DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Patrice Gopo on the show! The daughter of Jamaican immigrants who was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Patrice is a personal essayist and often writes about topics of race, immigration, and belonging. Her essays have appeared in numerous publications including Catapult and The New York Times. She also has had radio commentaries appear on her local public radio station, and is the recipient of a North Carolina Arts Council Literature Fellowship. Her essay collection All the Colors We Will See was a Fall 2018 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and is available now. So listen in as Patrice and I chat about this amazing book, the personal essay form, and finding your own personal reason for why you write. In this episode Patrice and I discuss: What elevates a personal anecdote to a personal essay. Techniques to find your go-to essay form. How to overcome the fear of putting your personal stories out in the world. Balancing the responsibility you have to others and to yourself. The importance of knowing who you are as a writer. Plus, Patrice's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/251

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Patricia Davids on the show! Born and raised in Kansas, Pat was an NICU nurse for forty years, before switching careers to become an inspirational writer. She is now a USA Today best-selling author of Amish romance, enjoys playing with her dogs (who think fetch should be a twenty-four hour a day game) and happily dreaming up new stories. Her latest book, The Wish, is the first in her new romance series The Amish of Cedar Grove, and is now available. So listen in as Pat and I chat about this amazing book and how to craft a realistic and romantically charged Amish romance. In this episode Pat and I discuss: Crafting the feeling of anticipated grief within your characters. How to weave Amish culture into your romance naturally. Why you should drop your reader directly into the story and how to do it right. Adding romantic tension when your characters can't be physical with each other. Tips and techniques to put emotion on the page internally instead of verbally. Plus, Pat's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/250

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the absolute pleasure of hosting Jon Land on the show! You may remember Jon from a previous episode where he took part in a round table interview live from last year's ThrillerFest along with two other bestselling thriller authors: Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter. Today though he's here solo to let me pick his brain and give you his own nuggets of writing wisdom. Jon is the USA Today bestselling author of over 44 books, including the critically acclaimed and award-winning Caitlin Strong series, whose ninth installment, Strong to the Bone, won the 2017 American Book Fest Award for Mystery/Suspense. Also in the mystery genre, Jon took over writing the Murder She Wrote series in 2018 with A Date with Murder as his first entry. His latest novel, the most recent installment of his Caitlin Strong series, Strong as Steel, is available now, and his next entry in the beloved Murder She Wrote series, Murder in Red, will be released in May of 2019. So listen in as Jon and I chat about these two amazing books and the ways in which cozies and thrillers converge. In this episode Jon and I discuss: How to juggle writing two very different series at the same time. The structural elements of the thriller vs. the cozy mystery. How the scope of your world supports the character's quest. The mechanisms used to craft a cozy thriller. Being genuine and honest with your readers. Plus, Jon's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/249

Hey there word nerds! Today I am delighted to have Tiffany Reisz on the show! Tiffany is the USA Today bestselling author of the Romance Writers of America's RITA®-winning Original Sinners series from Harlequin's Mira Books. She has also received a Lambda Award in Gay Fiction for her novel The King and two Romantic Times Editor's Choice Awards for Best Erotic Romance and Best Series Romance. Her erotic fantasy The Red—self-published under the banner 8th Circle Press—was named an NPR Best Book of the Year, a Goodreads Best Romance of the Month, and received a coveted starred review from Library Journal. Her latest book, which is set in the world of The Red, is the erotic fantasy The Rose. Tiffany lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, Andrew Shaffer (who I've had the pleasure of chatting with previously on the show), the New York Times Bestselling author of Hope Never Dies. She has two cats. The cats are not writers. So listen in as Tiffany and I chat about her amazing new novel, The Rose, and why embracing the delete key, no matter how many words you must trash, can be the thing that takes your book from good to great. In this episode Tiffany and I discuss: Using a framing device to craft an erotic romance. Elements to consider when writing a sex scene. How to discover your own erotic vocabulary. Finding the key that opens up your story and lets the words flow. How to know when you need to trash your existing draft and start over. Plus, Tiffany's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/248

