DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Aileen Erin on the show. Aileen is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd. From Star Wars (prequels don't count) to Star Trek, she has a severe fascination with the speculative and supernatural. This fascination led her into writing, but after Twilight, Aileen was told that nobody wanted to read another vampire or werewolf story. She didn't agree and wrote one anyway. She proved her critics wrong as her independently published Alpha Girl series, has sold over 1.5 million copies. She earned a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and went on to earn her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She has since founded an independent boutique publishing house Ink Monster. Aileen's latest novel, Lunar Court, is the eighth installment of her USA Today bestselling series Alpha Girl, and is available now. So listen in as Aileen and I chat about this awesome fantasy series and how to successfully write and publish your books through indie publishing. In this episode Aileen and I discuss: Using reader input to help you decide what story to write next. How to change the point of view character throughout a series the right way. Planning your world organically. The series strategy in indie publishing, and why it works. Producing a book as an indie boutique publisher from beginning to end. Plus, Aileen's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/261

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Mark Mayer to the show. Mark is an author and has an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he was a Michener-Copernicus Fellow, and holds a PhD from the University of Denver. He was also the Robert P. Dana Emerging Writer-in-Residence at Cornell College's Center for the Literary Arts from 2012-2014. His stories have appeared in American Short Fiction, Kenyon Review, Guernica, Colorado Review, and Mid-American Review. Mark's debut is a short story collection titled Aerialists, in which classic circus figures become ordinary misfits seeking grandeur in a lonely world. In this collection, Mark examines familiar tropes—like the strongman, the elephant keeper, the clowns—and reinterprets these myths by placing them in everyday contemporary life. So listen in as Mark and I chat about this amazing book and how to gain a deeper understanding of a story by falling into its world over and over again. In this episode Mark and I discuss: The intimacy of a short story. Creating a unique reading experience in your writing. How to use the theme of your book as a marketing tool the right way. Advice on how to approach short stories of literary fiction as a reader. How to use language and imagery to anchor readers in your story. Plus, Mark's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/260

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Dan Stout on the show. Dan is an author who writes about fever dreams and half-glimpsed shapes in the shadows. His prize-winning fiction draws on travels throughout Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim as well as an employment history spanning everything from subpoena server to assistant well driller. Dan's stories have appeared in publications such as The Saturday Evening Post, Nature, and Intergalactic Medicine Show and his debut novel, Titanshade, a noir fantasy thriller, is available now. So listen in as Dan and I chat about this amazing book and how to combine the plot of a police procedural with the worldbuilding of fantasy. In this episode Dan and I discuss: Character driven stories vs. issue driven stories. How to set a speculative fiction world in a "retro" time period. Following predictable story tropes in unpredictable ways. How to discover your author's Achilles' heel. Presenting the world of your story to readers in an authentic way. Plus, Dan's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/259

Hey there word nerds! Today I am delighted to have Dylan Meconis on the show. Dylan is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator. While she has pursued visual art since she could hold a crayon steady, her formal education has been concentrated in the liberal arts. She studied Western history, literature, philosophy, and French in the College of Letters at Wesleyan University, where she soaked up in-demand, market-ready skills like reading Chaucer in the original Middle English. (She has no regrets.) Her comparatively practical career as a professional comics artist actually began in college with the online publication of her first book, Bite Me!. She also spent several years daylighting as a visual communications consultant and designer, before she transitioned to work as a full-time comic book creator and freelance designer. In 2012 her short story "Outfoxed" was nominated for an Eisner Award in the category of Best Digital Comic, and in 2014 Family Man was nominated for a Reuben Award in the category of Best Digital Comic–Longform. Her latest project is the middle-grade graphic novel Queen of the Sea, and is now available. So listen in as Dylan and I chat about this amazing book and how to craft a story in multiple art forms. In this episode Dylan and I discuss: How to bring the day to day life of a historical setting to the page. Comic scripts, what they are and how to use them the right way. Constructing a story both visually and textually without confusing your readers. How the layout of each page determines pacing in a graphic novel. Privileging the story's tone over a single visual style. Plus, Dylan's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/258

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Kelsey Ramsden on the show. I have long admired Kelsey's work as she moves the earth, literally and figuratively. She has been named Canada's top female entrepreneur by PROFIT, not once but twice. And Forbes calls her a "master builder of ideas, businesses and sky's the limit futures." She has received numerous awards for her businesses in civil construction and real estate where she builds highways, airports and communities. Her latest project is the internationally bestselling book Success Hangover: Ignite your next act. Screw your status quo. Feel alive again. and it is available now. So listen in as Kelsey and I chat about this amazing book and how to commit to your dreams even when the world pushes back. In this episode Kelsey and I discuss: The many ways a success hangover can manifest in your life. How to know when you're stuck in the "mediocre zone". The difference between love and lust for your career. Turning a sense of discomfort into a sense of discovery. Why so many people fail at their goals, and the steps to take so you succeed. Plus, Kelsey's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/257

