Diy Mfa Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ellie Cypher. Ellie Cypher grew up in Northern California, received her B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior from UC Santa Cruz and got her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California Davis. She has lived and worked all over the world from New Zealand to Tasmania to the United Kingdom. When she is not writing, you can find her spending her time caring for all manner of creatures great and small, dreaming about traveling, drinking too much coffee or generally wandering about the beautiful Smoky Mountains with her husband and eleven-year-old black lab. Today we’ll be discussing her debut novel, a YA fantasy titled The Girl from Shadow Springs. In this episode Ellie and I discuss: How the first line is usually what pops into her head first and inspires her to write the book. Why the arctic wilderness was the perfect backdrop for her novel as it has “a sense of being alone in a void...massive expanse and insular isolation”. What part language, vernacula

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Harrigan. Sharon is the author of the new novel Half, which has received accolades from places like Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Foreword Reviews, and the New York Journal of Books. She earned her a B.A. from Barnard College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific University. She is also the author of the memoir Playing with Dynamite and she teaches at WriterHouse in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she lives with her family.   In this episode Sharon and I discuss: What it means to come of age and how her novel Half addresses that. Why it is important to assess what type of point of view to use for a project. How to use voice as a bridge between the writer and the reader.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/344

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tim Waggoner. Tim is a critically-acclaimed author of over fifty novels and seven short story collections. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He’s also the author of a comprehensive book on writing horror called Writing in the Dark. His novels include Like Death, which is considered a modern classic in the horror genre, and the popular Nekropolis series of urban fantasy novels. He’s written tie-in fiction for Supernatural, Grimm, the X-Files, Doctor Who, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Alien, and Transformers, among other properties, and he’s written novelizations for films such as Kingsman: the Golden Circle and Resident Evil: the Final Chapter. His articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Writer’s Workshop of Horror, and Where Nightmares Come From. In 2017 he received the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction, and he’s been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, the Scr

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Julie Carrick Dalton. As a journalist, Julie has published more than a thousand articles in The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Hollywood Reporter, Electric Literature, and other publications. She contributes to Dead Darlings, Writer Unboxed, and The Chicago Review of Books. A Tin House alum and graduate of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator, Julie holds a master’s in literature and creative writing from Harvard Extension School. She is passionate about climate fiction and is a frequent speaker on the topic of writing fiction in the age of the climate crisis. A Mom to four kids and two dogs, Julie is an avid skier, hiker, and kayaker. She also owns a small farm in rural New Hampshire, which is the backdrop for her debut novel, Waiting for the Night Song. In this episode Julie and I discuss: How Julie initially wrote her story, the parts she omitted to get to the heart of it, and how she used Scrivener to put it all back together.  What made one of Julie’s childhood friend

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jason Naylor. Jason is an award-winning artist and designer based in NYC. He is known for his bright colors and even brighter messages. His work has received tons of awards and recognition, including the Golden Novum Design award and two CLIO Fashion&Beauty Bronze medals. He has also been featured on HGTV and the Discovery Channel. In 2018, Jason was named by BUMBLE as one of the 100 Most Inspiring New Yorkers, and his colorful creations have found partnership with brands like Coach, Guess, Pepsi, and Maybelline. Jason’s mission is to spread color and positivity across the globe. His brightly colored designs and positive words reflect his zeal for life, his quest for joy and his love of LOVE.   In this episode Jason and I discuss: The ways his book is a visual version of the perfect mixed tape. How negative space and imagination work together to create a story. Why people see the same colors differently (hint: it’s rooted in science!).   Plus, his #1 tip for wr

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Adam Smyer. Adam Smyer is an attorney, martial artist, and mediocre bass player. His nonfiction has appeared in the Johannesburg Review of Books, and his debut novel, Knucklehead, was the sole title short-listed for the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Adam lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and cats. You Can Keep That to Yourself is his latest work, and we’ll be discussing it today.   In this episode Adam and I discuss: The tremendous amount of luck involved between starting and publishing a book. Why eradicating micro-aggressions is important in eliminating major aggressions. The important role humor can play in addressing a very serious topic.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/340

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Beanland. Rachel Beanland writes fiction and essays, and has recently released her debut novel. Her essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction and Broad Street, among other places, and she has an MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. With bachelor’s degrees in art history and journalism, Rachel worked in public relations and nonprofit management before focusing on writing full time. She currently lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and three children. Her debut novel is Florence Adler Swims Forever, which we’ll be discussing here today.   In this episode Rachel and I discuss: How a family tragedy influenced her approach to writing her debut novel. Why rotating perspectives helped with secret-keeping throughout her story. Her experience with workshopping her novel as she wrote it.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/339

