DIY MFA Radio

Hey there Word Nerds! Thanks for joining me for this episode of DIY MFA Radio. Today I'm talking with debut author Erin Petti. Her debut novel, The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee, us out now and it just might be one of my new favorites. Right away when I chatted with Erin, I felt like I had found a long-lost bestie. She lives in Massachusetts and loves to read about the same things I do: magic, dinosaurs, folklore, and ghosts. With a Masters in Education and a background in improv comedy, it's no wonder that her fiction debut is part magic, part science, and totally hilarious. If you are a fan of Middle Grade fiction or have young people in your life who love to read, I highly recommend this book. In this episode Erin and I discuss: Writing characters' "coming of age" moments The importance of setting to the narrative Incorporating real-life details into your fictional settings Plotting your middle grade series Diversity in books for young people Plus, Erin's #1 tip for writers. About the Book: The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee is a fantastical adventure-mystery, where science and magic intertwine. Eleven-year-old Thelma Bee is never bored; in fact, she has curiosity and adventure in her blood. She spends her time running science experiments, practicing Spanish, and daydreaming about exotic landscapes. But Thelma gets more than she bargained for when a strange woman sells a jewelry box at her father's antique shop. That night, a ghost kidnaps her father, and the only clue is the jewelry box and a word a ghost whispered in her ear: "Return". Now it's up to Thelma to get her dad back, and it might be harder than she thought because here's someone wielding dark magic, and Thelma is pretty sure they're coming after her next. About the Author: Erin Petti lives by the ocean in Massachusetts and loves to read about magic, dinosaurs, folklore, and ghosts. She has a Masters in Education and a background in improvisational comedy. Erin lives with her husband, excellent toddler, and cat (who she suspects likes her better than she's letting on). You can follow Erin on Twitter, or check out her website erinpetti.com for more information about her and her writing. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/111

Hey there Word Nerds! I'm so glad you've joined me for another episode of DIY MFA Radio. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Delia Ephron, bestselling author and screenwriter. She's the writer behind the novel and movie Hanging Up, as well as the screenwriter for movies like You've Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Michael. She's also a journalist and playwright, with her articles appearing in major markets like The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, and Vanity Fair, and her hit play Love, Loss, and What I Wore (co-written with Nora Ephron) running for more than two years off-Broadway and performed all over the world. Her newest novel, Siracusa, is a haunting drama about two failing marriages and how the lives of these two couples (and one pre-teen girl) unravel on a trip to Italy. In this episode Delia and I discuss: Keeping track of details when writing multiple points of view Getting into the heads of your characters and bringing that to the page. Knowing what details to share and what to withhold. Writing people who are real and complicated. Adapting stories versus creating new material. Plus, Delia's #1 tip for writers. About SIRACUSA Bestselling author Delia Ephron wields her keen understanding of the human psyche to mine the ruins of relationships in SIRACUSA, a thrilling emotional opus set in Italy and performed by a pitch-perfect choir of four voices. New Yorkers Michael, a famous writer, and Lizzie, a journalist whose professional life is crumbling, travel in Italy with their friends from Maine – Finn, his wife Taylor and their daughter, Snow. "From the beginning," says Taylor, "it was a conspiracy between Lizzie and Finn to be together." Written Rashomon-style in alternating points of view, we see friendships and relationships bend and break as secrets are exposed and the couples careen toward Siracusa and disaster. "Couples collaborate," says Lizzie, "hiding even from each other who is calling the shots and who is along from the ride." Snow--Taylor's lookalike daughter--drawn into the adult drama, moves to the center of the story and is the catalyst for conflict between the women (Taylor a mother, Lizzie not) as well as a pawn between Finn and Michael. She is the mystery at the heart of SIRACUSA. Is she shy or she is cunning? Do we want to protect her or should we fear her? Ephron's masterful writing renders each adult character in stark detail--their inner monologue revealing darker truths about disappointments, envy and ambition. In a story that unfolds with the pacing of a psychological thriller, Ephron also delivers a powerful meditation on marriage, friendship, and the meaning of travel. As the vise tightens, Lizzie ponders: Is loyalty a more honorable pledge than love? Pinging between multiple points of view and painting a detailed landscape of both the human heart and the Ionian seaside, SIRACUSA is an electrifying novel about marriage and deceit. As it spins to its shocking and unexpected end, Ephron effortlessly shape-shifts between personalities, offering insight from every character, infusing each chapter with equal parts wit and mystery, and leaving it up to the reader to untangle the truth from a wide net of lies. Delia Ephron is a bestselling author and screenwriter. She has written novels, including The Lion Is In and Hanging Up; humor books for all ages, including How to Eat Like a Child and Do I Have to Say Hello?; and nonfiction, most recently Sister Mother Husband Dog (etc.). Her films include You've Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Hanging Up (based on her novel), and Michael. Her journalism has appeared in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. Her hit play Love, Loss, and What I Wore (co-written with her sister, Nora Ephron) ran for more than two years off-Broadway and has been performed all over the world. She lives in New York City. To learn more, follow her on Facebook and Twitter, or visit her website. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/110

