Hi, I’m Leanne: an INFJ, Open Introvert/Extrovert, Acts of Service, Upholder, Lark, Marathoner, Finisher, and a 2/6/8 on the Enneagram scale. I’m a personality test junkie: I love taking quizzes and reading books that teach me about myself. In today’s post, I’m going to tell you why these personality frameworks can help you know yourself… Read more »
Seven years ago, when I quit my job as an English professor and began this work of writing full-time, friends who were writers gave me great encouragement and wisdom. They talked to me about writing goals and encouraged me to focus on my practice not the product. The reminded me to keep my eyes on… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! In today’s episode I bring you live to ThrillerFest 2017 where I have assembled a panel of five, that’s right five, debut authors. Not only are all these fabulous authors debuts, they are also all women and represent different sub-genres in the broad category of thriller. I am so excited to… Read more »
The number of articles, posts, academic theses, and books about The Hero’s Journey and its variants attests to the model’s enduring usefulness to both writers and academics. It’s a way into story structure from an anthropological, sociological, and psychological angle that will help deepen your understanding of other structural models and enrich your work. I… Read more »
Every previous plot point has led up to this moment. The inciting incident ushered the protagonist into the main conflict. The Act I choice saw him committing to a goal influenced by that conflict. The midpoint gave him time to reflect and rethink his plans, and then the Act II crisis nearly destroyed his faith… Read more »
There are many things we can draw from our lives to tell stories. But, what if you went through something deeply personal and wanted to tell that story? Maybe you don’t want to write a memoir and expose the painful realities that you experienced with loved ones and others involved. It may feel way too… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have Courtney Maum on the show! Courtney is the author of the novel I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You, and pieces of short fiction and essays that have appeared in places such as New York Times. Her latest novel, Touch, is the… Read more »
There’s a lot of advice, including here on DIY MFA, about how to squeeze writing into a busy day. For example, we recently shared an article on eliminating distractions. But what happens when something much larger than an everyday distraction stands in the way of your writing? Like a big life event that throws your… Read more »
Hey Word Nerds! OMG do I have some awesome news to share today. I’m beyond excited to announce that we are adding not one, not two, but three new columns to our regular DIY MFA schedule. One of my favorite parts of DIY MFA is building our community by bringing you more word nerd wisdom… Read more »
Ever wonder where an author got the idea for that fantastic character you love? Psst, I’ll let you in on a secret. Want to know how I find my characters? I collect them. OK it might sound strange, but really, how different is that from collecting stamps or seashells or bottle caps or baseball cards?… Read more »
