DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds! Today we're doing something a little different. I have here with me in person, author and DIY MFA Romance columnist, Robin Lovett! Robin is the author of two dark, sexy, romance novels, and is a super advocate for the romance genre. Her next series, of three dark stalker suspense romances, releases this summer through St. Martin's Press Swerve, beginning with Stranger. In our interview, Robin and I dive into the rarely spoken of domain of sex in romance writing, and tease apart the numerous craft elements of this complex and often overlooked genre. In this episode Robin and I discuss: Why sex should or should not be included a romance novel, and how to craft sex scenes the right way. How to create tension and faster pacing by switching back and forth between the hero and the heroine. How to craft a sympathetic anti-hero your readers will want a happy ending for. How to use the inner conflict within a character—the wanting and not wanting—to create steamier love scenes. What the business and legal aspects of romance writing entail, and how organizations like the Romance Writers of America (RWA) champions the genre. Plus, Robin's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/151

Hey there word nerds! Welcome to the 2017 Epic BookExpo Recap episode. If you don't already what BookExpo is, it's the big industry trade show that takes place in the United States every year. This year, things at BookExpo were a little bit new and different so I wanted to give you a rundown of what's new, what's still the same, and what I think all these things say about the book industry as a whole. In this episode, I give you an inside look at: The new vibe at BookExpo, and why I'm really digging the new, smaller, industry focus. What really happens at BookExpo and what this trade show is all about. Why I attend BookExpo, and what I look for as I walk the show. Plus I share a teaser about the types of books I was most excited to check out at the show, and why. For more info and show notes, head to DIYMFA.com/150

Hey there word nerds! Today I'm delighted to have literary agent Mark Gottlieb on the show! Mark is an agent at Trident Media Group, where he has worked with the agency's chairman. He is now working on building his own client list because he wants to help manage and grow authors' careers using the amazing resources Trident has available. In our interview, Mark and I discuss the topic that both excites and terrifies writers--- The Pitch. Mark gives us the inside scoop on how to work the Pitch Slam and what makes or breaks a spoken pitch. In this episode Mark and I discuss: What the dos and don'ts of a spoken pitch are, and how writers can use a Pitch Slam to their best advantage. What the framework of a query letter includes, and how to craft a creative hook and strong pitch that will make agent's want to read more. Why using comp titles can strengthen your pitch, and how to weave them together with your book's details, with example pitches from Mark! How studying current titles in the marketplace can place your query a step above the crowd. Plus, Mark's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/149

Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to have Jay Swanson on the show. Jay is the creator of the world's first real-time fantasy blog, Into the Nanten, and has written a handful of other fantasy and science-fiction novels along the way. He's also a daily vlogger and has been posting a photo per day for the past six and half years! In our interview we dive into the creation of Into the Nanten, and the best ways to use different forms of media to craft a unique storytelling experience. In this episode Jay and I discuss: How to craft an interactive storytelling experience for your readers. What the challenges of blogging a story in real time are, and how to stay ahead. How to use various forms of media to add an extra dimension to your story. Challenges that occur when creating a multimedia story, and why understanding how people read a blog versus a book can help keep more readers coming back. How to build your community on different platforms and across different media. Creative ways to raise money for your projects, and how these initiatives can make your story more real to readers. Plus, Jay's #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/148

Hey there word nerds! Today we're doing something a little bit different. I have the pleasure of interviewing both a debut author, Jenni Walsh, and the editor who helped bring the book to life, Bess Cozby! Bess may be familiar to some of you in the word nerd community, since aside from being an editor at Tor/Forge Publishing Bess is also the web editor at DIY MFA. Today this awesome author-editor team gives us a window into the side of publishing we rarely get to see, as we discuss what went into bringing Jenni's debut novel, Becoming Bonnie, to the shelves. In this episode Jenni, Bess, and I discuss: How to expand a concept to a broader audience, and how an editor can help you strategize for a long term career. How to use pieces of historical information as "guide posts" to shape your narrative and write a historical figure, like Bonnelyn Parker, who lacks a lot of historical documentation. How to create a strong author-editor relationship and why this can make your book even stronger. The less glamorous—but still important—parts of the publishing process, like what the editor does (aside from editing) to bring an awesome book to the shelves. How to juggle several writing projects, a full time job, and a family all at the same time. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/147

Hey there word nerds! Today I'm delighted to have K.M. Weiland on the show. K.M. Weiland is an award winning and internationally published author with a passion for helping writers become published authors. Through her award winning website, Helping Writers Become Authors, she has mentored numerous writers. She is also the author of several books on the craft of writing. In our interview, we dive into her book Creating Character Arcs, and the craft elements that make characters of all types pop off the page. In this episode K.M. Weiland and I discuss: How to create a strong character arc that works with your plot, and why there is danger in not structuring your characters. Why theme is an important element in your story, and how to use for maximum effect. What the three types of character arcs are, and how to recognize and craft each type. How change occurs in a flat arc, and why these characters resonate with readers. How to fix a story with no character arc, and why a no arc story can work. How to craft change in a story on both internal and external levels, and why the power of choice is important to all types of character arc. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/146