Hey there Word Nerds. I can't wait for you to hear today's interview with MJ Rose. A fellow New-Yorker, MJ Rose grew up in NYC, exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Met, wandering the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park, and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She's the author of over a dozen novels and co-president and founding board member of ITW (International Thriller Writers). She's also the founder of the first marketing company for authors (AuthorBuzz.com) and is a book marketing mastermind. People throughout the book industry consider her an innovator and publishing pioneer. I had the pleasure of hearing her talk about book buzz and promotion at the most recent ThrillerFest and she most definitely knows her stuff. Today we'll be talking about her new book The Secret Language of Stones and how she has put her own marketing genius to work in promoting her latest book. In this episode MJ and I discuss: The importance of buzz for your book in getting it published. Whether you should market your own book or hire an expert to market it for you. The best thing you can do to market your book. Interpersonal etiquette, or how best to approach other authors on social media and ask for help marketing your book. Plus, MJ's #1 tip for writers. Resources You can follow MJ Rose on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads, or visit her website for more information about her and her books. Watch the TED Talk that MJ mentions about figuring out your brand. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/109

Hey there Word Nerds! I'm so glad you've joined me for this episode. Today I am so thrilled to be interviewing someone who I have honor of calling a mentor and friend: James Scott Bell. Jim is the author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure, and numerous thrillers, including his Mike Romeo series: Romeo's Way. He is also a wonderful teacher who has taught writing at numerous conferences and I've had the pleasure of hearing him speak about writing at several events. Each time I come out learning a valuable new technique that I can apply to my work right away. As a teacher, his superpower lies in the way he explains plot and story structure. Whenever I have questions about how to structure a book or plot a story, I always look first to his books or the notes I took in one of his conference sessions. So get those pens and notepads ready, people because you are going to learn a LOT during this episode. Today Jim and I talk about what is perhaps one of the most important, and yet most often overlooked elements of your story: the midpoint. In this episode Jim and I discuss: The difference between plot and story The midpoint (or mirror moment) of your story and why it's important How to use the middle of the story to make the beginning and ending make sense Pre-story psychology of your main character Using Scrivener to help structure your story Plus, Jim's #1 tip for writers. More about James Scott Bell: JAMES SCOTT BELL is the author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure, and numerous thrillers, including, Romeo's Rules, Try Dying, and Don't Leave Me. In addition to his traditional novels, Jim has self-published in a variety of forms. His novella One More Lie was the first self-published work to be nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. He served as the fiction columnist for Writer's Digest magazine and has written highly popular craft books including: Write Your Novel From the Middle, Super Structure, The Art of War for Writers, and Conflict & Suspense. Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and at numerous writers conferences in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver, and graduated with honors from the University of Southern California Law Center. To learn more about Jim and his writing, hop on over to his website, www.jamesscottbell.com, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/108

