You’ve just finished writing your first draft! Woo-hoo! Now it’s time to jump in to the revision phase, polish, and make the story shine. NO! Full-stop writer. Cool those jets. Revision is not simply about making sentences tighter or words prettier. That is part of it, but it’s a tiny slice of the whole. So… Read more »
Today, Lori is interviewing Sorboni Banerjee and Dominique Richardson. They’ll be talking about collaborating on their book, Red as Blood, and the sisterhood they found. Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email… Read more »
While taking an evening walk, I asked my husband if he could guess which mystery shows I put on my list last time. He did guess several, but he also mentioned a couple I actually felt ashamed I left off, like Only Murders in the Building and Castle. Genuine favorites of mine! Especially OMITB! I… Read more »
Welcome to the first installment of my Book Coach Corner series. Today’s column discusses book coaches and how they can help you at any stage in the writing process. Why Might You Need a Book Coach? Historically, publishing houses employed editors who worked closely with their contracted authors on revising and finalizing their manuscripts prior… Read more »
Hello, word nerds! Welcome to the Almost Spring edition of Leisure Learning. This month’s melange of experiences brings you the nostalgia of Beatrix Potter, the convoluted craziness of Ian Fleming’s role in British naval service, The Oscars (for books!) and a wealth of Irish tales, recorded by school children in their 1930s-era copybooks. Whatever your… Read more »
What are Villains in Literature? A villain is, by definition, an evil or immoral character intent on harming others. In literature, these characters portray evil and immoral behavior while also providing readers with an antagonistic force or bad guy – a figure against whom to root. They are often presented as self-serving or selfish, especially… Read more »
During my final year at Pomona College, whenever I had a serious deadline, I would put on my glasses and head to the philosophy library. My glasses were tortoise shell with round lenses and did nothing to help my vision. Seriously, they were filled with fake glass. And the philosophy library might as well have… Read more »
Today, Lori is interviewing Thien-Kim Lam. They’ll be talking about writing romance with depth and spice. Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most… Read more »
In 2020, I finally penned the novel I’d always dreamed of writing. While furiously typing on my laptop, I had kept the home office door locked because I had been too terrified to share what I’d written with anyone, even my husband. My manuscript was too intimate, too personal. Too raw. The thought of others… Read more »
So, is Twitter dead? Just try Googling it—the headlines aren’t pretty. For writers, the agonizing decline of our digital public square hits hard. The #PitMad pitch competitions were excellent for getting agent attention. You could have real conversations with publishers and famous authors. It was a place to create genuine #writingcommunity, breaking down the high… Read more »
