It happens to all writers. Your head is full of ideas that paint great pictures in your head, which you’re longing to put on paper, but the muse Calliope just isn’t there with inspiration for you. But if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. In other words,… Read more »
I came late to the writing life. When I did arrive, it was with misconceptions, fantasies, myths, and misinformation. I discovered that I was not alone in this, but rather many other newcomers were also finding their hopes and dreams rooted not in reality but in wishful thinking. It’s a tough dichotomy: writing fiction requires… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Nathan Makaryk. Nathan is the author of Nottingham, which deconstructs the mythology of Robin Hood in a realistic historical context. Nathan is a playwright, theater-owner, director, stage combat choreographer, and comedian living in Southern California. Nottingham was based on his critically-acclaimed original play The Legend of Robin Hood…. Read more »
If you’re supposed to write what you know, then it makes sense you’d want to linger in the good moments. Food nostalgia is especially intoxicating — the way the salty air bounced off of your cappuccino on a rooftop in Positano or how your main character sat on her porch every evening eating cheesecake and… Read more »
The pandemic has taken a lot from us. As authors, it has been a huge blow to our options for growing our community—events, libraries, book shops, conventions, festivals, workshops. I could go on. But it can’t steal your platform. I know: it’s hard. Even I, extreme introvert extraordinaire, have missed face time with readers and writers…. Read more »
Let me confess, I’m a bit of a notebook addict. There’s nothing I love more than a new notebook brimming with blank pages full of potential. At the start of this year, I received a big, beautiful notebook from my mother-in-law, who is an avid reader herself. The day she bought me this notebook, we… Read more »
[Editor’s Note: As a part of DIY MFA’s ongoing mission to promote unique voices, regular columnist, Sara Farmer, has been conducting a limited series of interviews featuring authors with unique and diverse voices. You can check out her past interviews of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Marcie Rendon, Ausma Zehanat Khan and Adam Smyer.] About Sheena Kamal Sheena… Read more »
We got so many awesome questions during the master class, and we couldn’t get through them all. That’s why I decided to hop on a live broadcast so I could answer some of these questions, particularly the ones focusing on the writing process. One theme that came up again and again in this session was… Read more »
Today we’re doing something a little bit different. This is a special episode, created in partnership with INBOUND, one of my favorite marketing conferences where I have had the pleasure of speaking for the past three years. INBOUND is one of those conferences that has become a mainstay in my speaking schedule. I look forward… Read more »
Hello, readers! I’m so excited to share with you my interview with Finola Austin, an historical fiction author who just published her debut novel in early August 2020. Finola and I connected at the Writer’s Digest Conference in 2018 and I’ve eagerly cheered her querying and publishing successes. Finola has some fantastic tips for writers,… Read more »
