I am flash fiction curious. Both because it seems like a wonderful skill to develop and because I am looking to submit to literary magazines in the new year. Also, the challenge of exploring deep truths and connecting to my reader emotionally in just a few brief paragraphs sounds like a lot of fun. To… Read more »
I am always conflicted at the beginning of a new year. There is a frenetic energy to get moving on goals, set plans in motion, and return to work. This is invigorating for some people. But I want to retreat inward, listen quietly, go where my energy is leading me. At this time of year,… Read more »
You have an idea for a story. Maybe you’ve been kicking it around for years, or it hit you yesterday, but you’re unsure where to begin. Here are five steps to help you develop your story from idea to drafting your novel. Before diving in, examine why you want to write this book. Why are… Read more »
Self-doubt. Psh. As a self-described Jane-of-all-trades, I can do a lot of things. Operate heavy machinery. Sew clothes and quilts. Name a home improvement project, and chances are I’ve got experience. You know, that whole Yankee ingenuity thing. If it needs to get done, I do it — admittedly with varying results. There’s been some… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mary Robinette Kowal. We’ll be talking about challenging your default assumption about the world and her latest book The Spare Man. 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… Read more »
“I like that clean cloth. I like that fog that came in. I think the fog must have come in sometime a long time before I did and never went out. I like that blue thing feeling. In life I’ve loved sun and field and pumpkin and have claimed in distress to hate blue things and have then been afraid it was a dark sin.”
from “Blue Thing Feeling”
Hello word nerds! I want to thank you so much for reading my column this year. I have enjoyed writing for you all and I hope I have inspired some of you to try a game or two. This will be my final column for DIY MFA, thank you for reading, and I’m pulling for… Read more »
I’m going to admit it: I fell hard for Pixar. It was the original Toy Story that punched me in the heart first; the nostalgia and sweet characters, blended with a lifelike style of animation I’d never seen before. I then dove headfirst into their collection of short movies, many of which I showed over… Read more »
My author dreams began with my obsession with reading. I’m a book fangirl at heart, so it won’t come as a surprise that I love the Reading with Purpose tenet of DIY MFA (side note: I really love all three tenets, but reading will always hold a little edge on the others). When I first… Read more »
Today, Lori is interviewing Amy Christine Parker. They’ll be talking about coming up with unsettling ideas and Amy’s book, Flight 171. 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… Read more »
