#5onFri: Five Effective Tips on Fiction Writing

So you are interested in fiction writing, but you are unsure of how to get started. I completely understand! There’s more to fiction writing than just taking up a pen and paper, or climbing into your computer chair and firing up your laptop. One of the hardest things about fiction writing can be coming up… Read more »

Writing Medical Fiction

Medical fiction is difficult to write for the inexperienced or novice, and moreover for those not in the medical field. However, for those facing or recovering from a medical crisis or for those whose family members or friends have gone through an ailment, the very experience: the pain and suffering and the awesome insecurities associated… Read more »

What Is LGBTQ+ Literature?

[Author’s note: This is the first article in my new column series about LGBTQ+ writing called “LGBTQ+ Lit and Craft”. It addresses a diverse array of issues related to reading and writing LGBTQ+ literature across the genres.] Defining LGBTQ+ Literature LGBTQ+ literature, especially young adult fiction, has boomed in popularity. But what is LGBTQ+ literature?… Read more »

Trust Your Gut: My DIY MFA Story

Seven summers ago, I walked into a small conference room at the Writer’s Digest Conference, wondering what I was doing there. The topic was YA literature, and while I was interested in YA, the novel I was working on was for adults. I think it’s safe to say that if there had been anything more… Read more »

The Book Nook—February Edition

After my last Book Nook column was a smashing success, the Powers that Be at DIY MFA saw it in their infinite wisdom to make this a monthly column! Henceforth, on the first Sunday of every month, you will see an update of all the bookish goodness I’ve been indulging in over the past month…. Read more »

#5onFri: Five Approaches to Writing for Change

In this post, we’ll consider the challenges of trying to change people’s minds, trying to urge action, trying to change the world, or some portion thereof, explicitly with your words. While the examples I reference are from creative nonfiction, I believe the tips can apply to fiction or poetry as well.  In response to the… Read more »

An Idiosyncratic Guide to Writing Together

They say writing is a lonely art. For us, it’s exactly the opposite. Over the past five years, whenever either of us has mentioned that we were co-writing a novel, the questions volleyed back at us have been consistent—and consistently skeptical:  How in the world does that work? Do you divide up the writing? Does… Read more »

Mythic Storytelling: The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger

Greetings, Speculators! As you might guess from the title of this column, I’ve found another mythic structure to expound upon. I’m going to take a slightly different approach this time, however. When I read Gail Carriger’s interpretation of the heroine’s journey, it struck a chord with me (imagine angelic chorus here). I thought that Instead… Read more »