During an interview for the promotion for my most recent book, it dawned on me we have never actually discussed, in this column, the relationships between “pure” historical fiction and the adjacencies that might be either sub-genres or just tangentially related. The interviewer asked how historical fantasy differs from historical fiction – and answering that… Read more »
Don’t Do What I Did: Mistakes in Indie Publishing When I started my indie career, I made a lot of mistakes with my email list. I knew I needed a mailing list, but I didn’t know the best way to get addresses legally and ethically or what to do with them once I had them…. Read more »
Since the onset of the 21st century, writing has undoubtedly evolved in a lot of remarkable ways. Now, more than ever, writers from all niches have access to more resources to help them create genuinely outstanding literature. While the scope of available writing tools might have expanded and access to resources increased, the fundamental principles… Read more »
Editor’s Note: Columnist, Sara Farmer, is writing a limited series for DIY MFA in which she interviews authors of color who write thrillers. She is kicking off the series with Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Certain Dark Things, Untamed Shore, and more. Check back in two weeks for the next installment!… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing R.H. Herron. Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, and she teaches writing extension workshops at both UC Berkeley and… Read more »
I’ve recently written about disparity in YA publishing and how it reflects broader trends in publishing generally in my column “Is this a YA thing?”: On Pay Rates, Racism, and Toxicity in Publishing. Now I am tackling a problem in kidlit. We need better DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This problem is not unique to… Read more »
If you remember my previous post, I said everyone has their own Writer’s Intuition. However, it takes conscious effort to become aware of this intuition. As such, I am going to share with you an exercise I did that helped me raise my own awareness. A few years ago, I realized that I needed to… Read more »
You’re excited. You’ve decided to take on a new project. The idea has been stirring in your head for years and you’re finally going to do it. You’re going to write a book— Now what? Writing a book is a huge undertaking. It took ten years and countless revisions to get my own book published…. Read more »
As human beings, our work is very important. Choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions we make in life, and we often put a ton of time and energy into it. But what about our characters’ jobs? How much thought do we put into that? We authors recognize the importance of strong characterization,… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Syed M. Masood. Syed M. Masood grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and now lives with his wife and children in Sacramento, California, where he is a practicing attorney. He wrote a few couplets in Urdu when he was a teenager, and his family still tells everyone he is… Read more »