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Janet Pocorobba on the show! Janet is a former features writer and editor at Metropolis magazine in Tokyo, whose memoirs, essays and reviews have appeared in many notable publications such as The Rumpus, The Writer, and Kyoto Journal. She is the author of the memoir, The Fourth String: A Memoir of Sensei and Me, which is now available. In the memoir Janet shows the relationship between her and her sensei in the initial years of her apprenticeship learning to play the shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument. So listen in as Janet and I chat about this awesome book and how to defy writing structures both in the classroom and on the page. In this episode Janet and I discuss: Presenting the self in relation to others in a memoir. How training in music gives you structure and form for your writing. The role absence plays in a narrative. Using the practice method to grow your craft. The relationship between the word mind and the content mind. Plus, Janet's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/247

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Rowenna Miller on the show! Rowenna is a midwestern born and raised fantasy author and has a Master's in English Film and Literature because she can't shut up about stories. She is also a historical reenactor and seamstress, specializing in the late eighteenth century, and writes fantasy shamelessly inspired by her love of history, especially the history of ordinary people. Her debut novel, Torn, released in March 2018, is the first in her The Unraveled Kingdom series, and the second book, Fray, will be available in June 2019. So listen in as Rowenna and I chat about this amazing series and constructing an intricate history inspired fantasy world. In this episode Rowenna and I discuss: Character centric world building. Different ways to play with magic in fantasy. How to layer aspects of your world naturally into the story. Pitfalls to avoid when crafting your magical system. Intertwining politics, history, and magic when building your fantasy world. Plus, Rowenna's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/246

Hey there word nerds! Today's episode is extra-awesome because I'm speaking with not one, not two, but three fabulous ladies, who have had hand in bringing a truly buzz-worthy novel to life, on the show! First we have author Samantha Downing, whose debut novel My Lovely Wife has been getting a lot of attention. When she was a kid, Samantha's mom brought her to the library every two weeks, where she would check out a stack of new books that she couldn't put it down. She walked around with a book in front of her face, often walking into walls and stubbing her toes because she never watched where she was going. In her adult life she decided she wanted to be the one telling stories that would make people walk into walls and My Lovely Wife, is one such book. Next we have Samantha's agent Barbara Poelle who began her publishing career as a freelance copywriter and editor before joining the Irene Goodman Literary Agency in 2007. Barbara also did a brief stint as a standup comic in Los Angeles and if you've ever bumped into her at a conference or literary event, you know she is hilarious. Barbara has found success placing thrillers, suspense, young adult and upmarket fiction, She is actively seeking her next great client in those genres, but is passionate about anything with a unique voice. Jen Monroe is the editor behind this fabulous book. She joined Berkley in November 2016 and edits psychological suspense, upmarket fiction, speculative fiction, and narrative nonfiction. Previously, Jen spent two years at HarperAudio where she handled all editorial needs, and produced the in-house podcast HarperAudio Presents. Jen also pursued journalism interning for places including The New York Times and The San Francisco Examiner. So listen as Samantha, Barbara, Jen and I chat about the amazing novel MY LOVELY WIFE, and the teamwork involved between an author, agent, editor to bring a book into the world. In this episode Samantha, Barbara, Jen and I discuss: The matchmaking experience of publishing. Why communication is vital to a successful author-agent-editor relationship. Crafting an unreliable narrator while still maintaining your readers' trust. Advice to help navigate disagreements in the editorial process. The most important thing querying writers need to know. Plus, each of these lovely ladies' #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/245

