you’ll be able to keep.

You’ll be in good company. I, and every other writer, will be bumbling along right beside you, muttering the immortal words of Homer Simpson: “D’oh!”

AK Nevermore writes science fiction and urban fantasy with spice. She enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes about dark worlds, perversely irreverent and profound, and always entertaining.

You can find her on her website or follow her on her sadly neglected Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds.

The post Take the Sting Out of Writing Errors appeared first on DIY MFA.

A well-crafted premise is a pretty powerful writing tool!

Of course, before we can talk about actually using that tool, I should probably answer a quick question:

What is a premise?

Your novel’s premise is a one to two-sentence synopsis of your story, covering the foundational elements that make your novel yours. A strong premise will do a few important things:

• It should imply a conflict,
• It should show a unique perspective,
• It should tease how your story will start,
• And it should hint at your main character’s reaction to the conflict.

To help you see what I mean, here are a few premises you might recognize:

• Mulan: A young woman disguises herself as a man in order to join the Chinese army and protect her father from the draft, entering a deadly war in the process.
• Star Wars: A young Jedi goes on a quest to destroy an evil empire, only to discover that his father is one of its leaders, betraying everything he believes.

As you can see, both of these examples follow a common structure. Some character is faced with a difficult conflict, sets out to achieve something related to that conflict, and gets into trouble. Though we don’t get any spoilers about how these stories end, there is a clear implication—this character has a lot of challenges ahead of them.

With those examples in mind, take a moment to write down your novel’s premise, remembering to keep it short. Again, this is all about distilling the most important elements of your story. You don’t even need your protagonist’s name!

Once you have a premise in hand, let me show you everything you can do with it…

1. Planning Your Story

Typically, the first time you’ll need to consider your story’s premise is while outlining your novel.

This is the chance to distill your many ideas into a cohesive plot, complete with a cast of characters, an engaging story world, and a series of interesting scenes. However, outlining can be a massive undertaking. Some authors (myself included) write outlines that are thousands of words long. Even if every word in that outline is useful, it’s still a lot of information to sort through.

Having a clear premise solves this problem.

As you saw a moment ago, your novel’s premise is short—like, really short. It strikes directly at the heart of your novel, meaning taking the time to write it down is a great way to figure out what parts of your story truly matter.

If you’re struggling to figure out what your novel is “about,” then you’ll definitely want a premise to guide you.

2. Writing Your First Draft

Next up, it’s time to write!

Writing your first draft is a process full of uncertainty, exploration, and excitement. Early on, your story will have tons of possibilities to get lost in—but eventually, you’ll need to find your direction.

This is where your premise arrives to save the day.

Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, you will get stuck while writing your first draft. When this happens, one of the best things you can do is reference your novel’s premise. How does the scene you’re writing relate back to that core idea? Does it move your story forward? Does it matter to the bigger picture?

Though simple on the surface, it might surprise you how quickly these questions (and your premise) can help you cut through the fog!

3. Editing Your Manuscript

Much like writing, editing is equal parts fun and stressful. You’ve finished your first draft, meaning now you need to dig deep and transform it into a polished novel.

Along the way, you’ll likely make a lot of changes.

For the most part, these changes will be good, but it is possible you make so many changes that you forget what you’re working towards. After months of editing, your story might look completely different from what you started with—and also completely confusing.

If you’re struggling with this, your premise is a great way to reset your writing compass. Pull out your novel’s premise and remind yourself what this story is about. Think back to your original inspiration, vision, and plans, and then consider how to honor those in your current draft. While revisions are an important part of the writing process, it’s also important to stay oriented and focused while editing. Otherwise, it’s far too easy to end up overwhelmed.

4. Publishing Your Novel

Publishing (especially self-publishing) involves a lot of explanation. You’ll need to explain your novel to prospective agents and publishers, pitch it to readers through your marketing, and likely fill in supportive friends and family too.

Luckily, you don’t need to make up these explanations as you go.

