DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kristan Higgins. Kristan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly twenty novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have received many awards and accolades, and she is a six-time nominee for The Kirkus Prize for best work of fiction. Today we’ll be discussing her new novel Life and Other Inconveniences. In this episode Kristan and I discuss: Exploring forgiveness, loss and complicated families in writing Balancing dual protagonists Using a compressed timeline How to handle heavy topics in a lighter book The power of asking, “Why?” for character development Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/275

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rob Hart about his latest book The Warehouse. When I heard Rob’s editor talk about this book at the BookExpo Editors’ Buzz Panel, I knew I had to have Rob on the show. Now, if you guys don’t know about Book Expo, it’s a big literary trade show that happens every May in New York City. They have these panels where they feature a selection of books that are getting a ton of buzz. There’s a panel all about books for adults, and another featuring YA and Middle Grade. Now, when I used to go to Book Expo, I’d get very overwhelmed with all the books! But these days, after many Book Expos, I’m a little more measured, and it takes a bit more for a book to grab my attention. The Warehouse was one of the books that really made me sit up and take notice.  But first, a little bit about our guest. Rob Hart is the author of the Ash McKenna series, as well as the short story collection Take-Out, and the novella Scott Free, which he co-wrote with James Patterson. His latest book, The Warehouse, has sold in more than 20 countries and has been optioned for film by Ron Howard. A fellow New Yorker, Rob lives in Staten Island, NY, with his wife and daughter.   In this episode Rob and I discuss: The inspiration behind The Warehouse How adding a third point of view strengthened the story Crafting an immersive world without info-dumping Under-writing instead of over-writing a draft Using a map to plan a world Moving from outlining and research to writing Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/274

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Aaron Becker. Born in Baltimore, Aaron moved to California to attend Pomona College where he scored his first illustration job designing t-shirts for his water polo team. Since then, he's traveled around the world, from Kenya to Japan, Sweden to Tahiti, looking for good things to eat and feeding his imagination. He now lives with his family in Amherst, MA where he's busy at work on his next book project. You can find out more about what he's been up to lately at storybreathing.com. Aaron and I will be talking about his wordless picture book trilogy, Journey, Quest, and Return, as well as his picture book A Stone for Sascha and his newest picture book, You Are Light. In this episode Aaron and I discuss: The story behind the Journey, Quest, Return trilogy Navigating second book syndrome How different age groups approach wordless picture books Changing tones for a second story arc Crafting a picture book inspired by stained glass Using different mediums to craft picture books Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/273

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Archer Mayor. Archer is the author of the highly acclaimed Vermont-based series featuring detective Joe Gunther, which the Chicago Tribune describes as “the best police procedurals being written in America.” He has won the New England Independent Booksellers Association Award for Best Fiction — which is the first time a crime fiction author has received this honor — and in 2011, his 22nd Joe Gunther novel, Tag Man, earned a place on The New York Times bestseller list. Before trying his hand at fiction, Archer wrote history books. His most well-known is Southern Timberman: The Legacy of William Buchanan, which is all the lumber and oil business in Louisiana from the 1870s to the 1970s. When he’s not writing, Archer is a death investigator for Vermont’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Over the past thirty years, he has also been a detective for the Windham County Sheriff’s Office, a volunteer firefighter/EMT, the publisher of his own backlist, and a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers. In this episode Archer and I discuss: Using practical experience for writing research Using curiosity and questions for story inspiration The historical origins of the title Bomber’s Moon Keeping a character and world fresh over thirty books The power of treating the reader as a co-storyteller Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/272

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing RJ Barker. Now, according to the bio that either he or his publicist submitted when we set up this interview, RJ Barker is a softly-spoken Yorkshireman with flowing locks. He lives in the frozen north with his wife and son, and divides his time between writing and looking after his son. According to the about page on his blog, RJ Barker is (and I quote) “Probably more ridiculous than you already believe.” RJ is the author of The Wounded Kingdom series, which comprises Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins, & King of Assassins and his newest book is The Bone Ships which is the first in The Tide Child series. In this episode RJ and I discuss: The story behind The Bone Ships Hearing and creating the voice of a fantasy world Working with a copyeditor while breaking the writing rules Deciding when and how to break writing rules Creating an awesome opening line Balancing immersing a reader and explaining a world Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/271

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing NoNieqa Ramos. Now if you’re a die-hard word nerd and fan of the show, you probably remember NoNieqa from her previous interview with us (Episode 202). I had such a blast talking with her that when I heard she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to have her back on the show. I mean, how often do I get to geek out about the literary merits of the F-bomb with a fellow writer? NoNieqa and I are definitely birds of a feather. NoNieqa is an educator and literary activist. She’s the author of the YA novel The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary, which was named a 2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens, and a 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection. She believes Halloween is a lifestyle, not a holiday (which I totally agree with by the way). Today, we’ll be discussing her latest book, The Truth Is…, as well as the important (but often difficult-to-talk-about themes) that come up in this story. In this episode NoNieqa and I discuss: The power of forgiveness and empathy Writing inclusive narratives The writer’s responsibility to write three-dimensional characters Writing invisible as well as visible marginalizations The power of a respectful question Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/270

