A couple weeks ago I attended an absolutely amazing writing retreat – in Iceland. Yes, you read that correctly. The Iceland Writers Retreat held its fourth annual event from April 5th through 9th, and I was utterly thrilled to be part in it. And not only did the trip fulfill a three-year-old dream of visiting… Read more »
If you frequently visit DIY MFA, then you’re likely serious about your writing. You probably also have a day job, a family, and other day-to-day responsibilities that compete with your creative pursuits. Yet both sides of a writer’s life – the creative and the real – can’t be ignored. Each deserves time, respect, and attention,… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I’m pleased to have K.J. Howe on the show. K.J. is the executive director of Thrillerfest, the annual conference of International Thriller Writers. This is one of my favorite genre conferences and I look forward to it every year. Today I’m talking to Daphne du Maurier Award winner, K.J. Howe about… Read more »
I was sure my first novel was a romantic suspense. At least I thought I had structured it that way. The story has danger, mystery, and an escalating romance between two people, who, under any other circumstances, would unlikely get togeter. Eager to see how readers would receive the initial draft, I entered my story… Read more »
Dear word nerd, If you answered “Yes” to the question in the title, then you got it wrong. The fabulous Kristen Lamb—author, blogger, and friend—often gives this pop quiz at conferences. She’ll tell the audience: “Raise your hand if you’re an aspiring writer.” Some people wave wildly like the writing version of Hermione Granger. A… Read more »
When you hear the term “break out of your comfort zone” you probably think about something drastic like sky diving or quitting your job to live on the road. These are completely valid ways to break out of your comfort zone, but you don’t have to do anything nearly so drastic to find the perfect… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today we’ll be doing something a little bit different on the show. Usually DIY MFA Radio features interviews with authors and publishing industry professionals, but let’s face it: there’s more to life than writing. In fact, if we want to find success in our careers as writers, we have to think… Read more »
Kimberly Bell is a historical romance author, and she’s here to share her secrets about getting two book contracts and writing five books in two years. Her first two books were published by Penguin Intermix last year, with her third book releasing next week on April 18th. Her second romance series will begin releasing through Entangled… Read more »
Last month, I wrote about minimalism, and how I thought the lifestyle might have particular value for writers. I planned to take the month of March to experiment with de-cluttering and embracing a more minimalist lifestyle in my home and on my computer. A month and many, many trashbags later, I’m still not quite done with the… Read more »
Some writers strike lightning on their first books—landing an agent, a book deal, even the Times list on the very first manuscript they’ve ever written. This article is not for those writers (though I tip my hat to them). This is for the rest of us—the writers with a novel, or two, or ten, in… Read more »