Hey there word nerds! Today we have a little change of pace in store for you. As you may recall, when I'm at different conferences, I'll sometimes record a live-from-the-conference interview, and this happens to be one of those episodes! This interview was recorded in front of a LIVE studio audience at INBOUND 2018. Now, if you're not familiar with INBOUND, it's a fantastic conference hosted by HubSpot and takes place in Boston every fall. INBOUND has featured some truly incredible keynote speakers during the years I've attended like Michelle Obama, Brene Brown, and Deepak Chopra. I know right! Now if you're a marketing nerd like me, or your day job happens to be in marketing, social media, or design, this is the conference to attend. And the INBOUND team has graciously given us a discount code, which will give you $150 off a 4-Day, All-Access pass to this year's event. Check out our show notes page for the info to take advantage of this amazing deal! So why do I love INBOUND so much? Well over the years I have been attending, I have had the awesome opportunity to speak at this event, and have been able to foster several friendships. And one of the people I've connected with happens to be today's guest, Strother Gaines. Strother is a business and personal coach for creative entrepreneurs and those who want to become one. He is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, and his coaching business has just about the best name of all time: "But I'm a Unicorn, Dammit!" In his business, Strother works passionately to help as many people as possible own up to the fact that they're a unique f($!@& snowflake. He also served as the event director for the DC Chapter of Network Under 40 and he recently spoke at the TEDx MidAtlantic Festival on on the topic of storytelling. I have also had the opportunity to hear Strother speak at INBOUND on networking, and after hearing his talk I knew I had to have him on the show to discuss this very topic. If you're anything like me, you might look forward to networking about as much as you look forward to a deadline. It's both terrifying and invigorating at the same time. So listen in as Strother and I chat about why networking is so freaking hard, and how the best way to make it easy is to show up as authentically you. In this episode Strother and I discuss: Tools to access your authentic self. Clamping down on what you share vs. keeping your privacy boundaries up. The benefits of getting a "no". Networking pitfalls to avoid. Ice breakers and best practices in networking environments. Plus, Strother's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/244

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the absolute pleasure of hosting New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham on the show! A theater arts major at the University of South Florida, Heather began her career with several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals and bartending. After the birth of her third child, she decided to stay home and that's when she began to write. Since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, sci-fi, young adult, and Christmas family fare. She has been published in twenty-five languages with about 60 million books in print and has been honored with just about every major writing award under the sun, including the prestigious Thriller Master Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America. Heather has also been featured in several media outlets including People and USA Today, as well as on newscasts such as Today and Entertainment Tonight. Her newest book, A Lethal Legacy, is a chilling thriller which I read cover-to-cover because I could not put it down! So listen in as Heather and I chat about this amazing book, and how to craft a fictitious setting that feels real. In this episode Heather and I discuss: Building your world's lore and mythology. How to use your setting to create impending peril and suspense in your plot. Why you need to make your readers care about the supporting cast. Crafting your villain's motivations so they ring true for readers. Using alternating point of view characters to give a broader view of your story. Plus, Heather's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/243.

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the absolute pleasure of speaking with co-authors Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams on the show! Anita is an award-winning media critic and the creator and executive director of Feminist Frequency, an educational nonprofit that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. She is best known as the creator and host of the highly influential video series Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, and she dreams of owning a life-size replica of Buffy's scythe. Ebony Adams is an author, activist, and former college educator whose work foregrounds the lives and work of black women in the diaspora. She writes widely on film criticism, social justice, and pop culture, and lives with a steadily-increasing collection of Doctor Who memorabilia. On top of all this these ladies are now co-authors of the YA nonfiction book History vs. Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don't Want You to Know, which is a fascinating (and aesthetically beautiful) book highlighting the lives of women who made an impact on the world. I couldn't help but fall in love with this book! First off, with its gorgeous illustrations, my inner graphic design geek went off the charts. Then there is the subject matter, which is something I feel super-passionate about, and the fact that it's YA makes this book even better. When we share the stories of strong, impactful women throughout history with the young women of today, we're not just empowering the young generation. We're empowering everybody to help make our culture and our society better. So listen in as Anita, Ebony, and I chat about this truly awesome book, and the importance of challenging our own perspectives through what we read and what we write. In this episode Anita, Ebony and I discuss: The research technique of "insistent archaeology". How to translate scholarly texts into exciting stories. The dangers of passive reading. Advantages of the YA genre to get unknown stories out there. Why stories about women should be shared with young children of all genders. Plus, both of these lovely ladies' #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/242