Diy Mfa Radio

Welcome to another interview episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m so excited to introduce you to author Joe Wenke, and share this interview with him. But first, a little background info. Joe Wenke is a writer, social critic and LGBTQI rights activist who has written several books. His most recent book--The Human Agenda--is about sexual orientation and gender identity, with a special focus on "finding common ground in our shared humanity."  In this interview, Joe shares insights and tips he learned about writing a piece of narrative nonfiction based on conversations and interviews. There is a lot of invisible craft behind this style of nonfiction and he pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse of how he put this book together. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/045

Hey word nerd! Thanks for joining me. Today’s episode is all about how to take your writing from a hobby to something more. This episode was inspired by an email I received from a fellow word nerd named Emily. She wrote: "I want to be a writer when I grow up, and I've been told that I'm even good at it. I love writing, I really do, I just... I feel like I'm never going to get past writing essays, fanfiction, and short stories for local contests. Do you have any advice?" Emily, thanks for asking this very important question. This is a big topic that a lot of writers struggle with, but don't fret! I have a few suggestions that will help you stay on track and maybe even turn your writing hobby into something more. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/044

Hey there, word nerds! Thanks for joining me for this episode of DIY MFA Radio. Today I want to share with you some survival tips for Book Expo America (BEA), the publishing industry’s premier trade show in the US. BEA 2015 is the Big Kahuna of trade shows in the US. If you’re in the book business, this is where you want to be. This event is centered on BOOKS, but writers can get a lot out of the expo as well. Because there’s so much going on, though, it can be a little overwhelming. Fear not! This Book Expo survival guide episode will give you all the inside details on how to make the most of this event. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/043

Hello and welcome to another episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m so excited to interview bestselling author Steve Berry. Steve Berry is a New York Times and internationally bestselling thriller author and creator of the Cotton Malone series. His books have been translated into 40 languages, with more than 19 million printed copies in 51 countries. A 2010 NPR survey named one of his books--The Templar Legacy--one of the top 100 thrillers ever written. Clearly when it comes to writing books that captivate readers, Steve Berry knows his stuff. Listen in to learn how this bestselling thriller polished his craft and hear him share some of his top tips for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/042

Welcome to another episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I'm doing things a little bit differently. Instead of an interview, I'm bringing one of my team members on the show as a co-host and we'll have a conversation about books, writing and the creative life. This episode is part of a new series I'll be doing called "Behind DIY MFA," where I'll bring members of my team on the show as a co-host and we'll talk about what they do, both at DIY MFA and beyond. My goal with these behind-the-scenes episodes is for you to get to know the different people who help make DIY MFA awesome, plus hear their insights about books and all things literary. As you probably already know, I see DIY MFA as a collaborative and collective venture. While I may be the instigator, DIY MFA would not be nearly as great if it weren't for all the amazing people who have partnered with me on this project. My hope is that this series will showcase the incredible talent we have on this team, and help you get to know these awesome people. Our co-host

Hey there, word nerds! Thanks for joining me for today’s episode of DIY MFA Radio. Today we’re going to talk about a super important topic for any author: Social Media. Social media can be tricky for writers because there’s so much to wrap your head around. We’re going to talk about the nuts and bolts, basic information that you can put into practice right away. Social media, for better or worse, is here to stay. It’s fully integrated into our lives and has changed the way we communicate radically. As writers, our best approach is to embrace the opportunities that social media affords us, rather than trying to fight against it. In this episode, I’ll give you 7 steps to help you get a handle on social media, but in a way that's totally doable and won't take over your life. Most importantly, if you’re just learning these platforms, be gentle with yourself. Social media is constantly changing. You don't have to do all of it, or get everything perfect right away. You just need to understand enough so that you can

Hello and thank you for joining me today! Today’s episode is all about the seven essentials for a writer’s education. I’ve been thinking about this topic for a while, and after I wrote this article a few weeks ago about my philosophy of teaching writing, I thought it was time to share these seven essentials with you. Whenever I write, I keep with me a “brain book” filled with tools and inspirational totems that help me find my focus. Honestly, I could do a whole episode on the “brain book” alone and the significance of each of the items I keep in it. But there’s one item in particular--an unsharpened pencil--that has a special significance. It was given to me by a teacher who told me to always carry it with me as a symbol of my untapped potential. I still have that pencil almost fifteen years later, and I keep it as a reminder of how important my education is to my writing. It also remindes me that I should always be open to new ideas. Each time I launch a new class on DIY MFA, I get that same giddy feeling o

Welcome to another episode of DIY MFA Radio. So glad you're here! Today I’m so excited to interview Stuart Horowitz from Book Architecture. Stuart is someone who is as excited about connecting with writers and helping them reach their goals as I am. We'll be talking about planning your novel and how to plot without a formula. Listen in for the interview and check out our show notes at DIYMFA.com/038. Take-home message: intelligent planning is not the enemy of creative genius.

Today is part two of the query critique series with my awesome agent, Jeff Kleinman. In this episode, Jeff and I look at a few more query letters, giving feedback and line-by-line critique so you can see what works and what could be improved. As with Part 1 of this series, you'll want to check out the show notes and follow along with the queries as you listen to the critiques so you know exactly what Jeff's feedback refers to. Head over to DIY MFA.com/037 for all the details.

