DIY MFA Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alana Quintana Albertson. Alana is a Latina bestselling romance author whose books have hit the top of several different charts. She has written thirty books and landed a three-book deal for the Latinx romantic comedy series, Love and Tacos. The first book in the series, Ramón and Julieta, has just been released and it has been optioned for television. Like Ramón from her book, Alana has an impressive educational pedigree, with a Masters of Education from Harvard and a Bachelor degree from Stanford. And, like Julieta, she’s a natural leader who is passionate about the things she loves. She’s the former President of Romance Writers of America’s Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, and Chick Lit chapters and she founded the non-profit dog rescue, Pugs N Roses.™ Today we’re talking about her latest book, Ramón and Julieta, which happens to combine three of my favorite things: rom-coms, tacos (and other great food), and of course, Shakespeare references.   In this episode Alana Quintana Albertson and I discuss: What inspired her to turn Shakespeare’s tragedy into a rom-com and how she pulled it off. How she kept raising the stakes for her characters, while keeping it realistic. Using world building to convey deeper elements of culture and community in her story. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/395

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sue Campbell. As founder of Pages & Platforms, Sue is the mindset and book marketing coach writers look to when they are ready to honor their dreams, share their work with the world, and maximize the impact of their words. She has helped hundreds of writers—from newbies to bestsellers—transform their mindset around marketing, and her clients have achieved some pretty epic goals. From exponentially increasing their email lists and book sales, to landing articles in prestigious publications or doing guest spots on popular podcasts, Sue has helped many writers realize their full potential as authors. Today, Sue and I will be talking about mindset, in particular the harmful stories we creative folks tell ourselves, so we can carve out the creative life we've always known we were meant to have.   In this episode Sue Campbell and I discuss: False stories writers tell themselves about marketing and why it isn’t as scary as you think. How to shift your thoughts about marketing—Sue shares some exercises to help! Why getting hard feedback early on is actually advantageous for you later on.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/394

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing William Germano Bill is professor of English at Cooper Union, where he served as dean of the faculty of humanities and social sciences for more than a decade. During an earlier career in publishing, he served as editor-in-chief at Columbia University Press and as vice-president and editorial director at Routledge.  His previous books on writing include Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books (third edition, 2016) and From Dissertation to Book (second edition, 2013).  He has also written Eye Chart, a book about how we test vision, for Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series (2017), and The Tales of Hoffmann, a study of Powell and Pressburger’s 1951 opera-film.   Most recently he has co-authored, with Kit Nicholls, Syllabus: The Remarkable, Unremarkable Document That Changes Everything (Princeton UP, 2020) and his latest book on writing, On Revision: The Only Writing That Counts, which we’ll be talking about today.   In this episode William Germano and I discuss: When you should start from scratch and why it’s a great technique for your writing. What skill all writers need to master and how it will improve your writing and revising. Why he believes that if something is worth writing, it’s worth revising as well.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/393

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Leslie Vedder. Leslie Vedder is a queer ace author who loves fairytale retellings with girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction, and the Lord of the Rings movies and met her true love in high school choir. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in creative writing and currently lives in Colorado with her wife and two spoiled house cats. When she's not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they're enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts. Her debut YA novel The Bone Spindle released in January 2022.   In this episode Leslie Vedder and I discuss: What genre inspired her and helped her keep a fast pace throughout her novel. Why she loved blending science and magic and how her characters approached each. How she approached varying levels of character relationships—both romantic and friendship.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/392

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ashanti Anderson. Ashanti Anderson (she/her) is a Black Queer Disabled poet, screenwriter, and playwright. Her debut short poetry collection, Black Under, is the winner of the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition at Black Lawrence Press. Her poems have appeared in World Literature Today, POETRY magazine, and elsewhere in print and on the web. In this episode Ashanti Anderson and I discuss: How being an overthinker influences her poetry and the messages she wants to share. Why setting clear boundaries helps her guide the conversation around her writing. When she turns to prose poetry and why she thinks it defies hard and fast craft rules. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/391

