DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds!

Today I have the distinct pleasure of having acclaimed writer and actor Michael Imperioli on the show!

Though Michael is best known for playing Christopher Moltisanti in the The Sopranos, a role that earned him an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor, he is also an accomplished screenwriter. He wrote five episodes of The Sopranos and was co-screenwriter for the film Summer of Sam which was directed by Spike Lee.

While still acting and writing for film and TV, with several upcoming projects in the works, Michael has also turned his artistic talent to novel writing with his debut The Perfume Burned His Eyes.

Listen in as we chat about this amazing book, and how to know when you've found the story to take all the way to the end.

• Finding your story and taking it to the finish line.
• Adding layers to your story with a unique narrative framework.
• When to use an epilogue and how to do it right.
• The advantages of novel writing vs. screenwriting.
• The fine art of book covers and why you need the right one.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/193

Hey there word nerds!

Today I have the distinct pleasure of having acclaimed writer and actor Michael Imperioli on the show!

Though Michael is best known for playing Christopher Moltisanti in the The Sopranos, a role that earned him an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor, he is also an accomplished screenwriter. He wrote five episodes of The Sopranos and was co-screenwriter for the film Summer of Sam which was directed by Spike Lee.

While still acting and writing for film and TV, with several upcoming projects in the works, Michael has also turned his artistic talent to novel writing with his debut The Perfume Burned His Eyes.

Listen in as we chat about this amazing book, and how to know when you’ve found the story to take all the way to the end.

• Finding your story and taking it to the finish line.
• Adding layers to your story with a unique narrative framework.
• When to use an epilogue and how to do it right.
• The advantages of novel writing vs. screenwriting.
• The fine art of book covers and why you need the right one.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/193

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have David Plante on the show!

David grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, within a French-Canadian parrish, much the same way as Jack Kerouac did in Lowell, Massachusetts, in an area which was known in the 17h century as La Nouvelle France. David has written several books rooted in La Nouvelle France, most notably in The Family, a contender for the National Book Award.

He then went on to live in London for fifty years where he wrote several memoirs including Becoming a Londoner and Worlds Apart. David is also the author of the nonfiction book Difficult Women which has recently been republished by The New York Review of Books Press, and has been a regular contributor to the New Yorker with short stories and profiles of people he knew.

David is calling in to the show today from his home in Lucca, Italy, to discuss his most recent novel American Stranger.

Listen in as we chat about the elements that went into crafting this novel, and how writing can give you a voice and identity belonging to only you.

Also, just a quick heads up if you have not yet read American Stranger. We got so excited talking about the book that we may have disclosed a few spoilers… so SPOILER ALERT!

• How he unboxed Franco-American culture through the eyes of an outsider.
• Why not having identity can actually be liberating, and can also help you find your writing voice.
• Crafting a timeless novel by grounding the story with details.
• The best way to deal with a bad review… (all authors get them!).
• Drawing inspiration from a writer's day in Italy.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/192

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have David Plante on the show!

David grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, within a French-Canadian parrish, much the same way as Jack Kerouac did in Lowell, Massachusetts, in an area which was known in the 17h century as La Nouvelle France. David has written several books rooted in La Nouvelle France, most notably in The Family, a contender for the National Book Award.

He then went on to live in London for fifty years where he wrote several memoirs including Becoming a Londoner and Worlds Apart. David is also the author of the nonfiction book Difficult Women which has recently been republished by The New York Review of Books Press, and has been a regular contributor to the New Yorker with short stories and profiles of people he knew.

David is calling in to the show today from his home in Lucca, Italy, to discuss his most recent novel American Stranger.

Listen in as we chat about the elements that went into crafting this novel, and how writing can give you a voice and identity belonging to only you.

Also, just a quick heads up if you have not yet read American Stranger. We got so excited talking about the book that we may have disclosed a few spoilers… so SPOILER ALERT!

• How he unboxed Franco-American culture through the eyes of an outsider.
• Why not having identity can actually be liberating, and can also help you find your writing voice.
• Crafting a timeless novel by grounding the story with details.
• The best way to deal with a bad review… (all authors get them!).
• Drawing inspiration from a writer’s day in Italy.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/192

Hey there word nerds!

Today I'm thrilled to have author Kiersi Burkhart on the show!

Kiersi is an author and freelance writer living in windy, wild Wyoming. She is the co-author, along with Amber J. Keyser, of the middle grade series Quartz Creek Ranch; four stand alone stories all about a summer horse camp in her own home state of Colorado.

She went to college at a small, and extremely remote school in Portland, Oregon, where she got really plugged into their literary community. The secluded campus and insular culture of this college inspired the setting in Kiersi's latest book and YA debut, Honor Code.

Listen in as we chat about Kiersi's amazing book, and how to focus on characters in an issue driven book.

