DIY MFA Radio

I used to hate outlines, but now I love them. In this episode I share my five go-to outline techniques: mind maps, scene cards, story mapping, story sketch and mood boards. I'll give you the inside scoop on which technique to use in different types of projects and scenarios. My hope is that with several different outline methods in your arsenal, you'll always have the right tool available for every job. This episode is very heavy on the visuals so head on over to the show notes page to see examples of these outline tools in action. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/021

Today we have Daniel Milnor, photographer at large for Blurb, Inc., joining us. Dan and I talked about how the book has evolved, what it means for something to be a book, and what these changes mean for authors. I’m so excited to share our conversation with you. For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/020

It's December and if you did NaNoWriMo, you've probably got a big pile of pages that need shaping and editing. But where do you start? This episode will give you a simple 3-step process to help you take your book from draft to done. This method isn't just for NaNos, though. Anyone can use these tips to polish up their work and get it submission-ready. All you need is a complete (or almost complete) draft. Not writing a novel? No problem. You can use these techniques on short stories or any other work of fiction too. For show notes, head over to DIYMFA.com/019.

Happy Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm so thankful that you are all here and going on this podcast journey with me! This week, I wanted to share something else that I'm super-thankful for: the ability to Shakespeare in the original English. In this episode I will be deconstructing one of my favorite poems, Shakespeare's Sonnet #90. I'm so glad you're here to enjoy this wonderful work of literature with me. For show notes and more info: diymfa.com/018

If you're like me (and most writers) you probably love acquiring new books. But how do you know if a writing book will teach you what you need to know? Or will it just collect dust on your bookshelf. That's where the Essentials come in. Using a simple ABC formula, I show you which essential books you must absolutely have in your writing library. And since this is DIY MFA, you can adjust these selections to suit your individual style. For more information and show notes: DIYMFA.com/017

As a follow-up to our previous episode on Writing Groups, this time we discuss how to give useful critiques. The key to giving critique is to be specific, and to think of the critique relationship as a partnership, rather than an adversarial face-off. For show notes and additional info, visit DIYMFA.com/016.

This is a very special episode for DIY MFA Radio because it features a wonderful writer--and one of my writing heroes--Jane Yolen. Known as the "Hans Christian Andersen of America" Jane Yolen has written over 360 books. But what truly sets her work apart is her artristry and versatility. She has written in just about every genre imaginable, and for just about every type of reader. Whenever I've heard her speak, Jane Yolen offers the perfect blend of practical advice and pure inspiration. This podcast episode is no exception. I am overjoyed to share this episode with you today. For show notes and more information, visit DIYMFA.com/015.

In our Halloween episode, we talk about creative monsters and how to evade them. I'll share was to trick (or treat) your way around these monsters so you can stay confident and creative. The key to avoiding creative monsters is remembering that it's not you, it's them, and not giving them any ammunition. Finally, you have to be kind to your creative self and celebrate your own victories in small but meaningful ways. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/014.

Inspired by the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief, this episode walks you through the five stages of how writers process and get through writer's block. Just as people might grieve a loss, when writers are not writing they grieve too. In this episode, I discuss the five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Then I'll show you how you can push through writer's block and beat it once and for all. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/013.

When new writers join DIY MFA, one of the biggest challenges they face is finding a writing group, and what to do when they finally join one. I've been in several writing groups so I thought I'd share some tried and true techniques I've learned from the process. In this episode, I share some tips for finding a group that's right for you, and I walk you through the three stages of receiving critique. For more info and show notes go to DIYMFA.com/012.