DIY MFA Radio

Today, Lori is interviewing May-lee Chai. They’ll be talking about understanding lives unlike our own and her book Tomorrow in Shanghai and Other Stories. May-lee Chai is the author of eleven books of fiction, nonfiction, and translation, including her latest short story collection, Tomorrow in Shanghai & Other Stories. Her last story collection, Useful Phrases for Immigrants, won the 2019 American Book Award. She teaches in the MFA program in creative writing at San Francisco State University. Her writing has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, Bakwin Award for Writing by a Woman (selected by Tayari Jones), Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, named a Kiriyama Prize Notable Book, and recipient of an honorable mention for the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights Book Awards.  Her short prose has appeared widely, including in Seventeen, New England Review, Longreads, Paris Review Online, Kenyon Review Online, Los Angeles Times, Best Small Fictions anthology, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and cited as Notable in both the Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays anthologies.  You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.   In this episode May-lee Chai and Lori discuss: Creating a journey through a short story collection using the placement of stories Using short stories to inhabit lives that are different from your own How to evoke a specific mood in a collection of short stories Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/425

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mike Trigg. We’ll be talking about the intricacies of Silicon Valley and his book Bit Flip. Prior to becoming an author, Mike Trigg was an executive, founder, and investor in various technology start-up companies for over 25 years. Born in Kentucky and raised in Wisconsin, he earned a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. After several years working for a U.S. Senator in Washington, D.C., Mike began his career in the technology industry, working for telecommunications giants MCI and 3Com. He was an early employee of Octane Software, which was acquired by Epiphany during the first dot-com boom. He went on to co-found a data analytics company called Truviso (acquired by Cisco) then became VP of marketing at hi5, one of the world’s largest social networks. More recently, Mike was Chief Marketing Officer and GM at Entelo, a recruiting software company, and Chief Operating Officer at cloud file sharing vendor, Hightail (formerly YouSendIt), which was acquired by OpenText. Mike was an entrepreneur-in-residence at AI Fund and SymphonyAI, both AI-focused, early-stage venture funds, and an advisor at Shasta Ventures. Mike has been a contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. He lives in Menlo Park, California, with his wife and two sons. Launching August 16, 2022, Bit Flip is his first novel. You can find him on his website or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.   In this episode Mike Trigg and I discuss: Ensuring a story about an industry insider has universal appeal. Keeping authenticity in the industry language used after editing. How to balance backstory with the fast pace of your story. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/424

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kathryn Holmes. We’ll be talking about making the transition from YA to a chapter books series and her book Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! Kathryn Holmes is the author of the Class Critters chapter book series, which includes Tally Tuttle Turns Into a Turtle, David Dixon’s Day as a Dachshund, and Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! (publishing August 16th, 2022). She also wrote the young adult novels The Distance Between Lost and Found and How It Feels to Fly. Kathryn grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, daughter, and piles upon piles of books. A graduate of The New School’s MFA in Creative Writing program, Kathryn works as a freelance dance journalist, among other writing gigs.You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   In this episode Kathryn Holmes and I discuss: The best ways to incorporate learning in a chapter book to fuel kids’ curiosity How to blend grounded worldbuilding with a magical element in a story The role authors must play in amplifying the work of diverse voices   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/423

Today, Lori is interviewing Sarah Adlakha. They’ll be talking about time travel, alternate timelines and her book Midnight on the Marne. Sarah Adlakha is a native of Chicago who now lives along the gulf coast of Mississippi with her husband, three daughters, two horses, and one dog. She started writing fiction shortly after retiring from her psychiatry practice. Her debut novel, She Wouldn’t Change a Thing, was a CNN most anticipated book of 2021. Midnight on the Marne is her second novel. You can find Sarah on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.   In this episode Sarah Adlakha and Lori discuss: The history of language and its importance when writing historical fiction. How to make characters out of real people in a respectful way. Her unusual path to learn the craft of writing and how she stayed focused. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/422

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Patrice Gopo. We’ll be talking about Broad Topic and her book All the Places We Call Home. Patrice Gopo is the child of Jamaican immigrants and was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is an award-winning essayist and the author of All the Colors We Will See: Reflections on Barriers, Brokenness, and Finding Our Way (a Fall 2018 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection). Her ties to Jamaica and other parts of the world sparked her early desire to travel to the cities and countries she traced on a globe. In time, as she began writing about her experiences, Patrice became interested in how places contribute to the people we become. Ultimately, she hopes her stories celebrate the beauty of living a multifaceted life. Patrice lives with her family in North Carolina—a place she considers another home. All the Places We Call Home is her first picture book. You can find her on her website, subscribe to her newsletter, or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.   In this episode Patrice Gopo and I discuss: Leaving room in your writing for your illustrator to heighten the story. Recognizing the themes that reappear in your life and your work. How to turn an emotionally resonant image into a whole story.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/421