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Monir. Alexandra is an Iranian-American author and recording artist who has published six popular young adult novels. Her internationally-bestselling debut, Timeless was a Barnes & Noble Bestseller and Amazon.com “Best Books of the Month.” In 2018 she published the hit sci-fi novel The Final Six and Sony Pictures optioned the film rights in a major pre-empt deal. More recently, she has followed up with a sequel—The Life Below—which was published earlier this year. Alexandra was chosen as part of a group of global bestselling authors to write for the New York Times-bestselling DC ICONS series. Her book is Black Canary: Breaking Silence, the first-ever YA novel about that DC Comics superhero. Next up, Alexandra is writing a historical fantasy YA for Disney based on Princess Jasmine. In this episode Alexandra and I discuss: How she honors her grandmother in her career, especially in her latest book. Her method for creating a complex cast of villains for B

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brad Fox. Brad is a novelist, journalist, translator, and former relief worker currently quarantined in rural Peru. His novel To Remain Nameless was a Paris Review staff pick, an SPD recommended new fiction title, has been a small press bestseller since its release. It was named by Dennis Cooper as a Best Book of 2020. Brad’s stories, essays, and articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Guernica, and the Whitney Biennial and some of his upcoming work will be featured in “From the Deep,” a major exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in 2021. Brad left the US in the late 1990s and began working as a feature writer and television producer in the former Yugoslavia. Since that time, he has worked in various countries around the globe, doing different forms of humanitarian and arts-related work. In March earlier this year, he left New York for what was meant to be a twelve-day trip to northeastern Peru, with the goal of studying with a traditional medicine p

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marcella Pixley, the author of four acclaimed books for young people. Her novel Freak was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year for 2007, Without Tess was a Junior Library Guild Selection, and Ready to Fall was a Bank Street of Education Best Book for 2017. Her most recent novel Trowbridge Road was just recently named as one of ten books for children for the National Book Awards 2020. Marcella first began her writing career as a poet and has published in several literary journals including Sow's Ear Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner and Poet Lore, plus she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her fiction has a lyric quality, which makes sense given her roots in poetry, and teaches 8th grade Language Arts at the Carlisle Public Schools. Today we’ll be discussing Marcella’s most recent book, Trowbridge Road. In this episode Marcella and I discuss: How her personal childhood experiences and her diagnosis of OCD inspired her book Trowbridge Road. Why she believes that MG should b

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Diane Zinna. Originally from Long Island, Diane received her MFA from the University of Florida and went on to teach creative writing for ten years. She formerly worked at AWP—the Association of Writers & Writing Programs—which hosts the largest literary conference in North America each year. In 2014, Diane created the AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program, helping to match more than six hundred writers over twelve seasons. Diane lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband and daughter, and The All-Night Sun is her debut novel. In this episode Diane and I discuss: How a dream she had, her experience with grief, and her memories of Sweden inspired the premise of her novel. Why she started the story where she did and why she almost wrote Lauren a completely different ending. What kind of heartfelt teaching Diane feels is imperative to the workshop experience. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/335

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Veena Rao. Veena Rao is the author of Purple Lotus: A Novel (She Writes Press), as well as founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of NRI Pulse, a popular Atlanta-based Indian-American news publication. She is in the Limca Book of Records as the first Indian-origin woman to edit and publish a newspaper outside India. Veena Rao has a background in print journalism, having worked on the news desk of The Indian Express in India, and a couple of community publications in Atlanta as editor. She has a Masters’ Diploma in Journalism and Communication from Symbiosis International University and a Masters’ in Economics from Fergusson College, India.  She has been featured in several major Asian print publications including the BBC Telugu, the Hindu, Indian Express, Gulf News, the Khaleej Times, India Review etc. She currently lives in Tucker, GA. In this episode Veena and I discuss: How her life circumstances forced her creative writing to take a backsea

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sara Schaff. Sara is the author of two short story collections The Invention of Love and Say Something Nice About Me. She is a CLMP Firecracker Award Finalist in fiction and a finalist for the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award for short fiction. Her writing has appeared in Catapult, Kenyon Review Online, Yale Review Online, The Belladonna, Michigan Quarterly Review, LitHub, and others.  A graduate of Brown University and the MFA program at the University of Michigan, Sara has taught at Oberlin College, the University of Michigan, and St. Lawrence University, as well as in China, Colombia, and Northern Ireland, where she also studied storytelling. She lives in the North Country and is an assistant professor of English at the SUNY Plattsburgh. In this episode Sara and I discuss: How approaching her characters emotions more authentically created a significant change in her writing style. What a writer can do to best bring a reader into the sto