Hey there Word Nerds! I am so glad you've joined me because today's episode is going to be epic. In this interview, I speak with Andrew Piper, Associate Professor and William Dawson Scholar in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at McGill University. Andrew is the director of .txtLAB (a digital humanities lab at McGill) and is the leader of the multinational research consortium, "NovelITM: Text Mining the novel." Basically he uses quantitative data to gain a more in-depth understanding of thematic and stylistic elements within the novel as an art-form. Andrew and his colleague Richard So wrote an article earlier this year in The Atlantic that got a lot of people riled up. They shared research on novels written by authors either with or without an MFA and found that there wasn't any significant difference between writers in both categories. This article added depth to that perennial MFA debate. Should you (or shouldn't you) get an MFA? As you know, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. And now it turns out that there's actual data suggesting that an MFA degree isn't a very good predictor of whether someone will become a published author, or even write a great book. It seems especially fitting for this episode to air this week, just a few short days before the official NYC launch event for my own book. Embed Episode Here In this episode Andrew and I discuss: How a computer might (or might not) be able to differentiate between novels of various qualities, versus various genres. The extent to which racial and gender diversity in writing shows up in the literature produced by MFA programs (the Whiteness factor) The role of data analysis in uncovering bias in the publishing industry. Embracing data and computation in the process of growing as a creative. Plus, Andrew's #1 tip for writers. Andrew Piper is Associate Professor and William Dawson Scholar in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at McGill University. He is the director of .txtLAB @ McGill, a digital humanities laboratory, as well as leader of the multinational research consortium, "NovelTM: Text Mining the Novel," which brings together 21 partners across North America and Europe to undertake the first large-scale quantitative and cross-cultural study of the novel. He is the author most recently of Book Was There: Reading in Electronic Times (Chicago 2012) as well as Dreaming in Books: The Making of the Bibliographic Imagination in the Romantic Age (Chicago 2009), which was awarded the MLA Prize for a First Book and honourable mention for the Harry Levin Prize for the American Comparative Literature Association. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/107

Hey there Word Nerds! Today's episode is especially dear to my heart because I'm interviewing Joanna Penn, author and creative entrepreneur. She is the mastermind behind The Creative Penn, one of the top 10 sites for writers and has penned several nonfiction books helping writers build their platforms. She also writes thrillers under the pen name J.F. Penn. She is a self-publishing superstar and I am so thrilled to have her on the show To hear me and Joanna geek out over writing, marketing and all things bookish, listen in here: In this episode Joanna and I discuss: Deciding to self-publish and how to learn the ropes Defining what you consider success in your craft The business side of writing How marketing can be creative and collaborative Figuring out the target audience for your book Plus, Joanna's #1 tip for writers. Check out Joanna's fabulous books on the business of writing. Joanna's books on marketing are among my go-to resources. My favorite thus far is Business for Authors: How to Be an Author Entrepreneur, which breaks down the business aspects of writing into small, manageable chunks. While I recognize that not all authors want to be entrepreneurs per se, we all need to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and treat our writing both as an art and as a business. Joanna's books can show you how to do just that. Her latest book, The Successful Author Mindset, digs deep and unpacks all those hurdles that writers face, to help you break through those barriers. A writer after my own heart, Joanna is not one to waste time (or words) on fluff. Every book I've read by her is to the point and jam-packed with actionable advice. As with most of the to books we recommend at DIY MFA, the above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase one or more of Joanna's books via those links (which you totally should, by the way) then DIY MFA will get a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting DIY MFA and our featured authors! For more info and show notes: DIYMFA/com/106

Hey there Word Nerds! I'm so thrilled that you're joining me for this episode. Today I'll be talking to Julie Zickefoose, an artist and author of three books, the latest being Baby Birds: An Artist Looks into the Nest. In today's interview, we'll be talking about how to turn your passion for a subject into a book (or something more), and how to keep up the motivation to pursue that passion, even when you're not sure where it might lead. In this episode Julie and I discuss: Taking a wild idea from concept to concrete Developing your skill set to enhance your work Bringing your unique perspective to the subject Relying on your passion to help you push through the project's obstacles Being open to the possibilities that come from the problems you face Plus, Julie's #1 tip for writers. If you love nature writing, you can order a copy of Julie's latest book Baby Birds: An Artist Looks into the Nest, with her gorgeous watercolor artwork and written accounts following the first days of these hatchlings. It's really quite a spectacular project. And if you order via this Amazon affiliate link, DIY MFA gets a small commission at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA and our featured authors! Writer/artist Julie Zickefoose, author of Baby Birds: An Artist Looks Into the Nest (2016), The Bluebird Effect (2012), and Letters from Eden (2006), is a Contributing Editor to Bird Watcher's Digest and her blog entertains more than 32,000 visitors each month. Julie loves to introduce people to birdwatching, and now leads natural history excursions abroad. She travels to speak for nature festivals, clubs and horticultural societies, and lives with her family on an 80-acre sanctuary in Appalachian Ohio. Indigo Hill has hosted 194 bird species and 78 species of butterflies as of 2016. To learn more about Julie, her writing and her artwork, check out her website. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/105

