Diy Mfa Radio

Today's episode was inspired by a question I got from a listener. Got a questions about writing or publishing that you want to hear answered on the show? Just email gabriela[at]DIYMFA[dot]com with "DIY MFA Radio" in the subject line. I can't promise to answer every single question in an episode, but I'll pick the most frequent ones and use them to inspire show topics. Plus, you might just get a shout-out from me on the show. In this episode I talk about motivation and how to keep on writing even when you think you're failing and you feel like a fraud. I share the hard truth about imposter syndrome and give you some actionable tips to help you get motivated and get writing. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/025

Do you set goals only to lose momentum after a few days or weeks? Don't worry, I've been there and I know how you feel. In this episode I share my go-to productivity tool that has helped me get my projects from dream to done. Check out the show notes page for more information and for a free download: DIYMFA.com/024

Crazy fact: Did you know that while 45% of Americans make New Year's resolutions, only 8% actually achieve what they set out to do? Here at DIY MFA we want to see you rock your New Year's resolutions (both for writing and for life) so in this episode I walk you through a simple 5-step process for setting resolutions that really stick. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/023

Happy Holidays! In today's episode, I explore the Santa Claus story, and the five lessons that writers can take from it. Like Santa, writers are creative. We make stories out of words. As you'll hear in this episode, this is not the only thing that writers and Santa have in common. Tune in to find out more. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/022 Season's greetings to all, and to all a good write!

I used to hate outlines, but now I love them. In this episode I share my five go-to outline techniques: mind maps, scene cards, story mapping, story sketch and mood boards. I'll give you the inside scoop on which technique to use in different types of projects and scenarios. My hope is that with several different outline methods in your arsenal, you'll always have the right tool available for every job. This episode is very heavy on the visuals so head on over to the show notes page to see examples of these outline tools in action. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/021

Today we have Daniel Milnor, photographer at large for Blurb, Inc., joining us. Dan and I talked about how the book has evolved, what it means for something to be a book, and what these changes mean for authors. I’m so excited to share our conversation with you. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/020

It's December and if you did NaNoWriMo, you've probably got a big pile of pages that need shaping and editing. But where do you start? This episode will give you a simple 3-step process to help you take your book from draft to done. This method isn't just for NaNos, though. Anyone can use these tips to polish up their work and get it submission-ready. All you need is a complete (or almost complete) draft. Not writing a novel? No problem. You can use these techniques on short stories or any other work of fiction too. For show notes, head over to DIYMFA.com/019.

Happy Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m so thankful that you are all here and going on this podcast journey with me! This week, I wanted to share something else that I'm super-thankful for: the ability to Shakespeare in the original English. In this episode  I will be deconstructing one of my favorite poems, Shakespeare’s Sonnet #90. I’m so glad you’re here to enjoy this wonderful work of literature with me. For show notes and more info: diymfa.com/018

If you're like me (and most writers) you probably love acquiring new books. But how do you know if a writing book will teach you what you need to know? Or will it just collect dust on your bookshelf. That's where the Essentials come in. Using a simple ABC formula, I show you which essential books you must absolutely have in your writing library. And since this is DIY MFA, you can adjust these selections to suit your individual style. For more information and show notes: DIYMFA.com/017

As a follow-up to our previous episode on Writing Groups, this time we discuss how to give useful critiques. The key to giving critique is to be specific, and to think of the critique relationship as a partnership, rather than an adversarial face-off. For show notes and additional info, visit DIYMFA.com/016.

This is a very special episode for DIY MFA Radio because it features a wonderful writer--and one of my writing heroes--Jane Yolen. Known as the "Hans Christian Andersen of America" Jane Yolen has written over 360 books. But what truly sets her work apart is her artristry and versatility. She has written in just about every genre imaginable, and for just about every type of reader. Whenever I've heard her speak, Jane Yolen offers the perfect blend of practical advice and pure inspiration. This podcast episode is no exception. I am overjoyed to share this episode with you today. For show notes and more information, visit DIYMFA.com/015.

In our Halloween episode, we talk about creative monsters and how to evade them. I'll share was to trick (or treat) your way around these monsters so you can stay confident and creative. The key to avoiding creative monsters is remembering that it's not you, it's them, and not giving them any ammunition. Finally, you have to be kind to your creative self and celebrate your own victories in small but meaningful ways. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/014.

Inspired by the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief, this episode walks you through the five stages of how writers process and get through writer's block. Just as people might grieve a loss, when writers are not writing they grieve too. In this episode, I discuss the five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Then I'll show you how you can push through writer's block and beat it once and for all. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/013.

When new writers join DIY MFA, one of the biggest challenges they face is finding a writing group, and what to do when they finally join one. I've been in several writing groups so I thought I'd share some tried and true techniques I've learned from the process. In this episode, I share some tips for finding a group that's right for you, and I walk you through the three stages of receiving critique. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/012.

Do you love to read? If you're at all like me, chances are your list of books TBR (to be read) is much bigger than the number of books you could ever read in a lifetime. This means that your reading time is precious and you have to be super-smart about how you choose books and approach your reading, so it has maximum impact on your writing. I call this "reading with purpose" and that's the topic for today's show. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/011.

Sooner or later you're going to have to ask for something. Whether it's asking readers to buy your book, or asking someone to help you promote it, at some point you'll find yourself in a place where you need to ask for help. Having been on both the asking and helping sides of this equation, I've learned that there's a specific WAY of asking that automatically opens people up to helping you. In this episode, I break down the "Art of the Ask" and share the 3-step process I use whenever I ask for help. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/010.

I came to poetry fairly late as a writer, and now I'm on a mission to bring other writers to poetry as well. In this episode, I interview poet and children's book author extraordinaire: Marilyn Singer. You'll hear us dish about our love of poetry, the magic of words, facing criticism, and more! For more info and show notes, check out DIYMFA.com/009.

We often think of writing purely as an art but when it comes to POV, there’s definitely a science to it. When I first started writing I had no idea what POV was all about so I created a nifty POV cheat sheet to help me remember which was which. When other writers started raving about the cheat sheet, I knew I had to share it with my listeners on this podcast. For more info and show notes check out DIYMFA.com/008

When it comes to building a writing community, Karen Dionne knows where it's at. Co-founder of Backspace--an online community for writers of all genres--and organizer of many conferences, Karen knows exactly what goes into creating and maintaining a writing community. In this interview, Karen shares writing community tips for success and avoiding pitfalls. She also gives great advice about choosing and attending conferences, and how community can be a HUGE factor in helping writers improve their craft. For more info and show notes, check out DIYMFA.com/007

The first five pages are super-important for setting the tone of your novel. In those pages, you make five key promises and delaying or breaking those promises will create tension in the story. In this episode, you'll learn what these five promises are and when or how to artfully break them. For more info and show notes check out DIYMFA.com/006