DIY MFA Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Emily R. King. Emily is the author of the Hundredth Queen series, along with Before the Broken Star, Into the Hourglass, and Everafter Song in the Evermore Chronicles. Her latest novel is Wings of Fury, which was released earlier this year, and we’ll be discussing it today. It is the first in the Wings of Fury duology; the second book, Crown of Cinders, will be out in October of this year. Born in Canada and raised in the United States, Emily is a shark advocate, a consumer of gummy bears, and an islander at heart, but her greatest interests are her children and three cantankerous cats.    In this episode Emily and I discuss: How she chose which versions of mythology she was going to use in her novels. What she learned about the role and lives of women in Ancient Greece. Why she wrote a duology as opposed to a trilogy or a longer series.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/365

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ana Maria Spagna. Ana Maria is the author of Uplake: Restless Essays of Coming and Going and several previous nonfiction books on nature, work, civil, indigenous, and LGBTQ rights. Her previous books include: Reclaimers, stories of elder women reclaiming sacred land and water, which was a finalist for the 2016 Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists, the memoir/history Test Ride on the Sunnyland Bus: A Daughter’s Civil Rights Journey, winner of the 2010 River Teeth literary nonfiction prize, 100 Skills You’ll Need for the End of the World (as We Know It) which is a humor-infused exploration of how to live more lightly on the planet, and two essay collections, Potluck and Now Go Home.  Her first novel for young people, The Luckiest Scar on Earth, about a 14 year-old snowboarder and her activist father, released in 2017, and her first chapbook of poetry, Mile Marker Six, will appear from Finishing Line Press this fall.  Ana Maria’s work has been recognized by the Nautilus Book Awards, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Awards, and as a four-time finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Her essays have appeared in Orion, Ecotone, Fourth Genre, Creative Nonfiction, Brevity, The Normal School, and regularly in High Country News. After working fifteen years on backcountry trail crews for the National Park Service, she turned to teaching and is currently on the faculty of the low-residency MFA programs at Antioch University, Los Angeles and Western Colorado University.   In this episode Ana Maria and I discuss: How to write, assemble, and edit collections for two genres at the same time. The importance of non-writing work and why it is so valuable to the process. What writers of prose can learn from reading and writing poetry.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/364

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing award-winning debut author Denny S. Bryce. Denny won the RWA Golden Heart® and was a three-time GH finalist, including twice for Wild Women and the Blues. She also writes book reviews for NPR Books and entertainment articles for FROLIC Media. Additionally, the former professional dancer and public relations professional is a self-proclaimed history geek. She credits this obsession to her maternal grandmother, Ella Elizabeth Joseph, who immigrated from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to New York City in 1923. Recently, Denny relocated from Northern Virginia to Savannah, Georgia.   In this episode Denny and I discuss: What she hoped to accomplish by writing about two vastly different generations. Why she loves the third person close POV and what it creates for readers. How she built the world of 1920s Jazz Age Chicago and the Black Renaissance.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/363

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Leslie A. Rasmussen. Leslie was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA and went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, and Ralph Macchio, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. She later earned a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years. Most recently, Leslie has written personal essays for online magazines such as Huffington Post, Maria Shriver, and SheKnows. She loves dogs and in addition to having two adorable Labradors, she volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter in Burbank, California. Leslie lives in Los Angeles and has two sons, and a husband she’s been with since college. After Happily Ever After is her debut novel and it is out now.   In this episode Leslie and I discuss: How she captured family dynamics by writing about three different generations. The ways her past as a sitcom writer helped her create a strong supporting cast. Why she chose to write about after the typical “happily ever after” ending.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/362

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tasha Suri. Tasha is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her books include the Books of Ambha duology and The Jasmine Throne, (which is out now). When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London.   In this episode Tasha and I discuss: Why she wanted to depict different kinds of strength and how she pulled it off. Her advice for tying together multiple points of view. (Her novel has ten POVs!) How to write a book proposal for a novel and other advice for getting published.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/361

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jas Rawlinson. Jas is a best-selling author, book coach, and resilience speaker who specialises in stories that change lives. Growing up in a small country town, Jas first fell in love with the power of literature as a young girl, and would often disappear into the world of writing to escape from the family violence in her home. It was here that she made a promise to one day find a way to support other survivors and victims of domestic violence; and in 2016, she fulfilled that promise by co-founding Brisbane's first permanent domestic violence memorial. Endorsed by names like Kevin Hines and Lifeline, Jas has been featured across major media outlets including ABC and Authority Magazine, and in 2021, was named as one of Yahoo Finance's top 10 book coaches to watch. She believes that everyone has a story with the power to inspire, impact, and change lives.   In this episode Jas and I discuss: Why good storytelling is so important to successfully conveying your message. Common misconceptions about memoir and create a shared vocabulary. Her advice for writing about difficult memories and the importance of self-care.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. Type For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/360

