DIY MFA Radio

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

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Henry Clark. Henry is the author of What We Found in the Sofa and How It Saved the World as well as The Book That Proves Time Travel Happens. He has contributed articles to MAD magazine and published fiction in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in addition to acting at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, a living-history museum. Today we’ll be talking about his latest novel: What We Found in the Corn Maze and How It Saved a Dragon. In this episode Henry and I discuss: The symbolic meaning of numbers and how it interplays with magic. Why a trio of protagonists creates a great dynamic for moving along a story. How to use humor as a vehicle for character development. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/311 

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Taylor. Pamela brings her love of history to the art of storytelling. An avid reader of historical fact and fiction, she finds the past offers rich sources for character, ambiance, and plot that allow readers to escape into a world totally unlike their daily lives. A history major in college, with minors in French and Spanish, she is also a classically trained musician and believes this has given her a special feel for the rhythm, dynamics, and phrasing of the written word. In addition to creating her own stories, Pamela is active in multiple writing communities. She is a member of the DFW Writers Workshop and is in her third year on the Judges Panel for the Ink & Insights Writing Contest. In 2018, she joined the team at DIY MFA where she writes the Historical Fiction column, “Past Perfect.” She is also a freelance editor and a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association. She shares her home with two Corgis who frequently remind her that a dog walk is the best inspiration for that next chapter. In this episode Pamela and I discuss: Techniques to craft compelling secondary characters.  How research and travel can help writers build a realistic historical world.  What a style sheet is--and why it’s an important part of the editorial process.  How to guide new readers into the second or third book in a series.  Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/310

Hey there word nerds!  Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Susann Cokal. Susann is a moody historical novelist, a pop-culture essayist, book critic, magazine editor, and sometime professor of creative writing and modern literature. She lives in a creepy old farmhouse in Richmond, Virginia, with seven cats, a big dog, a spouse, and some peacocks that supposedly belong to a neighbor. Susann's first young adult novel, The Kingdom of Little Wounds, received several national awards, including a silver medal from the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award series. Her books for adults, Mirabilis and Breath and Bones, received some nice notice too. Her shorter work has been published in a variety of literary journals and anthologies, such as Electric Lit, Prairie Schooner, Writers Ask, and The New York Times Book Review. Today we’ll be talking about her new novel, Mermaid Moon, which is out now and is about a mermaid who leaves the sea in search of her landish mother. In this episode Susann and I discuss: How to craft a “mood” in your story. Using point of view to illustrate character and world-building.  What makes a prologue “work.” Why it’s so important to experiment as you write.  How exploring different possibilities can be a powerful writing tool.  Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For show notes and more info: diymfa.com/309

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Abbigail Rosewood. Abbigail was born in Vietnam, where she lived until the age of twelve. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. An excerpt from her first novel won first place in the Writers Workshop of Asheville Literary Fiction Contest. Today we’ll be discussing her debut novel: If I Had Two Lives In this episode Abbigail and I discuss: How to persevere after the ‘honeymoon’ stage of writing a book ends. Ways to weave together a protagonist’s internal and external journey.  Why cutting words and characters can actually enhance the world of your novel.  Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/308

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mag Dimond. Mag Dimond has been a world traveler since the age of eleven, when her mother took her to live in Italy. She has traveled extensively in Europe and Central America, and ventured to such exotic landscapes as India, Cambodia, Bhutan, Japan, Kenya, China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cuba. In her seventies now, she continues traveling, the most recent adventure being to Machu Picchu and the Amazon jungle. After a career teaching writing to college students in San Francisco and Taos, she often volunteers as a writing tutor at 826 Valencia, an esteemed literacy program launched by David Eggers. A practicing Buddhist for twenty years, she is a classical pianist, photographer, gourmet cook, animal rescuer, and philanthropist. Today we’ll be discussing her book Bowing to Elephants, which has been honored by Kirkus Review with a starred review as one of the best Indie memoir/biographies of 2019. Prior to publication, excerpts from Bowing to Elephants appeared in American Literary Review, Travelers Tales Solas Awards, the Tulip Tree “Stories that Must be Told” awards, and the 2017 William Faulkner Wisdom awards. Additionally, she has also published essays in Elephant Journal, a prestigious online magazine with a readership of almost two million people. It is truly an honor to have her here at DIY MFA today. In this episode Mag and I discuss: How journaling can lead to memoir-writing. A technique to help writers tap into their memories. Why clear thinking is crucial to clear writing.  How mindfulness and meditation can be powerful writing tools. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mag Dimond. Mag Dimond has been a world traveler since the age of eleven, when her mother took her to live in Italy. She has traveled extensively in Europe and Central America, and ventured to such exotic landscapes as India, Cambodia, Bhutan, Japan, Kenya, China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cuba. In her seventies now, she continues traveling, the most recent adventure being to Machu Picchu and the Amazon jungle. After a career teaching writing to college students in San Francisco and Taos, she often volunteers as a writing tutor at 826 Valencia, an esteemed literacy program launched by David Eggers. A practicing Buddhist for twenty years, she is a classical pianist, photographer, gourmet cook, animal rescuer, and philanthropist. Today we’ll be discussing her book Bowing to Elephants, which has been honored by Kirkus Review with a starred review as one of the best Indie memoir/biographies of 2019. Prior to publication, excerpts from Bowing to Elephants appeared in American Literary Review, Travelers Tales Solas Awards, the Tulip Tree “Stories that Must be Told” awards, and the 2017 William Faulkner Wisdom awards. Additionally, she has also published essays in Elephant Journal, a prestigious online magazine with a readership of almost two million people. It is truly an honor to have her here at DIY MFA today. Embed Episode Here In this episode Mag and I discuss: How journaling can lead to memoir-writing. A technique to help writers tap into their memories. Why clear thinking is crucial to clear writing.  How mindfulness and meditation can be powerful writing tools. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/307

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marilyn Singer. Winner of the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry, 2015, Marilyn Singer has written more than 100 books in many genres. She created a poetry form, the “reverso,” featured in three of her award-winning collections:  Mirror Mirror, Follow Follow, and Echo Echo. She co-hosts the Poetry Blast, which features children’s poets reading their work, at the American Library Association conference and other conventions. Marilyn lives in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT with a dog, a cat, and two doves, as well as her favorite dance partner, who also happens to be her husband.  On a more personal note, Marilyn is someone I consider a dear friend. We first met while standing in line for a book signing at BookExpo when I was just a newbie and I remember thinking “OMG this amazing author is talking to little ol’ me!” I’ve had the pleasure of featuring her on this show before (she was one of my very first interviews) and her books are among my children’s absolute favorites. So it is truly a pleasure and an honor to welcome the fabulous poet and children’s book author, Marilyn Singer back to DIY MFA Radio! In this episode Marilyn and I discuss: The inspiration behind Follow the Recipe Tying together the illustrations and poems Structuring a book of poems The reverso form The power of constraint in poetry How to get started writing poetry Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/306