Your novel’s premise is essentially an elevator pitch for your story—so don’t be afraid to treat it as such! When someone asks you what your novel is about, share your premise. When it comes time to write your novel’s back cover blurb, use your premise as a starting point. And finally, highlight your premise to readers in the form of emails and ad copy.

By using your premise to ensure every part of your publishing process is consistent, you’ll have a much easier time getting your novel out into the world.

5. Finding Your Fans

Speaking of readers, this is the last major use for your novel’s premise.

Finding your ideal reader is often a tricky process, one that involves a lot of research and careful consideration. The question is, what do you do once you’ve found them? How do you prove your novel is what they’re looking for?

Well, that’s where your premise comes in!

Because your premise highlights the most important aspects of your story, it also provides a good window into what your novel is about. A young woman might set out to find herself, while an elderly grandfather comes to terms with his life. These two stories are very different and thus appeal to different readers. By sharing your premise through social media, blurbs, email, and ads, you can quickly signal to readers whether your novel is right for them.

At the end of the day, your novel’s premise is a small part of your writing toolkit—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. By taking the time to write a solid premise and then use it to the fullest, you can set yourself up for success in nearly every stage of the writing process.

Whatever your story’s premise is, I hope it’s a worthwhile companion on your writing journey!

Tell us in the comments: What is your novel’s premise? How has it helped you plan, write, or publish your novel?

Lewis Jorstad is an author and developmental editor who helps up-and-coming writers hone their writing craft over at The Novel Smithy. When he isn’t working on the next book in his Writer’s Craft series, you can find him playing old Gameboy games and sailing somewhere around the eastern half of the US. You can also check out his free ebook, The Character Creation Workbook, and grab a copy for yourself!

You can find him on his website or follow him on Twitter and instagram.

The post #5onFri: Five Reasons Your Novel’s Premise is a Powerful Writing Tool appeared first on DIY MFA.

negative, or flat arc. As your novel unfolds, your characters will “arc” from one place to another, undergoing some shift that leaves them meaningfully different from how they began.

However, I’d argue that this definition is missing something.

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with character arcs, and I’ve realized there’s another layer beyond the usual positive, negative, or flat arcs. These are what I like to call secondary character arcs, which are specialized character arcs based on common journeys like coming of age or redemption. These universal stories are flexible enough to apply to a wide range of characters, but also provide a more detailed blueprint for planning your cast.

Though there are about a dozen secondary character arcs in total, here are five of my favorites!

1. The Hero’s Arc

Based on The Hero’s Journey, the hero’s arc follows your character as they set out into the unknown, face tests and trials, and eventually gain some reward. This reward might be new tools, skills, or allies, but whatever it is, it’s the key to protecting their community. With this key in hand, the hero will then return home, sharing their reward and thus resolving the conflict of their story.

The hero’s arc looks something like this:

• With their community under threat, the hero leaves home (literally or metaphorically) in search of a solution.
• They face a series of trials that teach them about their world, allowing them to earn some reward.
• Realizing this reward can help their community, they return home to face their story’s conflict.
• Finally, they end their arc at peace, acting as a bridge between their community and the outside world.

It’s this return that sets the hero apart from other characters, because it demands they sacrifice some of their own desires in order to better their society. In doing so, they not only grow as a character, but also earn the title of hero!

Example: Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon, who starts as a timid runt, masters the world of dragons, and then uses that mastery to save his people from destruction.

2. The Heroine’s Arc

The heroine’s arc is a mirror of the hero’s arc, with one important twist: while the hero sets out in search of physical mastery over their world, the heroine is searching for their true self.

This heroine’s arc is based on the work of Maureen Murdock. In her book, appropriately titled The Heroine’s Journey, she outlines an alternative to Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, focused on a character discovering their identity and—through it—some truth about their world.

The heroine’s arc looks something like this:

• With their community under threat, the heroine leaves home (literally or metaphorically) in search of a solution.
• They face a series of trials that teach them about themselves, allowing them to discover some truth about who they are.
• Realizing this wisdom can help their community, they return home to face their story’s conflict.
• Finally, they end their arc at peace, acting as a bridge between their community and the outside world.