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Lenore Appelhans on the show! Lenore is the author of several books for children and teens. Her work has received honors such as appearing on the Bank Street Best Books list, winning a SCBWI Crystal Kite award, and getting featured on boxes of Cheerios. Her newest book the YA novel, The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project, (which I devoured in practically one sitting!) simultaneously pokes fun at YA literature while also celebrating everything that is awesome about the category. So listen in as Lenore and I chat about this amazing book and how tropes are used in literature. In this episode Lenore and I discuss: The manic pixie dream girl trope. Metafiction, what it is and how to craft it right. Tropes vs. stereotypes, and how to recognize each in your own writing. The mechanics of writing a group scene without confusing your reader. How to get your mind and your writing to open up to diversity. Plus, Lenore's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/256

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Lee Tobin McClain on the show! Lee is the Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired as well as twenty independently-published novels and novellas. She also recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, the Safe Haven series, of which the first and second of these books, Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams, are out now. When Lee is not writing, she's probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, teaching writers in Seton Hill University's MFA program, and probably not cleaning her house. So listen in as Lee and I chat about her amazing Safe Haven romance series and how to use your creative writing side to make marketing fun and successful. In this episode Lee and I discuss: Balancing the predictability of romance with keeping your readers in suspense. Popular fiction vs. literary fiction in MFA programs. Brainstorming techniques to help keep your story moving forward. What types of marketing you'll have to do in indie vs. traditional publishing. How to build up your writing community, even if you're an introvert. Plus, Lee's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/255

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of having Rob Eagar on the show! Rob is a marketing consultant and author who has coached over 600 authors and helped both fiction and nonfiction books hit the New York Times bestseller lists. He is the author of The Author's Guide book series which includes The Author's Guide to Email Marketing, The Author's Guide to Write Text that Sells Books and The Author's Guide to Marketing Books on Amazon, which will be the focus of our discussion today. Aside from talking about marketing books on Amazon, Rob will share some juicy info for how you can get access to three free eBooks to help jumpstart your book sales. I don't know about you, but when I hear the words "free books" I'm all "yes please!" And stay tuned because toward the end of this interview we're going to share something extra-special that Rob has cooking just for DIY MFA word nerds. So listen in because this interview is going to be AWESOME! In this episode Rob and I discuss: How mastering Amazon can increase your book sales. Exclusive vs. wide, which is the best way to sell your books? An inside look at three highly valuable marketing tools Amazon has for writers. How to craft the most persuasive marketing copy for your book. Why you need to grow your own email list, and techniques to help you do it. Plus, Rob's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/254

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Jodi Thomas on the show! Jodi is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels and countless short story collections. With five RITA's to her credit, along with National Readers' Choice Awards and Booksellers' Best Awards, Jodi has proven her skill as a master storyteller, and in July 2006, was the 11th writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Her latest novel The Little Tea Shop on Main, while still focusing on love, diverts slightly from the romance genre into women's fiction. So listen in as Jodi and I chat about this amazing book and how to get so deep into your characters that both you and your readers feel that they are real people. In this episode Jodi and I discuss: Giving each viewpoint character a distinct voice. How to craft three equally weighted protagonists in one story. Creating characters that extend beyond the page for your readers. How to use supporting characters for more than just a plot twist. Painting a realistic picture on the page by "walking the land" of your story. Plus, Jodi's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/253

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Sam Sykes on the show! Sam is the author of multiple books of fantasy, including the Bring Down Heaven trilogy, the Affinity for Steel trilogy and comics such as Brave Chef Brianna. He currently lives in the United States with his two hounds and, at any given time, is probably yelling at something inanimate. Sam looks forward to being one of the sole providers of fantasy entertainment. Assuming no other authors are actually discovered in the next forty years. His latest book, Seven Blades in Black, is the start of his new fantasy series The Grave of Empires and is now available. No one can verify where he was on the night of October 17th, 2003. So on that ominous note, listen in as Sam and I chat about his awesome new book and the secrets to getting your audience emotionally invested in your story. In this episode Sam and I discuss: How to build a world that fits and impacts your characters. Leaving certain things in your world unexplained, or "The Kessel Run Principle" by Sam Sykes. The importance of creating a diversity of attitudes among your characters. Why escalation in your story is more important than balance. Trusting your readers to draw their own conclusions from your writing. Plus, Sam's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/252