Start

Where to Start with Historical Fiction

Some may look at this title and wonder, “Isn’t that a topic that applies to most any author in most any genre?” And they would be correct. Yet for those of us who write historical fiction, the question of “where to start” can, at times, feel a bit daunting. After all, we have five thousand… Read more »

hygge

Bring Coziness to Winter Writing with Hygge

In the winter months, it can be a challenge to find the motivation to write. The landscape in many places has little variation in a monochromatic palette of grays and whites. It is hard to get out of bed before the sun rises to get in some quality writing time. But the joyful practice of… Read more »

Tammy Lough

The Best of Tammy Lough

Hi word nerds! Lori here. Our longtime columnist Tammy Lough is in need of a break, so I am stepping in and serving up a round-up of some of her best columns for DIY MFA.  In case you are not familiar, Tammy Lough is our romance writing columnist, so most of these columns will help… Read more »

consistent writing practice

#5onFri: Five Tips to Build a Consistent Writing Practice

Whether you’re a new year’s resolutioner or not, you can’t help but think about your 2022 writing goals this time of year. Maybe one of the things you’d like to achieve is a more consistent writing practice.  For too long, I felt like I didn’t have much control over my writing habits. I thought that… Read more »

end procrastination

Six Psychologically-Proven Tricks to End Procrastination

Every human on this planet has procrastinated at some point in their life. If they haven’t, it is likely their biggest flex. Now, let’s not confuse procrastination with laziness. While both do have the common denominator of not doing anything, lazy people are fine with the situation on hand. Procrastinators, on the other hand, want… Read more »

be finished with your novel

It’s Time to Be Finished with Your Novel

About a month ago, one of my college writer friends and I were FaceTiming each other, and in between trying to catch up while handing out sippy cups and building Lego with our toddlers, he shared with me a bit of advice he gleaned from a podcast: you need to know when to be finished… Read more »