As you can see, this closely matches the hero’s arc, but with a more internal focus. Rather than gaining a physical reward, the heroine instead gains a deeper connection with themselves, and thus the wisdom needed to achieve their goals.

Example: Moana from Disney’s Moana, who starts out searching for her true ancestry, discovers her people’s connection to the ocean, and then uses that wisdom to save her tribe from destruction.

3. The Coming of Age Arc

Next, the coming of age arc is exactly what it sounds like. This is a journey all about a character’s transition from dependent child to independent adult. As your character leaves the safety of their guardians behind, they’ll have to learn to survive on their own, face the consequences of independence, and eventually earn their place in their new adult world.

The coming of age arc looks something like this:

• Straining beneath the restrictions of childhood, the child ventures out in search of independence.
• Though they struggle to gain respect at first, they eventually prove they’re capable of standing alone.
• Of course, adulthood isn’t all benefits. The child will face a final test, leading them to sacrifice something in exchange for freedom.
• Now a full member of the adult world, the child is free to chart their own path.

With that said, this arc isn’t restricted to literal children. Any character who struggles to gain their independence can follow this arc, regardless of their age!

Example: Rose from Titanic starts out trapped under the thumb of her fiancé, embraces the freedom of life below deck, and then rejects her fiancé’s control—even as doing so risks her own life.

4. The Hermit’s Arc

Often the domain of anti-heroes and other less “traditional” characters, the hermit’s arc is about reintegrating into society. These are characters who have been driven from their communities by some past event, and must now undergo the difficult process of returning to their old world. To do so, they’ll have to forgive their wounds and eventually find a new place in their society.

The hermit’s arc looks something like this:

• Though they start out isolated, the hermit is dragged back into their old world when someone comes to them for help.
• Slowly, the hermit develops a renewed connection to their community.
• Forced to face their wounds, the hermit decides to forgive the past and fully embrace these new relationships.
• Now a full member of their society, the hermit settles into life among their community.

Often found in westerns, thrillers, and crime novels, the hermit is definitely my favorite secondary arc!

Example: Rick Blaine from Casablanca, who starts out emotionally isolated from his world, slowly learns to fight for a greater cause, and eventually overcomes his anger to protect the people he cares about.

5. The Redemption Arc

Last but not least, the redemption arc is all about forgiveness. Unlike the other secondary arcs on this list, this arc begins with a character that’s detrimental to their world. They’re destructive and dangerous, and so their journey is about recognizing the harm they’ve caused, atoning for the past, and earning their world’s forgiveness.

The redemption arc looks something like this:

• Unaware of how destructive they are, the character sets out in pursuit of some goal.
• In doing so, they’re exposed to new people and perspectives, and slowly realize their actions are harmful.
• After much internal conflict, they accept that they were wrong, and set out to make things right.
• Finally, they earn the forgiveness of those they’ve previously hurt, completing their redemption.

It’s this balance of repentance and forgiveness that really makes this arc work. By having your character truly repent for their actions and gain the forgiveness of others, it’ll be much easier to convince readers that their transformation is genuine.

Example: Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, who starts out as the violent prince of a warring nation, realizes the destruction his family has caused, and then dedicates his life to fighting for peace.

All told, these secondary character arcs open a lot of exciting possibilities for us as writers. No matter what type of story you’re creating, I hope these journeys inspire you with new ways to power up your cast!

Tell us in the comments: Do you plan to use any of these secondary character arcs? Which one is your favorite?

Lewis Jorstad is an author and developmental editor who helps up-and-coming writers hone their writing craft over at  The Novel Smithy. When he isn’t working on the next book in his Writer’s Craft series, you can find him playing old Gameboy games and sailing somewhere around the eastern half of the US. You can also check out his free ebook, The Character Creation Workbook, and grab a copy for yourself! You can also follow him on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.

The post #5onFri: Five Secondary Character Arcs to Strengthen Your Cast appeared first on DIY MFA.