Hey there Word Nerds! Thanks for joining me for today's awesome DIY MFA Radio interview with author Ryan North. When one of my contacts over at Penguin told me Romeo and/or Juliet and asked if I wanted to bring the author on the show, my immediate reaction: "Shakespeare meets choose-your-own adventure? Yes please!" The fact that the play being parodied was Romeo and Juliet clinched it for me. Why? Because Romeo and Juliet is perhaps Shakespeare's most overrated (and ridiculous) play. On one hand, this play features one of Shakespeare's most complex, interesting and all-around badass characters (i.e. Mercutio). On the other hand, this play also centers around the star-crossed lovers--Romeo and Juliet--who might just be the two most banal, boring characters in all of literature. (In case you haven't noticed, have very strong opinions about Shakespeare.) I simply HAD to see how Ryan was going to apply his choose-your-own-path model to this particular play. Let's just say, the result did not disappoint. In fact, it was even more awesome than I anticipated. If you aren't familiar with Ryan North's work, he is a NYT bestselling author and cartoonist, and his first choose-your-own-path Shakespeare book, To Be or Not To Be, became Kickstarter's most-funded publishing project when it first launched. Now with Romeo and/or Juliet he has crafted a story with over 40 quadrillion possible journeys for a reader to take. It's sort of like a book-meets-video-game with over one hundred possible endings and original illustrations from amazing artists. Embed Episode Here In this episode Ryan and I discuss: The power of memorizing poetry Choose-your-own-adventure and the art of storytelling Shakespeare's big mistake Keeping track of everything when your story has many moving parts Making sure that your characters have choices that feel real and have an impact while coping with the reality of the world they live in. Engaging readers in with the text Plus, Ryan's #1 tip for writers. Romeo And/Or Juliet In this choose-your-own-path version of Romeo and Juliet, you choose where the story goes every time you read! Romeo and/or Juliet has over 40 QUADRILLION possible journeys for a reader to take. Readers can choose to play as Romeo or Juliet, as Romeo and Juliet together, as Juliet's nurse, or even as an unlockable fourth mystery character. All of the endings—there are more than a hundred—feature original illustrations from incredible artists. Written with the unique humor that fans of Dinosaur Comics and the Adventure Time comics know and love, Romeo and/or Juliet turns the Bard's beloved play into fodder for madcap comedy. Shakespeare has never been this entertaining, or this weird. We can't think of a better way to… "celebrate" the 400th anniversary (2016) of Shakespeare's death. To learn more about Ryan, visit his website or follow him on Twitter. If you want to get your very own copy of Romeo and/or Juliet (and you totally should because it's hilarious!) we hope you'll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where DIY MFA gets a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting DIY MFA! For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/104

