DIY MFA Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jessi Honard and Marie Parks. We'll be talking about their contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting. Jessi and Marie have been co-writing speculative fiction since 2009, and their 2022 contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting, was a finalist in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished Manuscript contest. Marie is a fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author who landed in New Mexico after traveling full-time in an RV for years. Her writing uses speculative fiction to dive into topics like social justice, the environment, and the power of friendship. Jessi Honard is a speculative fiction author, business owner, and professional coffee inhaler. Her work leans into the power of imaginary worlds as a conduit to exploring common struggles of identity, belonging, and trust. Together, they've run a successful copywriting agency since 2010. Jessi lives in the Bay Area of California with her partner, Taormina, and Marie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with all the dogs. In this episode Jessi, Marie, and I discuss: What qualities make for a successful co-writing partnership and how to decide whom to work with. How to bounce back from early mistakes and why you aren't always one mistake away from ruin. The importance of interrogating the "why" behind your vision for your book and your career. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/408

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jessi Honard and Marie Parks. We'll be talking about their contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting. Jessi and Marie have been co-writing speculative fiction since 2009, and their 2022 contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting, was a finalist in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished Manuscript contest. Marie is a fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author who landed in New Mexico after traveling full-time in an RV for years. Her writing uses speculative fiction to dive into topics like social justice, the environment, and the power of friendship. Jessi Honard is a speculative fiction author, business owner, and professional coffee inhaler. Her work leans into the power of imaginary worlds as a conduit to exploring common struggles of identity, belonging, and trust. Together, they've run a successful copywriting agency since 2010. Jessi lives in the Bay Area of California with her partner, Taormina, and Marie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with all the dogs. In this episode Jessi, Marie, and I discuss: What qualities make for a successful co-writing partnership and how to decide whom to work with. How to bounce back from early mistakes and why you aren't always one mistake away from ruin. The importance of interrogating the "why" behind your vision for your book and your career. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/408

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Leslie Johansen Nack. Leslie's newest book, The Blue Butterfly, A Novel of Marion Davies, comes out next week and it's what we are going to be discussing today. Her debut is a memoir titled Fourteen, A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival. It received five indie awards, including the 2016 Finalist in Memoir at the Next Generation Indie Book Award. Leslie says she did everything late in life, including getting her degree in English Literature from UCLA at age thirty-one. Before she started writing, she raised two children, ran a mechanical engineering business with her husband, took care of her aging mother, and dreamed of retirement when she could write full-time. She currently lives in San Diego and—in addition to writing—she enjoys sailing, hiking, and reading. In this episode Leslie Johansen Nack and I discuss: Why she leaned into fiction for this project as opposed to writing a biography. Her research process and how she chose which scenes to fictionalize. How she balanced writing about the public and private personas of her characters. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/407

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing G.G. Kellner Gayle is a poet, essayist, artist, educator, and Author of Hope: A History of the Future, a novel in which she imagines a peaceful, just, sustainable future based on facts, legal precedence, and historical documents. Gayle lives in a home that has been in her family for five generations. She spends most of her time creating with words, paints, and sculpture, as well as walking the beaches and forests of her island home with her dog. In this episode GG Kellner and I discuss: How she created the web of complex character relationships and the framework for her novel. Why you need to face your fears in order to open yourself up to the possibilities of life. The relationship between cause and effect in history and its impact on the future. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/406

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Claire Stanford. Born and raised in Berkeley, Claire holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in English at UCLA, where she studies science fiction/speculative fiction, narrative theory, and novel theory. Claire's work has received fellowships and grants from the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences. Claire is also an avid watcher of BBC mysteries and the author of her debut novel, Happy for You. In this episode Claire Stanford and I discuss: The meaning of happiness, its relationship with social media, and how that plays out in her novel. Why she classifies her novel as literary fiction as opposed to speculative. How she navigated writing a novel about a character who is strongly opposed to change. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/405