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 April is Picture Books, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Jody Hadlock and Lori discuss:

• The research process and how to blend primary and secondary sources.
• Why finding the right point of view is so important to the writing process.
• What role context plays in writing about the past and how to integrate it into your plot.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Jody Hadlock

After studying journalism at Texas A&M University, Jody Hadlock was a television news reporter and anchor in Bryan-College Station, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina; and San Antonio, Texas. She now lives near Fort Worth with her husband. For several years Jody served on the board of directors of North Texas Special Needs Assistance Partners (SNAP), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live the fullest lives possible in their communities. The Lives of Diamond Bessie is her first novel.

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

The Lives of Diamond Bessie

Inspired by a true story….

Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, she resorts to prostitution in order to survive. 

As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler, a traveling salesman with a gambling problem. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there. 

Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a haunting tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.

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 404

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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.

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 404: How to Turn Historical Figures into Characters for Your Novel – Interview with Jody Hadlock appeared first on DIY MFA.

If you are like me, you end the day wondering why you didn’t get as much writing done as you’d intended. There isn’t one right or wrong answer to how our daily energy should be spent. We all need to prepare food, take care of ourselves, our kids or fur babies, and keep things somewhat clean. The online world entices us to spend time and energy there, whether checking email or browsing the Internet.

Building an author career is a juggling act. It takes practice and iteration to strike a balance between writing, reading, and community. It takes even more dedication and flexibility to build a writing career in between family responsibilities, day jobs, or volunteering. No one lives in a vacuum where the entire day is spent writing.

When your energy is scattered among several tasks, it is difficult to do one task with full strength. In my Breath Qigong Yoga class, I teach several techniques to gather scattered energy back to your core. With focused energy, you can work toward your true purpose.

Think of energy as water moving through a garden hose. When water moves through the hose and out a power washer nozzle, the water is focused, concentrated. There is a lot of power in the way the water moves. When water moves through the hose and out a fan spray nozzle, the water is scattered, not as strong. The power is dispersed in many directions. 

Both are ways to move water through a hose. Concentrating the water flow in one direction, though, is more powerful.

It feels like there aren’t enough hours to get everything done. But I’ve realized it isn’t the quantity of hours. It is the way I’m spending my hours. 

There are distinct peaks and valleys to my energy levels during the day. With an awareness of how I’m spending energy, I can make adjustments to create a sustainable writing routine in balance with other demands on my energy.

Introducing… the Marble Jar Experiment

Instead of tracking time, I track how I’m spending my energy. One marble represents a unit of energy. One jar represents a category of how you spend your energy. 

You can track how you are spending your energy with this marble jar experiment in 7 simple steps:

1. Write down 5-10 categories of ways you spend your time.

Everyone will have a different answer. For my categories I have:

• Checking Email and Text Messages
• Online Time (social media/websites/author community platforms)
• Writing/Creative Work
• Reading
• Wellness (going for a walk/Tai Chi/stretching)
• Daily Tasks (cooking/cleaning)

2. Label a glass or jar with each category.

3. Get a number of identical objects such as marbles.

4. Every time you spend energy on one of the categories, put a marble in the jar. 

Be honest!

5. At the end of the day, tally up how many marbles are in each jar.

I’m a visual person, so seeing a quantity helps me along with the tally. Remember, you’re not tracking time. You are tracking how many times you spend energy on this category.

6. Repeat for as many days as it takes to see a pattern (but not so many that it takes away from your writing project).

7. Analyze the results.

Write down ways you can tweak your daily routine to balance the energy spent in each category.

The results are in…

After three days, I tallied up my results. I was not surprised to see that 20 marbles were in the email jar, the most of any category. I’m so overwhelmed whenever I check email that I actually freeze up. And most of it isn’t even messages personally addressed to me that I need to answer.

I have two easy solutions. Part one is to unsubscribe from emails that have information I can get another way on my own time. This digital clutter drains both my creative energy and fossil fuel energy. I recently wrote about digital spring cleaning in my newsletter. It is a good first step in reclaiming creative energy.

Part two is to set specific times for checking email instead of every hour. I have a colleague who only responds to phone calls and text messages while he is out in the field. He answers emails when he is back at the office at 4:00. His clients know their emails will get answered at that time.

