I have wanted to write for as long as I could remember. … No, that’s not really the truth. I’ve wanted to express myself for as long as I can remember. … No, that’s not it either. I’ve wanted. Now we’re getting somewhere. I want. Yeah, right there. Writing is another form of digging all… Read more »
Don’t Do What I Did: Mistakes in Indie Publishing When I started my indie career, I made a lot of mistakes with my email list. I knew I needed a mailing list, but I didn’t know the best way to get addresses legally and ethically or what to do with them once I had them…. Read more »
Over the past ten years, historical fiction has become more relevant to readers. As authors, we want to write fiction that helps readers understand their own lives, here and now. Perhaps we also would like to offer readers a visit to another time, a visit that can show how the past has shaped our present… Read more »
I once asked on a social media site why people read romance novels. I received two primary answers: a guaranteed happy ending, and the way the books make them feel. As a romance reader myself, I couldn’t agree more. I turn to that genre when I want to feel deeply, and experience love through the… Read more »
As many cities and states navigate the various phases of reopening their economies and a return to social normalcy, writers who have emerged from self-isolation may regret a wasted opportunity. Imposed isolation may not have resulted in a leap in their writing. Writing demands degrees of isolation, even in the best of times, but the… Read more »
DP Lyle’s 4th Jake Longly thriller Rigged is here! Fans of the series can expect another smooth, funny ride with Jake, girlfriend Nicole Jamison, dad Ray, and childhood friend Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers. Since this book is set in the nearby town of Fairhope, rather than Jake’s hometown of Gulf Shores, AL, we meet police chief… Read more »
We’ve all heard that writers write and that writing is re-writing. Yet, there are many other aspects to the creative writing process that do not involve putting pen to paper or moving your fingers across the keyboard. Assuming you already know your craft–you’ve studied your lit terms and are well acquainted with them–and you are… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Abbigail Rosewood. Abbigail was born in Vietnam, where she lived until the age of twelve. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. An excerpt from her first novel won first place in the Writers Workshop of Asheville Literary Fiction Contest. Today… Read more »
Hi, my name is Lori. I’m recovering from “shiny object syndrome.” Hi, Lori! This is my new non-fiction column for DIY MFA. I’m thinking of calling it Lori’s World, but we’ll see how that goes over. I wanted this first post to lay out my bona fides and close with a few words of wisdom…. Read more »
Description is one of those magical elements of prose. Whether it’s “good” or not is entirely subjective. One author’s Mozart is another’s Metallica. But, regardless of your preferences, there are some techniques and literary tools you can use to tighten your sentences and sharpen your description. Here are just five tricks you can use. 1)… Read more »
