DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have bestselling co-authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi on the show! Angela and Becca co-founded the popular Writers Helping Writers site, a hub where authors can hone their craft, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling. I happen to be part of their current cohort of Resident Writing Coaches on Writers Helping Writers and have been a longtime fan of their work. They are also both writing coaches and international speakers, and their books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela and Becca’s popular Writer’s Thesauruses series is now up to fourteen books in total with their latest edition, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, which is available now. Listen in as we chat about their latest thesaurus, and dig deep into what an emotional wound is and how to use to create more believable characters.   In this episode Angela, Becca, and I discuss: Tips to find and use a character’s emotional wound to draw your readers in. Avoiding the research rabbit hole, finding what you need to know to write the story. What “show don’t tell” really means and how to do it right. Backstory, when to use it and why. The want, the wound, and the desire,how to combine them in your characters. Plus, each of these ladies’ #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/185

Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have bestselling author Kat Martin on the show! Kat is the author of sixty-eight historical and contemporary romantic suspense novels, and with over sixteen million copies of her books in print in twenty countries outside the US, you could say Kat knows a thing or two about building a long-term career as an author. The first book of her most recent series The Texas Trilogy, also known as the Beyond— series,    Beyond Reason, received a coveted starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. The second installment, Beyond Danger, hit shelves on January 30, 2018, and the third, Beyond Control, is coming in June 2018. Listen in as we chat about not only Kat’s latest series, but the strategic decisions she made on her career path to bestselling author. In this episode Kat and I discuss: How to keep yourself motivated in the early days of your writing career. Knowing when to say goodbye, how to change agents and publishers. Who owns the rights? What to look for in contracts. Matching your writing pace to the voracious romance reader without going crazy. Kat’s tips for staying in control of your series. Plus, Kat’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/184

Hey there word nerds! Today I am delighted to have author and editor Joe Fassler on the show! Joe earned his MFA from the University of Iowa Writing Program and is a senior editor at The New Food Economy. His writing has appeared in many journals including The Boston Review, Electric Literature, and Creative Nonfiction, but he’s probably most well-known for the author interviews he conducts as part of The Atlantic’s “By Heart” series. Joe’s latest work, Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process, is a compilation of numerous authors’ answers to one simple but profound question: What inspires you? Light the Dark is available now. I’ve been reading it and all I can say is if you’re a writer, you must put this book on your To-Be-Read list for 2018! Listen in as we chat about this amazing book, and some of the best ways to keep inspired and motivated to write.   In this episode Joe and I discuss: Learning to the draw the line, how to find your catch-all creative time. Why you need to celebrate your zero moment. Balancing what publicists want and what writers want in an interview. Techniques to help find that quiet place of creativity in your mind. The importance of the written word and the transformative power of books. Plus, Joe’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/183

Hey there word nerds! Today I am delighted to have author Howard Kaplan on the show! Howard is a native of Los Angeles, but he has lived in Israel and traveled to numerous places across the world, including Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. He also has had some incredible adventures in the former Soviet Union which, along with his time in Syria, inspired bestselling thriller The Damascus Cover. Published forty years ago to rave reviews, The Damascus Cover is finally coming to the big screen. The movie debuted in September 2017 at the Boston Film Festival, and is scheduled for release everywhere this spring. Listen in as we talk about this bestseller, the art of film, and how to take a story from page to screen. In this episode Howard and I discuss: The importance of endings, and how to do them right. How to use film to elevate your story. Kill your darlings, knowing what to cut on the page vs. the screen. When your characters come to life, what to expect when working with actors. Setting the right tone in scene one for a book and a movie. Plus, Howard’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/182

Hey there word nerds! Today I am delighted to have award-winning author Joan Dempsey on the show!   Joan’s writing has been published in numerous places including The Adirondack Review and  Alligator Juniper, and she is the author of This is How it Begins. For this fascinating novel, that is a mix of literary fiction and mystery, she received a significant research grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation which took her to Warsaw for a month (no, she doesn't speak Polish), and to Washington, D.C. for ten days, to study in the archives at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Listen in as we discuss the multiple layers of This is How is Begins, and get some of Joan’s best writing techniques for juggling plot and characters. In this episode Joan and I discuss: Avoiding the caricature, finding your way into every character’s head. Using omniscient POV in contemporary fiction the right way. Staying neutral, how to keep from steering your readers to any one opinion. Balancing the interplay between characters and plot. Method writing, and other craft techniques from Joan to get to the heart of your story.   Plus, Joan’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/181

Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have author D.P. Lyle on the show! In his writing career, Doug has received a Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award and has been nominated for a gazillion others including, but nowhere near limited to, the Edgar, Agatha, and Silver Falchion. He is the author of 17 books, including the thriller series of Samantha Cody, Dub Walker, and Jake Longly (which is the one highlighted on the show!). He has also worked with writers of numerous popular T.V. shows like, Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, and the list goes on. As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, Doug is also the VP of Education for International Thriller Writers. This means he is in charge of CraftFest, Master CraftFest, and ITW’s online Thriller School. Listen in as we discuss his latest Jake Longly thriller, and the art of crafting a thriller series to keep all your readers, both new and super fans, coming back for more. In this episode Doug and I discuss: The importance of settings, and how to use them right. What the two types of series are, and how to write them both. Tips to overcome the challenges of the thriller series character. Less is more, knowing what to leave in and what to leave out. An inside look at ITW’s educational programs, and ThrillerFest 2018. Plus, Doug’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/180

Happy Holidays word nerds! To help you enjoy this special week between Christmas and New Year’s, we’ve got an awesome show for featuring author Stephen Morris! Stephen holds degrees in medieval history and theology from Yale and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Academy. He is also a former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. He has written several historical and contemporary fantasy books as well as the nonfiction book When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality. What drew me to this book in particular is how Stephen approached his research through close reading. Listen in as we talk about Stephen’s research methods, and how to dissect and truly understand texts. In this episode Stephen and I discuss: What do these words mean? Understanding the context and time period of texts. Stephen’s research methods: The art of index cards. What to do when faced with contradictions and a lack of answers to your questions. Battling confirmation bias and how to safeguard against it. Dealing with push back when writing and publishing a controversial topic. Plus, Stephen’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/179  

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of talking with author Ada Palmer on the show! Ada is an intellectual historian and the author of the four part science fiction series Terra Ignota. The first book in the series (also Ada’s first science fiction novel), Too Like the Lightning, was a Hugo Best Novel Finalist in 2017 and is followed by Seven Surrenders and The Will to Battle which just released this month. In addition to writing these awesome books, Ada composes fantasy, Sci-Fi, and mythology-themed music, performs at conventions with her vocal group Sassafrass, researches anime and manga, and blogs about philosophy and travel. Listen in as we chat about Ada’s epic series, and the art of world building in speculative fiction.   In this episode Ada and I discuss: How to avoid being pigeonholed by your books and your brand. Why thinking like a historian aids world building. Ada’s personal techniques for building multiple worlds at once. Avoiding the info. dump, crafting an opening scene of speculative fiction the right way. Fiction burn, what it is and how to avoid it in your novel. Plus, Ada’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/178

Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have author Ayobami Adebayo on the show! Ayobami’s stories have appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies. She holds BA and MA degrees in literature in English as well as an MA in creative writing, and has received numerous fellowships and residencies. Her debut novel, Stay With Me, is set in her home country of Nigeria and was one of the Buzz Books at Book Expo 2017. Listen in as we discuss Ayobami’s debut novel, and how to find the right narration for your story. In this episode Ayobami and I discuss: Writing alternating first person POV, and how to do it right. How to discover your characters’ reasons for their actions. Tips and techniques to keep from breaking your novel. Ways to shift your reader’s perspective with your story’s framework. Deciding what to leave unsaid in your novel. Plus, Ayobami’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/177

Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of chatting with author Danya Kukafka on the show! Danya’s stunning debut novel, Girl in Snow, received rave reviews right out of the gate from masters of the thriller genre like Paula Hawkins and Lee Child. This achievement is made even more remarkable when you consider that Danya is only 25 years old! After reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Virgin Suicides, Danya became fascinated by unstable teens in voyeuristic communities. She set out to explore the idea of what would happen if you had a teenage boy who truly doesn’t know if he’s killed someone. How could the reader find empathy for him? Listen in as we tackle this question and the even bigger question of deciding where the line between YA and adult lies as we discuss Girl in Snow. In this episode Danya and I discuss: Adult or YA? Deciding which way is right for your story. Writing teenage characters that feel real. Knowing when to choose a multiple point of view and how to do it right. Dealing with the publishing world as an editor and an author. How to win the comparison game by sticking to your own writing path. Plus, Danya’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/176