The next fullest jar was daily tasks. Cooking or getting something to eat takes a chunk of energy. My plan is to start batch cooking on the weekends. This way I can reheat a dish during the week instead of spending energy each day figuring out what to eat, which often results in choices that aren’t beneficial to my body or brain.

The wellness jar had only 3 marbles and the reading jar had only 1 lonely marble. These important parts of my wellbeing often get crammed in at the end of the day or neglected altogether. Cutting back on email frees up time for reading a book. Batching tasks such as prepping vegetables one day a week frees up time for afternoon walks. I am confident just a few changes will move the marbles into the right jars for a balanced day.

Are you ready to make significant healthy changes to your writing life? Taking a few minutes for a few days to do this easy experiment will give you clarity on what is out of balance in your energy account. You will be surprised at the results!

Tell us in the comments: Have you tried the marble jar experiment? How did it go?

Ambre Dawn Leffler is a Tai Chi instructor, gardener, and weather geek who writes about vegetables, seasons, communing with nature, and the interconnections of mind/body. She loves trees and cherishes time in their presence. Learn more about her tree time, garden residents, and wellness practices at her website ambredawnleffler.com and seasonal inspiration from her newsletter Sky Earth Water. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post The Marble Jar Experiment: Balance Your Energy Account appeared first on DIY MFA.

Even the process of carefully hand-writing these stories in a spiral-bound notebook was deeply satisfying—I loved finding just the right words in my growing vocabulary to describe the scenes I imagined.

Writing was a blast!

Middle school Jessie would be thrilled to know that adult Jessie makes a living writing. But I bet she’d be mystified to hear me say that some days it’s kind of a slog. 

Losing the Joy

Sometimes, in my quest to become a more “productive” and “serious” writer, I end up losing the joy. I know I’m not alone—so many of the conversations I have with writer friends revolve around our frustrations with the writing process, rather than the joy we get out of it.

That’s such a shame, especially because so many of the external writing rewards fall into other people’s hands: Will an agent pick this book up? Will readers like it? Will it find an audience?

The only thing you have much control over in the publishing journey is your writing process. And if you’re going to be spending so many days and months and years in the act of writing, why not find some joy in it?

If you’ve been feeling frustrated with your writing more often than not, I encourage you to start experimenting to see where you can tease out more joy. I guarantee when you’re having more fun writing, you’ll start to see improvements in productivity, too!

Experiment with finding space

Writing may seem like a primarily mental act, but we perform it in a physical space—and that space can make the difference between a fun writing day and a frustrating one. 

Having a dedicated workspace is a total luxury, especially in these last few years when many of us (and our partners and families) are working and studying from home instead of in the offices we used to go to before the pandemic. But you can still experiment with manipulating your physical space in order to make that creative energy flow. 

What do you hear while you’re trying to work? If it’s distracting, can you use white noise, music, or noise-canceling headphones to block it out?

What do you see when you look up from your computer or notepad? Is it stacks of unpaid bills, your to-do list, a messy living room? Even if you’re not consciously thinking about those things, your brain is wasting energy blocking them out. Remove distractions from your line of sight, try writing from a coffee shop, or put up a screen to separate you from the chaos around you.

Try a standing desk or a treadmill desk. Try dictating while you walk around the neighborhood. Try writing from the couch, or on the front porch. Even if your writing space only consists of a laptop and the seat you’re sitting in—play with it!

Experiment with ritual

Our willpower is weak, which is why we can easily find ourselves defaulting to a bad habit when we encounter a trigger. For example, I irresistibly want to buy Lindt chocolate whenever I’m in line at the fabric store.

Use that tendency for good by creating writing triggers that can help you get into the creative groove more quickly. 

Ritual is a good way to trigger your brain into writing mode. Light a candle or brew a cup of special tea. Do a short meditation, or go for a walk around the block. Turn on music or white noise (I always write to the same thunderstorm track), then fire up that word processor. 

