Perfectionism is not about being perfect. We tend to think that perfectionists obsess over word choice or comma placement simply because of incredibly high standards, but it goes deeper than that. In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown explains, “There’s a significant difference between perfectionism and healthy striving or striving for excellence. Perfectionism… Read more »
The summer after my first book deal, I really struggled with inspiration. I did not struggle with word count. I wrote something like six novels that summer but my then-agent rejected every single one. My books just weren’t resonating, so I decided to try a new approach. A friend of mine recommended The Artist’s Way… Read more »
Genre hopping is a great way to introduce yourself and your writing style to a new audience. If it is done incorrectly, it is a lot like a bad first impression. It will taint your future ventures and efforts with the audience. I would know. When I first tried genre-hopping, I made a big mistake…. Read more »
We’ve all heard that old advice, show, don’t tell. It is often repeated like a complete thought. It encapsulates the idea that showing the reader what’s important through the events of the story is a far more engaging method of storytelling than telling the reader what’s essential. In a work written for commercial markets, the… Read more »
Some may look at this title and wonder, “Isn’t that a topic that applies to most any author in most any genre?” And they would be correct. Yet for those of us who write historical fiction, the question of “where to start” can, at times, feel a bit daunting. After all, we have five thousand… Read more »
In the winter months, it can be a challenge to find the motivation to write. The landscape in many places has little variation in a monochromatic palette of grays and whites. It is hard to get out of bed before the sun rises to get in some quality writing time. But the joyful practice of… Read more »
Hello, beautiful people on the internet! Stepping out of a world unlike any other, I am Disha and I am here to embark with you on your journey to a brand-new world fresh out of your mind. Do you enjoy setting up your stories in a world filled with imaginary or speculative events? You’ve unlocked… Read more »
There are those who write for fun and those who write for pay. Ideally, as a creative writer, we can have writing that is both fun and puts money in our wallets. This may involve taking a dive into freelance writing and guest posting. But that’s a lot of writing! So, how do freelancing authors… Read more »
Happy New Year! 2021 is behind us and I, for one, am looking toward the future with plans to blossom in new ways in my life and in my writing. To that end, I’ve decided to take this column in a new direction. In my previous posts, I covered how collaborative storytelling games can aid… Read more »
Hi word nerds! Lori here. Our longtime columnist Tammy Lough is in need of a break, so I am stepping in and serving up a round-up of some of her best columns for DIY MFA. In case you are not familiar, Tammy Lough is our romance writing columnist, so most of these columns will help… Read more »