Hey there word nerds! Today I'm pleased to have Katherine Neville on the show. Katherine's colorful, swashbuckling adventure novels, in the epic "Quest" tradition, have graced the bestseller lists in forty languages. In fact, her works—including The Eight which we discuss in the interview—have "paved the way" for books like the The Da Vinci Code and others in that genre. In our interview, Katherine and I dive into her book The Eight and the craft elements she used in writing the expansive quest novel. This episode is brought to you buy our amazing word nerd fans and supporters on Patreon. If you'd like to help support this show, hop over to patreon.com/DIYMFA. Embed Episode Here In this episode Katherine and I discuss: How influences as varied as The Odyssey, the French Revolution, and chess inspired The Eight's intricate plot and kept readers turning pages. What defines a quest novel, and how Katherine adapted this structure in her writing. Katherine's unexpected strategy for introducing the main protagonist in chapter two, and why draws readers into the story. How to hook readers and build tension with a subtle but powerful opening line. Plus, Katherine's #1 tip for writers. About the Author Katherine Neville's swashbuckling adventure novels have graced the bestseller lists in forty languages. In fact Publisher's Weekly described Katherine's works, such as her book The Eight which we discuss in the interview, as having "paved the way" for books like the Da Vinci Code. Neville herself has been dubbed "the female" Umberto Eco, Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, and Stephen Spielberg. Her work has been reviewed and has received awards in categories as diverse as Mystery, Thriller, Historical, Romance, Science Fiction as well as classical literature. Despite writing across many genres and categories, Neville's books remain hard to pigeonhole. Katherine Neville has been an invited speaker at many universities and other venues around the world, including the Today show, National Public Radio, and the Library of Congress. In a national poll by the noted Spanish journal, El Pais, her novel, The Eight, was voted one of the top ten books of all time.She is the co-creator of several awards and grants, including most recently: Art in Literature: the Mary Lynn Kotz Award presented by the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Neville-Pribram Mid-Career Grant presented by the Smithsonian Libraries. Neville resides in Washington DC and Virginia, where she is restoring a fabled Japanese house from the 1960s while writing her new novel set in the art world of the 1600s. To learn more about and connect with Katherine Neville check out her website here:www.katherineneville.com The Eight New York City, 1972—A dabbler in mathematics and chess, Catherine Velis is also a computer expert for a Big Eight accounting firm. Before heading off to a new assignment in Algeria, Cat has her palm read by a fortune-teller. The woman warns Cat of danger. Then an antiques dealer approaches Cat with a mysterious offer: He has an anonymous client who is trying to collect the pieces of an ancient chess service, purported to be in Algeria. If Cat can bring the pieces back, there will be a generous reward. The South of France, 1790—Mireille de Remy and her cousin Valentine are young novices at the fortress like Montglane Abbey. With France aflame in revolution, the two girls burn to rebel against constricted convent life—and their means of escape is at hand. Buried deep within the abbey are pieces of the Montglane Chess Service, once owned by Charlemagne. Whoever reassembles the pieces can play a game of unlimited power. But to keep the Game a secret from those who would abuse it, the two young women must scatter the pieces throughout the world. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/145

Hey there word nerds! This episode is brought to you buy our amazing word nerd fans and supporters on Patreon. If you'd like to help support this show, hop over to patreon.com/DIYMFA Today I'm thrilled to have Herb Freed on the show. Herb started his adult life as an ordained rabbi and became the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Lake Mahopac, New York, at the same time producing and directing three shows at the Maidman Playhouse in New York City. Eventually, he resigned his pulpit to become a movie director. Today we'll be speaking about his book Bashert, which is out now. In this episode Herb and I discuss: When you're writing based on true events, which elements do you change for the book? Which things do you keep the same? What are some of the considerations that drive these choices? Why tell a story as a novel instead of a memoir, if it's based on true events? What do you need to consider when you are deciding between telling the absolute truth versus the conceptual Truth? Write about things you are passionate about. Write the story you can't not tell. How screenwriting can shape a novel writer's process. What skills transfer over? What aspects don't translate? Plus, his #1 tip for writers. About the Author Herb Freed started his adult life as an ordained rabbi and became the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Lake Mahopac, New York while producing and directing three shows at the Maidman Playhouse in New York City. Eventually, he resigned his pulpit to become a movie director. He has directed and produced 15 feature films most of which have had psychological, spiritual and/or social themes in spite of their commercial categories. He is best known for Graduation Day, a horror film, and Tomboy, a teenage romp, as well as the psychological drama Haunts, and CHILD2MAN, a story of survival during the Watts riots. You can find out more about Herb Freed at herbfreed.com Bashert Would you recognize your soul's complement in another? Beyond the bliss of actually finding your soul mate, there is a belief that the universe hinges on predetermined people finding their other half, their bashert, to maintain cosmic balance. In Bashert (Bellrock Press; February 14, 2017) author, screenwriter, director and former rabbi Herb Freed immerses us in the heady intoxication and thunderous losses of what it really means to be bashert. Dan Sobol and Marion Gladstone meet by chance at a screenwriter's event in Los Angeles. He's a rabbi turned director known for his cinematic television commercials; she's a writer and film editor who is recovering from a tabloid-headline screaming Hollywood divorce. From the moment Marion hears Dan's voice, she knows—and so does he. It's bashert. But when did the course of true love ever run smooth? Dan and Marion are soon partners in business as well as life, traveling the world to create movies. He directs, she writes and edits, and life becomes an amazing adventure—until Cancun. There, among the ruins of the Mayan civilization, Marion has an eerie premonition that has the potential to change everything. Drawing upon his own personal experience, Freed spins a tale unflinching in its examination of life, but weaving along the edge of magical realism. From the bright lights of Hollywood to Mexico, Israel, Paris and the dreamy exhilaration of Jamaica, Bashert is a love story about transcending life, loss and the boundaries we mistakenly place on our lives and our hearts. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/144

