DIY MFA Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman. Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman have been great friends for over 20 years and are now co-authors. Their friendship has sustained them through the ups and downs of raising kids, juggling careers, and creating new family traditions. Girls with Bright Futures, their debut novel, out now, is a dark, suspenseful journey into the cutthroat world of college admissions. Between the two of them, they have undergraduate degrees from Princeton University and the University of Michigan, a law degree from UC Berkeley, careers in marketing, non-profit leadership, and biotechnology law, two husbands, and four kids (three of whom have survived the college admissions process without a single parent landing in jail).    In this episode Tracy, Wendy, and I discuss: How focusing on mother-daughter relationships escalated the tension. What they learned from keeping their cowriting process intentionally simple. Why they made their alpha protagonist a bit of an outsider.   Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/370

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman. Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman have been great friends for over 20 years and are now co-authors. Their friendship has sustained them through the ups and downs of raising kids, juggling careers, and creating new family traditions. Girls with Bright Futures, their debut novel, out now, is a dark, suspenseful journey into the cutthroat world of college admissions. Between the two of them, they have undergraduate degrees from Princeton University and the University of Michigan, a law degree from UC Berkeley, careers in marketing, non-profit leadership, and biotechnology law, two husbands, and four kids (three of whom have survived the college admissions process without a single parent landing in jail).    In this episode Tracy, Wendy, and I discuss: How focusing on mother-daughter relationships escalated the tension. What they learned from keeping their cowriting process intentionally simple. Why they made their alpha protagonist a bit of an outsider.   Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/370

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Elly Griffiths. Elly is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series and the stand-alone novels The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. She is a recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She lives in Brighton, England. Today we'll be discussing The Postscript Murders, which was released earlier this year. The Night Hawks from her Ruth Galloway series is also out now, and The Midnight Hour (from her Brighton mystery series) is on sale November 2nd.   In this episode Elly and I discuss: Why so many people have been turning to mysteries during the pandemic. How to get readers to take a leap of faith and what you must do in return. Making sure that the right clue appears at the right time in a mystery novel.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/369

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Veronica G. Henry. Veronica was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Workshop and a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America). She now writes from North Carolina, where she eschews rollerballs for fountain pens and fine paper. Other untreated addictions include chocolate and cupcakes. Today we'll be talking about her debut novel (which I am reading and LOVING) Bacchanal.   In this episode Veronica and I discuss: Her literary influences and how they each blur the line between real and fantasy. Why she included the downsides to her protagonist having an amazing ability. What scenes were difficult for her to write and how she powered through.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/368

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brandie June. Brandie spent most of her childhood onstage or reading, as both activities let her live in fantastic stories. She moved to Los Angeles to study acting at UCLA, and eventually branched out into costume design and playwriting. While she spends most of her free time writing, she will still take any excuse to play dress-up, especially if it involves wearing a crown.  She happily promotes more stories as a marketing director for kids' films and anime. When not writing or marketing, she can often be found doing aerial arts, playing board games, drinking too much espresso, and coming up with new art projects. She lives with her husband, two spoiled rescue pups, a spoiled cat, six fish tanks, and five bookshelves. Today we'll be discussing her debut novel, Gold Spun.   In this episode Brandie and I discuss: How a love of fairytales and a unique NaNoWriMo project led to her debut novel. Why she likes morally grey characters and how she brought that out in Goldspun. What factors influenced her decision to not worry about historical accuracy.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/367

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexander Weinstein. Alexander is the author of the collections Universal Love and Children of the New World, which was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a best book of the year by NPR, Google, and Electric Literature. His fiction and interviews have appeared in Rolling Stone, World Literature Today, Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Best American Experimental Writing. He is the founder and director of The Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing and is a Professor of Creative Writing at Siena Heights University. Today we will be talking about his latest story collection: Universal Love.   In this episode Alexander and I discuss: How he balanced hope and cynicism in stories set in the not too distant future. His process for building a short story collection and choosing what was included. Why you should embrace the mess of early drafts and take plenty of risks.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/366

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