Hello hello, word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of speaking with fellow New Yorker and awesome author, Emma Straub. I had so much fun doing this interview because it was almost like talking to a parallel universe version of myself. After the interview, Emma and I figured out that we had grown up in fairly close neighborhoods (she's a West-Sider, I'm East) and we even went to very similar schools. Talk about crazy coincidence! But now, let's get down to business. Emma Straub is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Vacationers, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married. Her fiction and nonfiction have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Elle, and Conde Nast Traveler, and she is a contributing writer for Rookie. Straub's work has been published in fifteen countries, and her newest book Modern Lovers is out now. In this episode Emma and I discuss: Point of view as a story vehicle How to decide who the true protagonist is in a multiple POV narrative Writing as collaboration with the reader Letting the characters lead the story How your real life experiences inform your writing Time as a focal point for character Plus, Emma's #1 tip for writers. About Modern Lovers A smart, highly entertaining novel about a tight-knit group of friends from college—their own kids now going to college—and what it means to finally grow up well after adulthood has set in. Like in The Vacationers, Straub again brings her keen observation and subtle wisdom to a story of relationships that explores ambition and pleasure, the excitement of youth and the shock of middle age, all while maintaining throughout that perfect balance of amusement, substance and tenderness. Elle confirms that Modern Lovers "has the smart, cool sensibility of Straub's other novels," and promises that "you're sure to love this one just as much." If you decide to purchase a copy of Modern Lovers we hope you'll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where DIY MFA gets a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting DIY MFA! To learn more about Emma and her books, follow her on Twitter or Facebook. You can also visit her website at: www.emmastraub.net. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/103

Hey there Word Nerds! Today I'm delighted to welcome back the founder and principal of Book Architecture, Stuart Horwitz, and his collaborator Dave Stebenne. You can listen to my previous interview with Stuart here. Stuart has spent over fifteen years helping writers become authors and his clients have reached wow-worthy levels of success. You can read the details in his bio below. More personally, though, Stuart is also a trusted colleague of mine and a good friend. When we first met over drinks at a Writer's Digest Conference back in 2013, I knew right away that I had met a fellow writer and writing teacher whose perspective both aligns with and complemented my own. Stuart's books are among my top go-to resources, both ones that I recommend to my students and that I use for my own writing. The newest installment of the Book Architecture trilogy–Finish Your Book in Three Drafts: How to Write a Book, Revise a Book, and Complete a Book While You Still Love It–just might be my favorite one yet. For this book, he teamed up with Dave Stebenne who created the stop-motion shorts to accompany the Book Architecture 5-year tour to create a cross between a non-fiction how-to guide and graphic novel. The result is nothing short of awesome. In this episode Stuart, Dave, and I discuss: How the idea for this book came about The importance of both spontaneity and planning in writing Form, function, and continuity in the development of an idea Creating something that has a life beyond you Plus, Stuart's and Dave's #1 tips for writers. About Stuart Horwitz Stuart has spent over fifteen years helping writers become authors. His clients have signed with top literary agencies, sealed deals with coveted publishing houses, or forged a successful path as indie authors. Book Architecture's clients have reached the New York Times best-seller list in both fiction and nonfiction, and have appeared on Oprah!, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and in the most prestigious journals in their respective fields. Stuart's approach is a synthesis of academic theories of narrative structure and his hands-on experience as an independent editor, book coach and ghostwriter. He has written three highly acclaimed books which together comprise the Book Architecture trilogy (affiliate links): Blueprint Your Bestseller: Organize and Revise any Manuscript with the Book Architecture Method Book Architecture: How to Plot and Outline Without Using a Formula Finish Your Book in Three Drafts: How to Write a Book, Revise a Book, and Complete a Book While You Still Love It Stuart is an award-winning essayist and poet, who has toured the Book Architecture Method through over seventy venues in North America and taught writing at Grub Street of Boston and Brown University. He holds two master's degrees—one in Literary Aesthetics from NYU, which helps him a lot with this work—and one in East Asian Studies from Harvard with a concentration in Medieval Japanese Buddhism, which helps him get out of bed in the morning. To learn more about Stuart and his work, visit his website, or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. About Dave Stebenne Dave is a 23-year veteran of the creative business, as an art director, editor and animator. Dave is responsible for the stop-motion shorts featuring action figures that are hands-down the best part of the Book Architecture 5-year tour. Having worked in broadcast media, the toy industry, advertising, publishing, and the corporate design world, he has a wide base of expertise to draw from in his work with Chick 'n Coop Pictures. He and his wife, the photographer Kristin Stebenne, live in Lincoln, RI with their two incredibly cool, sweet and adorable kids. Dave is responsible for the stop-motion shorts featuring action figures that are hands-down the best part of the Book Architecture 5-year tour. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/102