You can train your brain to associate this ritual with getting down to business—and, eventually, you’ll find yourself eagerly anticipating the work when you encounter the ritual. 

Experiment with how you draft

Everyone has a completely unique style when it comes to how they go from idea to finished draft, but that doesn’t stop most of us from trying to find the “right” way to write. 

When you experiment with how you draft, start by listing your strengths and the things you love most and use those as the basis from which to play with new methods. Let go of all the advice about what you “should” be doing, and begin experimenting with what feels good to you.

Do you love the thrill of the first draft, careening into the darkness in pursuit of plot bunnies? There’s no reason for you to force yourself to become an outliner. But you might find tips and tools in an outliner’s toolbox—like scene beats or writing in an act structure—that work for you.

Maybe you’re like me, and you hate the uncertainty of the first draft, but you love revision. Try writing a zero draft to block out the scene, sketch out the dialogue, and brainstorm setting and costume choices. Then, “revise” the details of that zero draft instead of wrestling with a first draft. 

But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater while you’re experimenting! You know which parts of your process work well—and give you the most joy. 

Experiment with how you count your wins

When is it finally time to celebrate your writing? When you finish the first draft? The fifth? When you land an agent, hit Publish on the ebook retailers, or finally see your book on your local bookstore’s shelf?

The writing and publishing process is a long journey, and it’s too easy to put off celebration. “My book’s not done yet,” you might tell yourself. “I still need to [fill in the blank].”

Experiment with celebrating more milestones. Did you finish writing act 1? Tell a friend! Did you finally figure out a tricky plot snag? Hell yeah! Take yourself out to dinner. Did you have a personal best word count day? You deserve to go fabric shopping—and pick up one of those Lindt chocolates in the check-out line while you’re at it. 

It’s impossible to escape the pressures of the outcome: publication schedules, word count goals, the agent hunt, and the need to produce more work faster. But don’t let those outcome pressures sap the joy of the writing process itself.

After all—if you’re going to be a writer, you’re going to spend a significant portion of your days in the process of writing. 

Why not recapture the joy?

Tell us in the comments: How do you find joy in your writing?

Jessie Kwak has always lived in imaginary lands, from Arrakis and Ankh-Morpork to Earthsea, Tatooine, and now Portland, Oregon. She is the author of gangster sci-fi, supernatural thrillers, and non-fiction for creatives. She’s also a ghostwriter and freelance marketing copywriter. Her latest book is From Big Idea to Book: Create a Writing Practice That Brings You Joy. 
You can learn more about her at www.jessiekwak.com, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

The post How to Recapture the Joy in Your Writing appeared first on DIY MFA.

This winter, I invested in a masterclass program that walked me through the process of taking an idea, creating a high-level outline, and then creating a detailed micro-outline. When I initially signed up, I told myself that it was put up or shut up time. If at the end of this course, I was not actually writing something, then I needed to move on to something else entirely.

This post is a round-up (of sorts) as I walk you through my thoughts, plans, and experiences as I take that step to begin actually writing.

Don’t overwhelm yourself.

While you should totally harness that enthusiasm, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself. That’s why I am not going to put too much pressure on myself with a crazy writing schedule. I’ll draft three days a week for one hour a day. Two days a week, I am going to work on side projects that I can eventually submit and build up my writer’s résumé. 

On those three days, if I go longer than an hour, great! On the other four days, if I find myself with additional time and want to do some more drafting, perfect! But three days is the magic number for now.

The key for me here is that I don’t want to require myself to write seven days a week. I know myself. If it’s an overwhelming schedule, I will abandon writing entirely. (See also: my past experiences with vowing to exercise more.) 

And to make it easier on myself, I’ve already decided that I will not write on Mondays and Wednesdays. Those two are wild card days for me. They tend to be chaotic. I don’t know what to expect.

It’s OK to not have a ritual.

I hear a lot of people talking about their writing rituals. They light candles, they make tea, they sit in a particular chair, and then they write. I’ve tried it a bit and it just doesn’t work for me. 

But I’m not going to sweat it. In fact, I’m going to embrace it. I am going to be my own muse.