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Andi Cumbo-Floyd. Andi is a writer of both magical realism and nonfiction, but in the last year, she has taken on a new persona as ACF Bookens, author of cozy mysteries. Today we’ll be talking about her process and strategy in crafting this series. When she’s not writing, Andi is also an editor and writing coach, and she runs a beautiful, supportive online community. She lives in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains with a number of animals who cannot possibly coordinate their veterinary needs. In this episode Andi and I discuss: Why Andi cautions against writing for the market, but encourages writing in a particular niche that you love. What Cozy mystery tropes readers tend to expect, find funny, and appreciate. How writers of the Cozy mystery genre tend to market themselves, including newsletter writing tips. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/332

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Meg LaTorre. Meg is a sci-fi/fantasy author, YouTube darling, and founder of iWriterly. She is also the creator of the free query critique platform, Query Hack, co-host of the Publishable show, and blogger for websites: Writer’s Digest, Savvy Authors, Writers Helping Writers, and so forth. Formerly, she worked at a literary agency, and she has a background in magazine publishing, medical and technical writing, as well as journalism. For more information about Meg, subscribe to her YouTube channel or follow her on social media. You’ll find all her links on the show notes page. Today we’ll be talking about her latest book, The Cyborg Tinkerer. In this episode Meg and I discuss: How having a rebellious nature allowed her to write the kind of Steampunk novel she wanted to read. What aesthetic elements of the novel help portray issues of “otherness” and discrimination which are integral parts of the narrative. Why she chose the indie publishing rout

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing the author, swordswoman, and falconer, Essa Hansen. Essa is a sound designer for sci-fi and fantasy films at Skywalker Sound, with credits in movies such as Doctor Strange and Avengers: Endgame.  Today we’ll be discussing her debut novel, Nophek Gloss. In this episode Essa and I discuss: What Essa does to develop her story’s language using etymology and words with multiple meanings. Why lead characters like Caiden need agency in their own story. How her experiences as a sound designer helped her create an audibly visceral world, and think outside the box creatively. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/330

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Laura Jamison. Laura Jamison is an attorney from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband and their four children. When she is not practicing law or writing, she is driving her kids to one of their many activities in her minivan. Laura is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan Law School. All the Right Mistakes is her debut novel and what we will be talking about today. In this episode Laura Jamison and I discuss: How the pressure to compete on social media inspired a character in her book All the Right Mistakes Why having a clear, mathematical structure to her multiple POV story was refreshing to her readers and keeps her on track as a writer. What she did to land an agent and her journey to being published through She Writes Press. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/329

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Carol VanDenHende. Carol is an award-winning author who pens stories of resilience and hope. Her debut novel Goodbye Orchid recently won the American Fiction Award for urban fiction, the Pinnacle Book Award for multicultural fiction, and was listed by Buzzfeed as one of its 12 Most Anticipated books this fall. Carol is also a speaker (as well as one of my writing conference buddies) and she often speaks on author brand, visual identity, and marketing plans. With an MBA with 20+ years' experience in marketing and strategy, Carol knows what it takes to market your book (even if you’re a busy author) and she has applied many of these strategies to the launch of Goodbye Orchid. One secret to Carol’s good fortune? Her humorous husband, fun-loving twins, and rescue cat, who prove that love really does conquer all. In this episode Carol and I discuss: How her book Goodbye Orchid is really about hope and resilience.  Why focusing on your message as a w

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Fish. Dwayne Booth has been a freelance writer and cartoonist for twenty-five years, publishing under both his real name and the pen name of Mr. Fish with the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly, the Village Voice, the Atlantic, The Nation, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Magazine, MSNBC, Truthdig, HuffingtonPost, ScheerPost and others. He was the subject of a 2017 award-winning documentary by Pablo Bryant called Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End. In this episode Mr. Fish and I discuss: What ambitious idea was the inspiration for Long Story Short. Why he enlisted the help of colleagues to help him accomplish his project. How visual art has a truth that resonates both emotionally and intellectually. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/327

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Amy Alznauer. Amy lives in Chicago with her husband, two children, a dog and her four puppies, a parakeet, sometimes chicks and a part-time fish, but, as of today, no elephants or peacocks. Check back. Her writing has won the Annie Dillard Award for Creative Nonfiction, the Christopher Award, and the SCBWI-Illinois Laura Crawford Memorial Mentorship, and her essays and poetry have appeared in collections and literary journals including The Bellingham Review, Creative Nonfiction and River Teeth. She has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She teaches calculus and number theory classes at Northwestern University. She is the managing editor for the SCBWI-IL Prairie Wind. And she is the writer-in-residence at St. Gregory the Great, where she has a little office in a big building with a bad internet connection, where she tries to get work done (in theory). In this episode Amy and I discuss: How the relationship between the Zhou brothers inspi