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Arch. Jeff grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he spent two of his high school years at a boarding school much like the one depicted in his debut novel Attachments, which we’ll be discussing today. In the ’70s, he studied film/tv/theater production at Emerson College in Boston and then moved to LA, where he worked as a concert lighting designer and toured the country with national rock and reggae acts while teaching himself to write screenplays on the side. Years later, he was teaching high school English and running a martial arts school when heard the call to write again. In 1989, he sold the school he’d built, rented a small office, and gave himself one year to write three screenplays.  The second of those―a quirky romantic comedy where the two lovers don’t even meet until the very last page―sold almost immediately, and Sleepless in Seattle became a surprise megahit worldwide.  For his screenplay, Jeff was nominated for an Oscar, as well as for Writers Guild and BAFTA awards, among others. His other credits include the Disney adventure film Iron Will, New Line’s romantic comedy Sealed With a Kiss, and the independent comedy Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys. His script for Saving Milly, based on Mort Kondracke’s searing memoir, earned the 2005 Humanitas Nomination, an honor he treasures.  Jeff is a father, stepfather, father-in-law, and grandfather and is based in Malibu.   In this episode Jeff and I discuss: His method for moving characters with their own agendas through the plot. How to avoid the dreaded info dump and his advice for what to do instead. Why you shouldn’t focus on the theme, but should worry about the story instead.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/359

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing my dear friend Thien-Kim Lam. Thien-Kim writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. She and I first connected at an entrepreneurship event and instantly bonded over our love of books and our penchant for challenging the status quo of our respective industries. Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys (featured on NPR, BBC America, and NBC). Plus, she also writes about multicultural parenting at I’m Not the Nanny and has been featured on NBC News Asian America, BBC World, and NPR’s All Things Considered. Plus, she has written for Momtastic, YourTango, Frolic, NBC News, and other outlets. Happy Endings is her debut novel and we’ll be discussing it today. Quick heads up before we dive in: when friends like us get together and start chatting about a sexy rom-com featuring a protagonist who sells sex toys… things might go in a non-PG-rated direction. So if you’ve got kiddos hanging around, now might be a good time to put in some headphones. And if listening to two girlfriends talk about steamy romance and sex toys is not your jam… well, you have been warned. Okay folks, without further ado, I am super-excited to introduce you to my friend Thien-Kim!   In this episode Thien-Kim and I discuss: Why she chose to begin her novel with tension between the main love interests. Giving her protagonist a unique career and how that strengthened the character. What she learned from having to relaunch her business after pivoting.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/358

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Suyi Davies Okungbowa. Suyi is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new novel, Son of the Storm, is the first in the epic fantasy trilogy called The Nameless Republic, and he is also author of the acclaimed and award-winning godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo. His shorter fiction and essays have appeared internationally in various periodicals and anthologies, including Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda and Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. He has taught writing at the University of Arizona and spoken at various venues and institutions in the US and beyond. In this episode Suyi and I discuss: How to create intricate contradictions within characters and the plot of your story. The role narrator and point of view play in the meaning and importance of a story. Why he used a marketplace as a foundation for building his story’s world.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/357

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rebecca Fish Ewan. Poet and cartoonist, Rebecca's passion is mingling text with visual art, primarily in ink and watercolor, to tell stories of place and memory. Her hybrid-form work has appeared in After the Art, Brevity, Crab Fat, Survivor Zine, Hip Mama, Mutha, TNB, Punctuate & Under the Gum Tree. Her illustrations and essay, “The Deepest Place on Earth,” were published in the Literary Kitchen anthology, Places Like Home. She was also a long-time DIY MFA columnist, writing about books with words and pictures, and she continues as part of our extended team as a contributor at large. Rebecca has an MFA in creative writing from ASU, where she has been a landscape design professor for 25+ years. She grew up in Berkeley, California, and lives with her family in Arizona. Her book-length work includes A Land Between, By the Forces of Gravity, Water Marks, and her new book, Doodling for Writers, which released October 2020.   In this episode Rebecca and I discuss: How writers can get out of their own way and reclaim their love of drawing. Why writers need to embrace searching as a part of the writing process. The importance of finding tools you love (and she shares her favorites!).   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/356