When we think about writing a book, images of long hours spent in coffee shops, late nights scribbling in a notebook, or sitting by a window and daydreaming about our characters might come to mind. But I’m here to say that what you should be thinking about is how to market that book you’re working… Read more »
If you’ve checked out my previous posts for this series, Your Best Writing Goal Based on Your Enneagram Number and How to Use the Enneagram to Create Fictional Characters, you know that I’m a huge fan of using the Enneagram as a writer. Today, I’m going to share how I suggest using it to write… Read more »
Today, Lori is interviewing Erin La Rosa. They’ll be talking about tropes in romance and her book For Butter or Worse. 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 »
I’ve needed some extra fun in my life lately and mystery games fit the bill. To be honest, in the past I’ve found many mystery games disappointing, because they didn’t involve evidence and clues. They were board games with mystery themes. While fun, that wasn’t what I wanted. But soon enough Carmen Sandiego swooped onto… Read more »
Summer is time for adventures. Whether I’m going near or far, I love the creativity, perspective and energy of traveling somewhere new and different. (And who doesn’t love the R&R of removing yourself from the intense day-to-day pace of life at home?) It occurred to me as I set out on my travels this year… Read more »
Hello, fellow word nerds! As some of you may have noticed, this column is relatively new for DIY MFA. The first installment came in January 2022 and since then, it has been both an honor and pleasure to share with you the most interesting literary-related projects I’ve stumbled upon. Over the months, I’ve had the… Read more »
We have all been there. You tried to make your flat characters in your short stories come to life, but they seem so bland, generic, and not likely at all to win the next contest you are about to enter. Or perhaps you just want to win a scholarship, which requires an essay that requires… Read more »
The 6 Creativity Killers lurk around every corner. They steal your time, drain your energy, and stop your writing cold. What follows is a reconnaissance report on these enemies. Read with caution, write with bravery, and arm yourself with these little-known defenses against the 6 Creativity Killers. Killer #1: Self-Criticism Defense: Conquer your inner critic… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Stacy Willingham, Carolyne Topdjian, Allison Buccola, and Wanda M. Morris. We’ll be talking about their debut thriller novels. 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 »
The Power of Writing to YOU Several months ago, I visited the Rubenstein Rare Books & Manuscript Library at Duke University. My purpose? I needed to research an individual for a possible picture book biography. Duke housed my subject’s archives in one of their collections. As I sorted through photographs and papers in the quiet… Read more »