Today, Lori is interviewing Jody Hadlock. Jody studied journalism and was a television news reporter and anchor serving her community in South Carolina as well as Texas. In addition to writing, her other passion is advocating for people with special needs. For several years Jody served on the board of directors of North Texas Special Needs Assistance Partners (SNAP), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live the fullest lives possible in their communities. She has just released her debut historical novel, The Lives of Diamond Bessie. In this episode Jody Hadlock and Lori discuss: The research process and how to blend primary and secondary sources. Why finding the right point of view is so important to the writing process. What role context plays in writing about the past and how to integrate it into your plot. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/404

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rob Hart. Rob is the author of The Warehouse, a gripping speculative thriller which sold in more than 20 countries and was optioned for film by Ron Howard. He is also the author of the Ash McKenna series, the short story collection Take-Out, and Scott Free with James Patterson. His latest book is The Paradox Hotel, about a hotel at the crossroads of the space-time continuum. In this episode Rob Hart and I discuss: Why naming characters is important and where he found the names for these characters. How to write an unlikeable character that your readers will actually like. Using storytelling to shine a light on bad things that are happening in the real world. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/403

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brian Leung. Brian is the author of the novels Lost Men, Take Me Home, and Ivy vs Dogg: With a Cast of Thousands!. His short-story collection, World Famous Love Acts, won the Asian American Literary Award and the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction. Born and raised in San Diego County, he is a Professor of Creative Writing at Purdue University as well as Core faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts. All I Should Not Tell is out now with C&R Press. In this episode Brian Leung and I discuss: How to turn a real life event into a novel, especially when you are close to the event. Bringing out the emotional truth of a story and remaining true to the characters. Why it can be tricky to write first person narratives and how to make them sound distinct. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/402

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Walker: Jeff is one of the world's most successful online entrepreneurs the creator of Product Launch Formula and the #1 NY Times bestselling author of the book Launch. He has spent the last 15 years helping people launch their online courses, memberships, coaching and books. His students and clients have done over a BILLION dollars in launches in hundreds of niches and markets… and in dozens of countries around the world. Jeff lives in Durango, Colorado and he loves to get outside for all kinds of adventures. On a more personal note, Jeff is someone I am honored to call a teacher and mentor. I've been following his work pretty much for as long as DIY MFA has existed and got the first edition of his book Launch when it came out in 2014. I read it cover to cover and still have that paperback edition with all my highlights and mark-ups, which I keep next to my desk. In 2017, I was finally ready to make the investment and do the Product Launch Formula (PLF) Coaching Program. My team and I relentlessly applied the techniques to our flagship DIY MFA 101 course (with epic results!) and since then, we have applied PLF techniques—with our own special word nerd flair—to launch all our DIY MFA programs. Today, we'll be talking about launching as it pertains to launching a book. In this episode Jeff Walker and I discuss: Why his first launch was the most important and the role his email list played. How writers of fiction and memoir can apply his Product Launch Formula to their lists. Strategies for determining what your assets are and how to maximize them. Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/401

Today, I have the esteemed pleasure of interviewing one of my absolute favorite people, Lori Walker. Lori wears a lot of hats at DIY MFA. Her official title is Operations Maven. However, she is also Podcast Producer, Launch Manager, Web Editor, a Book Coach, and our Resident Reader at DIY MFA. Lori is the writer behind the Book Nook column. In her spare time, she loves yoga, cooking, traveling, smooth bourbons, strong cabernets, dirty martinis, watching baseball, and of course, reading. She is currently working on an essay collection and a novel. She lives outside of Tulsa with her husband and cat, Joan Didion. In the 400th Episode Extravaganza, Lori and I: Give listeners a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of DIY MFA. Share what makes a successful podcast pitch and how to be a good guest. Discuss why I started the podcast in the first place and how it evolved over time. Talk about some of the fun things we have in the works for word nerds. Plus, we share a huge announcement. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/400