As a writer, nothing is more frustrating than ending a writing session with a blank page. Sometimes outside distractions like family, pets, or social media cause us to lose focus. Or sometimes internal forces like worry, doubt, or anxiety that stop our fingers from adding words to the page. Either way, it’s frustrating. We’re writers—we… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Miriam Feldman. Miriam is a painter, writer, and mother originally from Los Angeles, California. After her son, Nick’s, diagnosis with Schizophrenia more than ten years ago, she began writing to document and explore the ways this new reality affected her relationship with her children,… Read more »
The universe works in mysterious ways. As I was trying to figure out what my next column would be about, I got a bit of a promotion here at DIY MFA. I am now the Web Editor (among other responsibilities). While reviewing the contact page and submissions guidelines, inspiration struck! I could write my next… Read more »
So, we’re a little more than halfway through the year. And holy moly has it been a year. A pretty tough one, and one that has upended just about all of our well-intentioned plans. How have you been doing with your author platforming goals through all this? Personally, social distancing totally took my March book… Read more »
The world is an overwhelming and chaotic place lately. How can you be expected to deal with everything on your plate and still find time to write? It’s tempting to blame recent events for our lack of personal time and ability to manage it. But if we are honest with ourselves, we would recall how… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Django Wexler. Django graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering… Read more »
Shortly after I submitted my last Speculations, COVID-19 made its presence felt. The world shut down and we all self-isolated and waited for health authorities to tell us that the danger had passed. It hasn’t. Then May 25, 2020 arrived, and 8 minutes and 46 seconds changed everything. Though George Floyd was not the first,… Read more »
“Write what you know.” It’s the most eye-rolling of writing cliches, isn’t it? Yet it’s a cliche because it contains an element of truth. You can’t write about a mechanic unless you know something about cars. You can’t write about life in 1935 unless you know something about world events, fashions, and technology from that… Read more »
It’s amazing to realize how writers occupy completely different modes of existence. We all share the same reality, but at a deeper level, we dwell in creative worlds dictated by our routines. There are larks among us who strike their keyboards in the early morning. Then, there are nocturnals, for whom nightfall portends creative output…. Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Natalie Jenner. Natalie Jenner was born in England, raised in Canada, and graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law. She worked for decades in the legal industry and also founded an independent bookstore in Oakville, Ontario, where she… Read more »