Now, this is not to say that if I notice that I tend to write better when I use my peacock print mug, that I won’t start hand-washing it after each use so I can use it daily or that if a particular pair of yoga pants leads to more productivity, that I won’t make sure I wear them to write. 

I have a sports background. Those are superstitions. You respect those superstitions. You ride those superstitions until the streak ends and then eventually a new superstition will find you.

Just go ahead and buy the new shiny notebook.

Yes, as writers, we already have 84,000 special notebooks. But when you’re beginning a new project, a shiny notebook will inevitably send out a siren’s song. Sure, you don’t need the new notebook just for this project. But you want one. And having a brand new notebook dedicated to this project that you’re about to start might be the thing that gets you actually writing. (See above about superstitions.)

I bought a new Moleskine that has a cover that flips up like reporters used to use before they started using their phones to take notes. I bought it because I know that when I whip that puppy out to jot down some brilliant idea, I’m going to feel totally legit.

I even bought some of those pens that have a light so you can see when you’re writing in the dark. Just in case I get a wonderful idea when I am regularly unable to sleep between the hours of 3:00am and 5:30am.

Know when to call it quits.

By this I mean—know when the preparation becomes procrastination. There are tons of writing-adjacent activities that are totally useful to your project. But at a certain point, they become a crutch or a safety blanket.

Having the perfect outline is not going to get your book written. Doing all the research isn’t going to get your book written. Reading yet another craft book isn’t going to get your book written.

You can do this. You can write this book (and another and another). You really can. You don’t need to keep tweaking the outline, finding more sources, or getting insight from another prolific writer.

At a certain point, you have to go from beginning to write to actually writing.

And hopefully, by the time this post goes live, I will be actually writing myself.

Tell us in the comments: What are your strategies to start actually writing?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager, Web Editor, and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter.

The post Going from Preparing to Write to Actually Writing appeared first on DIY MFA.

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 January is debut writers, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode William Germano and I discuss:

• When you should start from scratch and why it’s a great technique for your writing.
• What skill all writers need to master and how it will improve your writing and revising.
• Why he believes that if something is worth writing, it’s worth revising as well.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About William Germano

William Germano is professor of English at Cooper Union, where he served as dean of the faculty of humanities and social sciences for more than a decade. During an earlier career in publishing, he served as editor-in-chief at Columbia University Press and as vice-president and editorial director at Routledge. 

His previous books include two in this Chicago series: Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books (third edition, 2016) and From Dissertation to Book (second edition, 2013). He has also written Eye Chart, a book about how we test vision, for Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series (2017), and The Tales of Hoffmann, a study of Powell and Pressburger’s 1951 opera film, published by the BFI (2013).  

Most recently he has co-authored, with Kit Nicholls, Syllabus: The Remarkable, Unremarkable Document That Changes Everything (Princeton UP, 2020).

You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

On Revision: The Only Writing That Counts

A trusted editor turns his attention to the most important part of writing: revision.

So you’ve just finished writing something? Congratulations! Now revise it. Because revision is about getting from good to better, and it’s only finished when you decide to stop. But where to begin? In On Revision, William Germano shows authors how to take on the most critical stage of writing anything: rewriting it.

For more than twenty years, thousands of writers have turned to Germano for his insider’s take on navigating the world of publishing. A professor, author, and veteran of the book industry, Germano knows what editors want and what writers need to know: Revising is not just correcting typos. Revising is about listening and seeing again. Revising is a rethinking of the principles from the ground up to understand why the writer is doing something, why they’re going somewhere, and why they’re taking the reader along with them.

On Revision steps back to take in the big picture, showing authors how to hear their own writing voice and how to reread their work as if they didn’t write it. On Revision will show you how to know when your writing is actually done—and, until it is, what you need to do to get it there.

Additional Info:

Why is revising writing such a challenge?

What does it mean to you to have a philosophy of revising? of writing? 

How do you know when a piece of writing is finished? 

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 393

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 393: The Craft of Revision – Interview with William Germano appeared first on DIY MFA.