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Cadwell Turnbull. His novel, The Lesson is a work of speculative fiction is about what happens when a spaceship arrives at the US Virgin Islands with a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission on board. This story grapples with the tensions between these newcomers and the local Virgin Islanders and explores various themes, including: the nature of belief, the impact of colonialism, and how far are we willing to go for progress? This book breaks new ground as one of the first science fiction novels to be set on Saint Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. It’s a combination of literary social fiction and speculative fiction, and it also paints a vivid picture of Charlotte Amalie, which is Cadwell’s hometown. Cadwell has an MFA in fiction from North Carolina State University, as well as Master’s degree in Linguistics. He was the winner of the 2014 NCSU Prize for Short Fiction and attended Clarion West 2016. His short fiction has appeared in The Verge, Lightspeed, Nightmare, and Asimov’s Science Fiction and several of his stories have received honors or been nominated for Best-Of lists. I have been reading his debut novel, The Lesson, and it is absolutely un-put-downable.  In this episode Cadwell and I discuss: How a dream inspired The Lesson Keeping a story character-driven while also adding speculative elements The power of using--and sometimes withholding--multiple points of view  Using speculative fiction to grapple with contemporary social issues Blending past, present and a speculative future Writing speculative fiction in an MFA program Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/269

Hey there word nerds! Today, we’re doing another one of our live-from-a-conference interviews, this time from RWA annual conference, which is the big event that the Romance Writers of America put on each year. I had the pleasure of speaking at this event a few years ago in San Diego, and this year because it’s back in New York, I’m delighted to be attending it once again. For this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Nisha Sharma, whose YA novel, My So-Called Bollywood Life, has just won the RITA award, which is one of the top awards for romance writing, for best young adult r omance. Nisha is also the author of the adult contemporary romance The Takeover Effect. Now, because I can’t resist a good YA story, and because it’s been nominated for a RITA, our discussion focuses particularly on My So-Called Bollywood Life. But before we get to the interview, let me tell you a little more about our guest.  Nisha’s writing has been praised in NPR, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, Hypable and more. She credits her father for her multiple graduate degrees, and her mother for her love of Shah Rukh Khan and Jane Austen. She lives in New Jersey with her Alaskan husband, her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew. In this episode Nisha and I discuss: The inspiration behind My So-Called Bollywood Life How minor characters influence and develop the main character Building a real world as opposed to a fantasy world How Bollywood structure conventions influenced the book Using blog posts at the beginning of each chapter as an anchor for writing The similarities between Jane Austen and Bollywood Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/268

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Todd Herman, who I am honored to count as one of my mentors. I first met Todd about five years ago, when he gave a talk at an entrepreneurship event, and right away I could tell that he was speaking my language. You see, Todd is a performance coach who specializes in the mental game. He works with ambitious entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders who want to achieve wildly outrageous goals, like building a multimillion-dollar business, reaching an Olympic podium, or launching an international brand. He’s run his own sports science training company for over twenty years, and his signature performance system, 90 Day Year (which I use regularly in my work and my writing) has been named the world’s top leadership and skill development program—not once, but twice!  Todd is also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Alter Ego Effect which we’ll be discussing today. In this episode Todd and I discuss: The great superpower that all humans have The thing all top performers do How seeing that you have many selves can lead to greater mental health and performance The trap of the “authentic self” How to choose and activate an alter ego Why this technique is so useful for writers Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/267

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Natasha Scripture. Natasha is an author, poet, humanitarian, and former aid worker. As a spokesperson for the United Nations, she covered humanitarian crises around the world and before the UN she worked for a variety of organizations, including the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera English, the World Bank, TED, National Geographic, and Condé Nast Publications.  She has been published in the New York Times, the Telegraph, Glamour UK, the Sydney Morning Herald, HuffPost, New York Post, and the Atlantic, among other publications. She has also been featured in Marie Claire, Women’s Health, and the Sunday Times Style magazine.  Natasha has lived in several different countries, travels frequently, and seeks to inspire and empower women everywhere with her writing and her storytelling. Her first book is Man Fast: A Memoir, which we’ll be discussing on the show today. In this episode Natasha and I discuss: The journey from writing a self-help book to writing a memoir. How to use writing to process grief.  The process of structuring a memoir’s outward and inward journey. Creating space for self-discovery. Saying, “No” to others to say, “Yes” to yourself. The power of being fully present. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and shownotes: www.diymfa.com/266