For writers rebounding from illness or a family emergency, getting back on track is challenging. My recovery from the virus-that-shall-not-be-named is going at a snail’s pace. Writing time has all but disappeared. With my lack of stamina, anything I do has to be in short increments. At times I feel discouraged, but working in small… Read more »
My reading has always been a bit all over the map. It’s gotten more so over the past couple of years, and even more so since I started cohosting the podcast. To be sure, there are still certain genres that aren’t my jam, but I am trying to find ways of subtly incorporating them in… Read more »
I read a lot of nonfiction because I have an innate curiosity about the world and I enjoy learning things I didn’t know before. Whenever I want to learn how something works, I find a book. I especially love reading writers’ memoirs as a way of learning more about writing. While everyone is different and… Read more »
One of my favorite things about tarot cards is how rich in detail each card is, whether you know anything about the numerology or symbology layered into the card’s history or not. This makes using tarot as a writing tool extremely effective, since even the most novice of tarot readers can derive some meaning from… Read more »
Today, Lori is interviewing Taylor Hahn. They’ll be talking about her debut romance novel, The Lifestyle. 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 »
Welcome back, poets! Today, I’m excited to talk about confessional poetry: a brief history, some defining characteristics, and a couple of exercises to help you get started writing confessional-style poetry of your own. A (Very) Brief History of Confessional Poetry In 1959, Robert Lowell’s Life Studies was published, a collection that would later be described… Read more »
In most collective storytelling games I have played we’ve worked toward a happy ending. More often than I would like, a campaign will fade to nothing after one too many scheduling conflicts—such is the nature of a game played by Busy Adults with Many Important Things to Do™. And sure, there is the occasional TPK… Read more »
Disclaimer: DIY MFA does not provide legal, tax accounting, or financial advice. In making decisions regarding whether to hire a domain name broker, purchase a domain name, or other decisions that may have legal and/or financial ramifications. In making these and other decisions related to building your online portfolio, we strongly urge you to speak… Read more »
Consistency and prioritizing our writing are so hard, aren’t they? You would think it gets easier, but honestly, it just gets different. Here are five ways I’ve found helpful to maximize the time I set aside to write, and hopefully, something in here helps you too. (Hint: It’s all about developing a creative ritual!) 1…. Read more »
Welcome to the Author Marketing Toolkit, where you can learn from 20+ years of time-tested marketing and insights expertise, translated for publishing. I’m Carol Van Den Hende, an MBA and strategist who’s known for bringing treats (“sweet!”) I’m thrilled to be joining you here at DIY MFA to share actionable insights. Over the last year,… Read more »