Today I have an exciting announcement at DIY MFA: we are launching an Anthology! Our goal with this anthology is to address both the Read with Purpose and Write with Focus components of DIY MFA, by bringing together an interesting collection of prose and poetry that shows various writing techniques in action. We also want to encourage creative outside-the-box thinking, so writers must use a prompt from writerigniter.com to inspire their submissions. Interested in submitting to the anthology? Check out our submission guidelines. In this episode, I chat with Anthology Co-Editor Elisabeth Kauffman about how to submit to anthologies or literary magazines. She and I shine light on all those nitty-gritty details you want to know about submitting your work but were afraid to ask. So even if you're not planning to submit to this anthology, check out this episode for lots of info about the submission process. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/036

I'm especially excited to share today's episode with you because it features my awesome agent, Jeff Kleinman. In this episode, Jeff and I talk about query letters: what they are, why you need one, and how to make yours stand out from the slush. After asking Jeff about the nuts-and-bolts basics of query letters, we then launch into a query critique session in which he gives feedback on queries submitted by people in the DIY MFA audience. You'll want to read the show notes for this one, and also follow along reading the queries as you listen to the critiques. Head on over to DIYMFA.com/035 for all the details.

Supporting characters are an essential ingredient for crafting your story. Not only do these characters add depth and further the plot, they also help support the protagonist's character arc. In this episode, I'll share five supporting character archetypes, who they are and why they exist. While in writing there are no hard and fast rules, these archetypes can serve as a jumping off point so you can create dynamic, interesting characters in your story. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/034

Voice is one of those topics in writing that is so hard to pin down and define. The one thing that we can be certain of with voice, though, is that we know it when we hear it. When we read a story or book with a particularly strong voice, we can tell right away. Today's episode was inspired by a question from a listener about how to keep character voices distinct and engaging. In this episode, I share my go-to techniques for voice, but in making your characters come to life, and for finding your voice in the narrator. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/033

One of the biggest game-changers for my writing career has been attending writers' conferences. In this episode, I share some insider conference tips to help you get the most out of the experience and help you network like a pro (even if you're an introvert, like me). I used to be terrified of live events because I'm painfully shy, but with practice I've learned how to bring my A-game to every conference I attend, and now I'm speaking at them too! In this episode I reveal the #1 thing you must do at a conference in order to get the most out of it. I also walk you through the before, during, and after stages, with practical tips of what to do at each point. I share a simple 4-step formula to help you connect with bigwigs in any situation, plus I'll give you insights on what NOT to do so you always put your best foot forward. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/032

Do you ever feel pulled in a million different directions, chasing one sparkly writing project after nother. This episode is all about figuring out where to focus your writing energy so you can get results and finish a project. Finding focus is all about balancing three things: your passions, your strengths, and ROI (return on investment). For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/031

 Today is an extra special episode because I’ll be interviewing a fabulous author and my good friend: Kathryn Holmes. We're going to be talking about how to create a setting that feels real to the reader, a subject you'll find she knows a lot about. Kathryn's debut novel is out this week and (as you can imagine from the title of this episode) setting and world-building play a HUGE role in her story. In this episode, Kathrny and I do a deep dive on setting, exploring different aspects of it and techniques that writers can use to make the world of their stories come to life. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/030

I have been a long-time follower of author Jeff Goins and his work, so it was an absolute thrill to host him on the show for this episode. In it we discuss his journey as a writer and how he got to where he is now, how he found his purpose (and how other writers can do the same), and the power of building an online platform. We also talked about finding that "sweet spot" between what you're passionate about, what you're good at and what the market wants in order to make maximum impact. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/029

Today's episode is especially for the children's writers out there. Have you wanted to create a picture book, but weren't sure how to translate it from paper to a Kindle eBook? Fear not! Kindle has made some amazing changes lately that make publishing an electronic picture book super-easy. Not only that, now that picture books have gone digital, the flexibility and options available to writers and illustrators have expanded exponentially! In this episode, I talk with Laura Backes, co-founder and publisher of CBI (Children's Book Insider) a newsletter and database filled with valuable information for children's book writers. Not only that, Laura has delved into this wild world of electronic picture books and has become an expert at this new technology. In this interview, she shares insights she has learned and discusses why digital publishing is a fantastic option for indie picture book authors and illustrators. For more details and information, head over to the show notes at DIYMFA.com/028

I am absolutely thrilled for this episode today. Not only is the topic timely and something that's on a lot of writers' minds, but I get to interview two awesome authors about their new book: The Art of Social Media. These authors are, of course, Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick and their book is filled with tips and techniques that will help with your social media, whether you've been on social media since it started, or are just starting out. After having the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of The Art of Social Media, I would would recommend it for newbies and social media junkies alike, though for different reasons. For newbies, this book breaks breaks things down into small, manageable pieces, so even a topic as broad (and potentially overwhelming) a social media can feel totally doable. And for social media junkies, I would recommend this book for its more overarching ideas: like how to continue to generate good content, and create an integrated social media strategy. As someone who spends a lot of

Many people say they want to write a book, but very few actually do it. Stop dream, start doing. I'll show you how. Today's episode is all about getting those words on the page and that book out into the world. During the show I talk about why you need to write this book in the first place. Then I debunk three major myths about writing, plus give you a "secret" formula for how to up your game. Finally I share the #1 writing tool that has changed my writing forever and walk you through the step-by-step of putting that tool into action. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/026