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Charlie Jane Anders. Charlie Jane is the author of the essay collection Never Say You Can’t Survive along with the short story collection Even Greater Mistakes.  Her other books include The City in the Middle of the Night and All the Birds in the Sky. Her fiction and journalism have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Slate, McSweeney's, Mother Jones, the Boston Review, Tor.com, Tin House, Teen Vogue, Conjunctions, Wired Magazine, and other places.  Her TED Talk, "Go Ahead, Dream About the Future" got 700,000 views in its first week. With Annalee Newitz, she co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct.   In this episode Charlie Jane Anders and I discuss: What makes something an “idea” versus a “story” and how to tell the difference. How to keep short stories contained while making them rich and deep. Why she believes endings are hard and what she does to cross the finish line. Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/390

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing J.L. Torres. J.L. is the author of a novel, The Accidental Native, as well as the short collection The Family Terrorist and Other Stories, a collection of poetry, Boricua Passport, and Migrations, a short story collection that won the inaugural Tomás Rivera Book Prize.  He has published stories and poems in numerous journals and magazines including The North American Review, Denver Quarterly, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Eckleburg Review, Puerto del Sol, Las Americas Review, and the anthology Growing Up Latino.  Born in Puerto Rico, raised in the South Bronx, he currently lives in Plattsburgh, New York. In addition to the Ph.D., he also holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University.  He co-founded the Saranac Review and served as its Editor for many years. On a more personal note has no known hobbies, has never been in prison or any gangs, has never had quirky and funky jobs and is notoriously inept with tools.   In this episode J.L. Torres and I discuss: Writing for two audiences and how world building plays a major role in that process. What factors he considers when selecting the order of stories for a collection. His definition of “voice” and why it is so important in keeping readers engaged.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/389

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sacha Black. Sacha is an author, rebel podcaster, and professional speaker. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing. When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling about film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules. She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.   In this episode Sacha Black and I discuss: The main types of supporting characters and what you should do with each type. Why you need to create contrast between your supporting characters and your protagonist. How to balance giving supporting characters depth without letting them take over the story.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/388

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mark McGuinness. Mark is an award-winning poet, author, podcaster and host of The 21st Century Creative, as well as a coach for creative professionals. He is also someone I’ve had the pleasure of calling a colleague and friend for nearly a decade. When Mark told me about his latest project, a new podcast titled A Mouthful of Air, I knew I had to bring him on DIY MFA Radio to talk about it. The podcast centers around poetry, and episodes alternate in focus between contemporary works and the classics. For episodes featuring contemporary poets, Mark invites them to read a single poem and talk about the writing process behind it. In other episodes, he reads classic poems and talks about what we can learn from them as writers. This is an awesome podcast, and one that writers of all genres can learn from and enjoy. A Mouthful of Air has been awarded funding for the first 2 years of the show by Arts Council England, and I can’t wait to see where it goes!   In this episode Mark McGuinness and I discuss: What effects a good poem can have on the reader that transcend academic understanding. What method poetry is and the writing processes of contemporary poets. How reading poetry out loud—even just to yourself—enhances the experience.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/387

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing someone very special. Aside from being an author of a hilarious romantic comedy, she is also a mainstay of the DIY MFA community. This person is, of course, Tammy Lough. Growing up, Tammy had dual-career goals, she wanted to be a nurse and a writer. When she was three she played nurse to her dolls when they got sick, fell off her bed, or broke their bones. She also began writing poems and stories and never stopped. In later years, when multiple sclerosis forced her to leave her career as an intensive care nurse-manager, she came back to her writing with the same passion and drive she brings to everything. This past year, Parallel Pathways published her first romantic comedy and debut novel, Lacey’s Deception. Tammy is a mom of two sons and grandma to three adorable grandchildren. She writes a monthly column, “On the Back Page with Tammy,” for Saturday Writers, a Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, and is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and South West Writers. She is also the Romance Columnist for DIY MFA.   In this episode Tammy Lough and I discuss: How mistaken identities can be a vehicle for humor, especially in a rom-com. Why she thinks the middle can be the best part of the writing process.  What role the rule of three plays in building the tension and humor in her novel.   Plus, her #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/386