Letting Your Story End at the End

Today I’d like to tell you a story about a little book called Keeper of the Dawn. I’ve learned an incredible amount from this book, about myself, my writing process, and the basic nature of creativity. You see, Keeper of the Dawn is my debut novella, scheduled for release this April. It was also my… Read more »

A Case for Romance

What do you do when the genre you write is commonly referred to as trash? Not just by non-readers, but by the key audience demographic as well? The romance genre, dominated by a female readership whose novels most often involve sex, would have to be referred to as trash in a culture still affronted and… Read more »

#5OnFri: Five Tips for Mastering Multiple Points of View

Writing from multiple points of view can be a fantastic way to tell a story, but it can also be a difficult one. Managing multiple story arcs, information and reader experience is tricky enough with just one character! But having different perspectives can also make for a richer reading experience. It’s not right for every… Read more »

5OnFri: Five Reasons You Should Consider Attending this Retreat

Dear word nerd, If you listen to DIY MFA Radio, you already heard me talk about Alexia Vernon’s Spotlight MasterTreat and her online program: Your Spotlight Talk. Last week I even ran a contest for tickets to this incredible retreat+course package. Note: DIY MFA is a proud affiliate for Your Spotlight Talk and Alexia’s Spotlight MasterTreat. While… Read more »

5OnFri: Five Resolutions Other Than “Write Every Day”

As we’ve talked about on DIY MFA in the past, setting goals can be a powerful tool to helping achieve our writing dreams. But what sort of goals should we be setting? There’s the obvious ones–like writing every day, finishing a certain project, or sending out queries. But there are many other ways to improve… Read more »

How (And Why) To Write A Mission Statement

Why do you write? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. Not because I’m questioning my identity as a writer, but because with the dawn of a new year filled with global uncertainty, I’m feeling the need to commit myself to a higher calling. I know I’m not alone in this; the… Read more »