DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Matt Hongoltz-Hetling. Matt is a freelance journalist specializing in narrative features and investigative reporting. He has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, has won a George Polk Award, and has been voted Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press association, as well as many other honors. His work has appeared in varied publications, like USA Today, Popular Science, and the Associated Press, as well as many others. Today we'll be talking about his nonfiction book: A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (And Some Bears). In this episode Matt and I discuss: Where he visited to conduct interviews with locals that inspired his book. How to build positive relationships in the publishing industry when you are not naturally outgoing. What fiction and nonfiction have in common. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes diymfa.com/321

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Julia London. Julia is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly best-selling romance author of the popular contemporary romance series, The Princes of Texas, including the Charmer in Chaps, The Devil in the Saddle, and The Billionaire in Boots, as well as the upcoming rom-com, You Lucky Dog. She is also the author of numerous historical series, including the recent Royal Wedding series, which includes The Princess Plan and A Royal Kiss and Tell. She is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. In this episode Julia London and I discuss: The universality of the meet-cute and the role of secondary characters How to keep characters who hate each other together for a romance novel Why you don't need to give a lot of background information at the outset Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/320

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mike Maden. Mike grew up working in the canneries, feed mills and slaughterhouses of California's San Joaquin Valley. A lifelong fascination with history and warfare ultimately led to a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis with a focus on conflict and technology in international relations. Like millions of others, he first became a Tom Clancy fan after reading The Hunt for Red October, and began his published fiction career in the same techno-thriller genre, starting with Drone and the sequels, Blue Warrior, Drone Command and Drone Threat. After spending over a decade in Dallas, Maden now lives in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Tom Clancy and his unforgettable characters have been a household name for as long as I can remember, and since 2017, Maden brought his ideal background and knowledge of war and tech to the family of Clancy co-authors and collaborators, beginning with Tom Clancy Point of Contact. His books have garnered plenty of attention and acclaim, and his fourth entry in this #1 NYT-bestselling series, titled Tom Clancy Firing Point, is out now. Once again, Mike taps into his incredible background as an author and expert to hit the trifecta of what makes a great Clancy book: Tom's terrific characters combined with edge-of-your-seat action scenes and the over-the-horizon foretelling about world events. In this episode Mike and I discuss: How to create deeply flawed characters that readers still like Why figuring out the stakes can help you populate your story's universe His outline process and how it balances creativity and structure Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/319

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing R.H. Herron. Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, and she teaches writing extension workshops at both UC Berkeley and Stanford and she is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer's Board. Today we'll be talking about her thriller Stolen Things. In this episode Rachael and I discuss: Where she believes plot originates The importance of sensitivity readers and what to ask them to do How to navigate voice when writing a novel from multiple POVs Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/318

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Syed M. Masood. Syed M. Masood grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and now lives with his wife and children in Sacramento, California, where he is a practicing attorney. He wrote a few couplets in Urdu when he was a teenager, and his family still tells everyone he is an Urdu poet. He is not. More Than Just a Pretty Face is his young adult debut novel. In this episode Syed and I discuss: Why you need to listen to what your characters want as you write How honoring universal experiences allows readers to understand your reality Ways to keep the romance trope interesting, but also staying within the form Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/317

Hey there word nerds! Our show notes are at DIYMFA.com/316 because it's episode 316! Also, if you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe on iTunes, GooglePlay (you know, all the usual places) and please leave us a review. This will help other word nerds discover the show as well. Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Lauren J. Sharkey. Lauren is a writer, teacher, and transracial adoptee. After her birth in South Korea, she was adopted by Irish Catholic parents and raised on Long Island. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in the Asian American Feminist Collective's digital storytelling project, First Times, as well as several anthologies including I Am Strength! and Women under Scrutiny. Inconvenient Daughter is her debut novel, and is loosely based on her experience as a Korean adoptee. In this episode Lauren and I discuss: Why she decided to write a novel based on her life instead of a memoir How to not get sued when writing memoir The process that led to creating an unconventional narrative timeline Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/316

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Miriam Feldman. Miriam is a painter, writer, and mother originally from Los Angeles, California. After her son, Nick's, diagnosis with Schizophrenia more than ten years ago, she began writing to document and explore the ways this new reality affected her relationship with her children, her husband, and herself. Her blog, https://www.miriam-feldman.com, explores issues of motherhood, mental illness and the politics of our mental health system. She is also the founder and owner of Demar Feldman Studios, Inc., a specialty painting company that focuses on architectural finishes, murals, and decorative art for residential and commercial locations in Southern California and abroad. Clients include Samuel L. Jackson & LaTanya Richardson Jackson , Wolfgang Puck, Patricia Heaton & David Hunt, Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams, Jay & Mavis Leno and many more. She has run the company for 30 years. Miriam holds an MFA in fine art from Otis College of Art and Design. Her paintings are in collections across the United States. Today we're discussing her memoir He Came In With It, in which she chronicles her experiences as she came to grips with her son's mental illness. In this episode Miriam and I discuss: How she chose what stayed in her memoir and what got cut What her family said about the content of her memoirs Her experience switching mediums from painting to writing Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/315

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Django Wexler. Django graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts. Today we are talking about Ashes of the Sun, the first book in his new epic fantasy trilogy. In this episode Django and I discuss: Which movie franchise inspired Django in his trilogy's world building How writing fan-fiction can be used as a tool for growing as a writer His method to build an intricate and believable fantasy world Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/314

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Natalie Jenner. Natalie Jenner was born in England, raised in Canada, and graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law. She worked for decades in the legal industry and also founded an independent bookstore in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. The Jane Austen Society is the first published novel for this lifelong devotee of all things Jane Austen and is out now. In this episode Natalie and I discuss: How Jane Austen inspired her to begin writing again after a break. Why Jane Austen is an excellent influence for contemporary writers. Her method for getting started on a book (hint: you can do it too!). Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/313

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Laura Hankin. Laura has written for McSweeney's and HuffPost, among other publications. The viral videos that she creates and stars in with her comedy duo, Feminarchy, have been featured in Now This, The New York Times, and Funny or Die. She has performed off-Broadway, acted on screen, and has sung to far too many babies. Today we're talking about her new novel Happy and You Know It, which is all about the NYC fancy-moms playgroup scene. In this episode Laura and I discuss: How to keep readers guessing (in a good way!) throughout your book Her method for creating multiple points of view Why negative feedback can actually be a good thing Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/312