Today, Lori is interviewing Erin La Rosa. They’ll be talking about tropes in romance and her book For Butter or Worse. Erin La Rosa is the author of the upcoming romance novel, For Butter or Worse. She's previously written for BuzzFeed and Funny or Die. She worked as a social media manager for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video before quitting her day job to focus on writing books. You can find her on her website, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.   In this episode Erin La Rosa and Lori discuss: Where in her real life she draws inspiration from for the locations in her writing. How to suck your readers in when your main characters start out unsympathetic. What special sauce a dual narrative brings to the enemies to lovers trope.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/420

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Stacy Willingham, Carolyne Topdjian, Allison Buccola, and Wanda M. Morris. We’ll be talking about the debut writer experience and their books. Stacy Willingham is the New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark. Before turning to fiction, she was a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies. She earned her BA in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and MFA in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her novel is currently being translated into over two dozen languages. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Britt, and Labradoodle, Mako, where she is always working on her next book. You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Carolyne Topdjian is the author of The Hitman’s Daughter (Agora/Polis Books), a gothic mystery which Library Journal lauds as a “fast-paced, haunting novel of survival." In addition to writing suspense novels, Carolyne has published short fiction in PRISM International, Dreamers Magazine, and Firewords Quarterly. She is a professor in the Faculty of Media and Creative Arts at Humber College in Toronto. Currently, she lives in a 114-year-old haunted house. You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Allison Buccola is the author of the psychological thriller Catch Her When She Falls.  Before she turned to writing fiction, she was a practicing attorney with a JD from the University of Chicago, and she also did a brief stint as a bartender in Brussels.  She now lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and two kids. You can find her on her website or follow them on Twitter, and Instagram. Wanda M. Morris is the acclaimed author of All Her Little Secrets. It was named as one of the “Best Books of 2021” by Hudson Booksellers and selected as the #1 Top Pick for “Library Reads” by librarians across the country. It was selected as a Book Buzz Pick by Good Morning America, serialized in Entertainment Weekly and a Marie Claire book club pick. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Crime Writers of Color. A corporate attorney, Wanda has worked in the legal departments of some of America’s top Fortune 100 companies. As a former President of the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, she established a signature female empowerment program known as the Women’s Initiative. She is married, the mother of three and lives in Atlanta,Georgia. All Her Little Secrets is her debut novel. You can find her on her website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   In this episode Stacy, Carolyne, Allison, Wanda, and I discuss: Choosing whether to tell a story with multiple timelines, flashbacks, or an epistolary format. How their characters deal with the past, secrets, and lies as the story unfolds. What role the world and the setting play in how characters process their trauma.   Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/419

Today, Lori is interviewing Natalka Burian. They’ll be talking about time travel, multiple mysteries, and Natalka’s book The Night Shift. Natalka Burian is the co-owner of two bars, Elsa and Ramona, as well as the co-founder of The Freya Project, a non-profit reading series that supports community-based activism and annually awards five unrestricted grants to further the work of women and non-binary writers. She is the author of three novels--her latest, The Night Shift, is out this summer with Park Row--and a cocktail book. Natalka grew up on a farm in Maryland but now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters. You can find her on her website or follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.   In this episode Natalka Burian and Lori discuss: How to employ flashbacks effectively in your writing without overdoing it. Juggling multiple mysteries in one story while maintaining the intrigue of each. Using your readers’ drive to understand others as an engine for storytelling. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/418

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexis Schaitkin. We’ll be talking about tone, voice, mood and her book Elsewhere.  Alexis Schaitkin is the author of Saint X and her short stories and essays have appeared in Ecotone, Southwest Review, The Southern Review, The New York Times, and elsewhere. Her fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. She received her MFA in fiction from the University of Virginia, where she was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. She lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with her husband and their two children. You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter.   In this episode Alexis Schaitkin and I discuss: Writing a story with mystery as a central premise without focusing on solving that mystery. Creating a fable-like feeling through the intentional use of tropes. The nature of community and isolation and how it relates to writing.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/417

Today, Lori is interviewing Shelley Blanton-Stroud. They’ll be talking about historical mysteries and Shelley’s book Tomboy: A Jane Benjamin Novel.  Shelley grew up in California’s Central Valley, the daughter of Dust Bowl immigrants who made good on their ambition to get out of the field. She recently retired from teaching writing at Sacramento State University and still consults with writers in the energy industry. She co-directs Stories on Stage Sacramento, where actors perform the stories of established and emerging authors, and serves on the advisory board of 916 Ink, an arts-based creative writing nonprofit for children. She has also served on the Writers’ Advisory Board for the Belize Writers’ Conference. Her writing has been a finalist in the Sarton Book Awards, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion Award, the American Fiction Awards, and the National Indie Excellence Awards.  She lives in Sacramento with her husband and many photos of their out-of-town sons and their wonderful partners. Copy Boy is her first Jane Benjamin Novel. Tomboy, which we’ll be discussing today, is her second. The third, Working Girl, will come out in November 2023. You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   In this episode Shelley Blanton-Stroud and Lori discuss: Creating a contemporary character in a historical fiction novel. How we create our identity versus how we reveal our identity. The important role that reading plays in developing your craft as a writer.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/416