Hey there word nerds! Today I'm pleased to have K.J. Howe on the show. K.J. is the executive director of Thrillerfest, the annual conference of International Thriller Writers. This is one of my favorite genre conferences and I look forward to it every year. Today I'm talking to Daphne du Maurier Award winner, K.J. Howe about her debut thriller, The Freedom Broker and how to craft a strong female lead in this genre. We also talk about why it's important to give even the most heroic characters a flaw or personal obstacle and for the first time ever on this show, I share a behind-the-scenes look at a personal obstacle I have in my own life. This was such an honest and deep conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed interviewing K.J. Howe. In this episode K.J. and I discuss: Some of the challenges of writing a strong female character. How do you walk that line between over-masculinizing her or making her seem like a "token" character in a male-dominated world? Giving your characters limitations that help them feel more realistic on the page. Weaknesses, flaws, and the ability to recognize the limits of their power are important aspects of your characters that keep them from tipping over the edge into indestructible superhero territory. Weaving invisible disabilities into stories. Creating characters who are real, who struggle with real health and mental health issues, but who are not defined by their disabilities. The dynamics and tension between characters and how to bring their relationships to life for the reader. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. About the Author K.J. Howe is the executive director of Thrillerfest, the annual conference of International Thriller Writers. A three-time Daphne du Maurier Award winner, she completed her MA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. She is an avid traveler who has raced camels in Jordan, surfed in Hawaii, and dove with the great whites in South Africa. She became fascinated by the kidnap and ransom (K&R) world after meeting Peter Moore, a British computer consultant who became the longest-held hostage in Iraq and the only person to survive of the five men who were taken that day. The Freedom Broker is her debut novel. The Freedom Broker There are twenty-five elite kidnap and ransom (K&R) specialists in the world. Only one is a woman: Thea Paris. And she's the best in the business.Twenty years ago, a terrified young boy was abducted in the middle of the night by masked intruders while his sister watched, paralyzed with fear. Returned after a harrowing nine months with his captors, Thea's brother has never been the same.This life-shattering experience drove Thea to become what she is today: a world-class freedom broker. Most hostage-recovery work is done at the negotiation table, but when diplomacy fails, Thea leads Quantum Security International's black-ops team on highly sensitive rescue missions to political hot spots around the globe.Her childhood nightmare resurfaces when her oil magnate father, Christos Paris, is snatched from his yacht off Santorini on his sixtieth birthday, days away from the biggest deal of his career. The brutal kidnappers left the entire crew slaughtered in their wake, but strangely, there are no ransom demands, no political appeals, no prisoner release requests-just obscure and foreboding texts written in Latin sent from burner phones.Knowing the survival window for kidnap victims is small, Thea throws herself into the most urgent and challenging rescue mission of her life-but will she be able to prevent this kidnapping from destroying her family for good? For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/143

Hey there word nerds! Today we'll be doing something a little bit different on the show. I am so delighted to welcome Kathleen Audet. Kathleen is a brilliant image consultant and is president and owner of Your Authentic Image. She is also a good friend and someone who has helped me turn my own mindset about clothing and image upside down (in a good way). Today we'll be talking about how to use components of image to make your characters come to life and also help you shift your own mindset and attitude. In this episode Kathleen and I discuss: Why is what we wear important? If we're just hiding in our writing cave, why does it matter what we wear? The work you do around choosing your four words, how to do that, and what to do with those words once we have them. Using paint chips to represent different characters. Interestingly enough when you put characters of opposite sides of the color wheel in same scene, that's usually when tension and conflict happens. Designing your characters visually. Think about what details you can include to make your character pop off the page. Clothing, including accessories. Grooming, including body hygiene, hair, skin, nail care, and makeup. Body language, including figure/body type, posture, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, manners and etiquette. Semiotics and how clothing functions as a system of signs. Plus, Kathleen's #1 tip for writers. About Kathleen Kathleen Audet is president and owner of Your Authentic Image. For more than 20 years she has been studying color, design and image management. Kathleen's degrees in education and English form the foundation for her insatiable curiosity about people and ability to teach women on a deeply profound level. Having trained on both coasts of the United States, Kathleen's image and style evaluations are thorough and comprehensive. Kathleen received image consultant training from the Conselle Institute of Image Management. She is a member of Association of Image Consultants International. She lives northern Nevada and works with clients locally and around the world through her virtual coaching programs. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/142