• Crafting an issue-driven book that doesn't feel issue-driven.
• Flipping a known concept on its head to form a more interesting theme.
• How to use a blog as a device to layer your story with different perspectives.
• The wider world of writing, ways to get out of your writer's bubble and into the community.
• Tips to survive the introvert hangover after an in person event.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/191

Hey there word nerds!

Today I’m thrilled to have author Kiersi Burkhart on the show!

Kiersi is an author and freelance writer living in windy, wild Wyoming. She is the co-author, along with Amber J. Keyser, of the middle grade series Quartz Creek Ranch; four stand alone stories all about a summer horse camp in her own home state of Colorado.  

She went to college at a small, and extremely remote school in Portland, Oregon, where she got really plugged into their literary community. The secluded campus and insular culture of this college inspired the setting in Kiersi’s latest book and YA debut, Honor Code.

Listen in as we chat about Kiersi’s amazing book, and how to focus on characters in an issue driven book.

• Crafting an issue-driven book that doesn’t feel issue-driven.
• Flipping a known concept on its head to form a more interesting theme.
• How to use a blog as a device to layer your story with different perspectives.
• The wider world of writing, ways to get out of your writer’s bubble and into the community.
• Tips to survive the introvert hangover after an in person event.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/191

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have author Chloe Benjamin on the show!

Chloe received an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin, and her first novel, The Anatomy of Dreams, received the Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award and was longlisted for the 2014 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.

Her latest novel, The Immortalists, received extraordinary pre-publication excitement and has already been optioned for a major U.S. television series. I myself have been buzzing about this book since May 2017 where it was featured in the BookExpo America Adult Buzz Panel.

Listen in as we chat about Chloe's awesome new book, and crafting an overarching narrative in a story with shifting points of view.

• The art of the prologue, when to use one and how to do it right.
• Combining shifting character perspectives with a continuous narrative thread.
• Crafting a multiple protagonist story.
• Doing justice to your secondary characters while keeping them in a supporting role.
• How to hit the right emotional notes in your readers.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/190

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have author Chloe Benjamin on the show!

Chloe received an MFA in fiction from the University of Wisconsin, and her first novel, The Anatomy of Dreams, received the Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award and was longlisted for the 2014 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.

Her latest novel, The Immortalists, received extraordinary pre-publication excitement and has already been optioned for a major U.S. television series. I myself have been buzzing about this book since May 2017 where it was featured in the BookExpo America Adult Buzz Panel.

Listen in as we chat about Chloe’s awesome new book, and crafting an overarching narrative in a story with shifting points of view.

• The art of the prologue, when to use one and how to do it right.
• Combining shifting character perspectives with a continuous narrative thread.
• Crafting a multiple protagonist story.
• Doing justice to your secondary characters while keeping them in a supporting role.
• How to hit the right emotional notes in your readers.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/190

Hey there word nerds!

Today I have the absolute pleasure of interviewing author Georgia Hunter on the show!

Georgia's debut novel, We Were the Lucky Ones, is an emotional story about a Jewish family ripped away from each other at the start of the German and Russian occupation of Poland, and their extraordinary journey back to each other. And if that wasn't juicy enough, the novel is actually based on Georgia's grandfather's (Addy in the book) real Holocaust survival story.

Readers from all over the country have embraced this incredible story, leading it to be nominated as a finalist for the Goodreads "Best Books of 2017 Choice Awards" for "Best Debut Goodreads Author."

Listen in as we chat about Georgia's amazing book, and how to balance real family lore with historical fiction.

• Crafting suspense into a story when your readers already know the ending.
• Using the present tense to bring emotions to life in your characters.
• The distinction between nonfiction and historical fiction and when to draw the line.
• Flushing out snippets of oral history with believable transitions in your novel.
• Georgia's tips on where to start when writing your family's story.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/189

Hey there word nerds!

Today I have the absolute pleasure of interviewing author Georgia Hunter on the show!

Georgia’s debut novel, We Were the Lucky Ones, is an emotional story about a Jewish family ripped away from each other at the start of the German and Russian occupation of Poland, and their extraordinary journey back to each other. And if that wasn’t juicy enough, the novel is actually based on Georgia’s grandfather’s (Addy in the book) real Holocaust survival story.

Readers from all over the country have embraced this incredible story, leading it to be nominated as a finalist for the Goodreads “Best Books of 2017 Choice Awards” for “Best Debut Goodreads Author.”

Listen in as we chat about Georgia’s amazing book, and how to balance real family lore with historical fiction.

• Crafting suspense into a story when your readers already know the ending.
• Using the present tense to bring emotions to life in your characters.
• The distinction between nonfiction and historical fiction and when to draw the line.
• Flushing out snippets of oral history with believable transitions in your novel.
• Georgia’s tips on where to start when writing your family’s story.  

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/189