DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have author and editor Joe Fassler on the show!

Joe earned his MFA from the University of Iowa Writing Program and is a senior editor at The New Food Economy. His writing has appeared in many journals including The Boston Review, Electric Literature, and Creative Nonfiction, but he's probably most well-known for the author interviews he conducts as part of The Atlantic's "By Heart" series.

Joe's latest work, Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process, is a compilation of numerous authors' answers to one simple but profound question: What inspires you?

Light the Dark is available now. I've been reading it and all I can say is if you're a writer, you must put this book on your To-Be-Read list for 2018!

Listen in as we chat about this amazing book, and some of the best ways to keep inspired and motivated to write.

• Learning to the draw the line, how to find your catch-all creative time.
• Why you need to celebrate your zero moment.
• Balancing what publicists want and what writers want in an interview.
• Techniques to help find that quiet place of creativity in your mind.
• The importance of the written word and the transformative power of books.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/183

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have author and editor Joe Fassler on the show!

Joe earned his MFA from the University of Iowa Writing Program and is a senior editor at The New Food Economy. His writing has appeared in many journals including The Boston Review, Electric Literature, and Creative Nonfiction, but he’s probably most well-known for the author interviews he conducts as part of The Atlantic’s “By Heart” series.

Joe’s latest work, Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process, is a compilation of numerous authors’ answers to one simple but profound question: What inspires you?

Light the Dark is available now. I’ve been reading it and all I can say is if you’re a writer, you must put this book on your To-Be-Read list for 2018!

Listen in as we chat about this amazing book, and some of the best ways to keep inspired and motivated to write.

• Learning to the draw the line, how to find your catch-all creative time.
• Why you need to celebrate your zero moment.
• Balancing what publicists want and what writers want in an interview.
• Techniques to help find that quiet place of creativity in your mind.
• The importance of the written word and the transformative power of books.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/183

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have author Howard Kaplan on the show!

Howard is a native of Los Angeles, but he has lived in Israel and traveled to numerous places across the world, including Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. He also has had some incredible adventures in the former Soviet Union which, along with his time in Syria, inspired bestselling thriller The Damascus Cover.

Published forty years ago to rave reviews, The Damascus Cover is finally coming to the big screen. The movie debuted in September 2017 at the Boston Film Festival, and is scheduled for release everywhere this spring.

Listen in as we talk about this bestseller, the art of film, and how to take a story from page to screen.

• The importance of endings, and how to do them right.
• How to use film to elevate your story.
• Kill your darlings, knowing what to cut on the page vs. the screen.
• When your characters come to life, what to expect when working with actors.
• Setting the right tone in scene one for a book and a movie.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/182

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have author Howard Kaplan on the show!

Howard is a native of Los Angeles, but he has lived in Israel and traveled to numerous places across the world, including Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. He also has had some incredible adventures in the former Soviet Union which, along with his time in Syria, inspired bestselling thriller The Damascus Cover.

Published forty years ago to rave reviews, The Damascus Cover is finally coming to the big screen. The movie debuted in September 2017 at the Boston Film Festival, and is scheduled for release everywhere this spring.

Listen in as we talk about this bestseller, the art of film, and how to take a story from page to screen.

• The importance of endings, and how to do them right.
• How to use film to elevate your story.
• Kill your darlings, knowing what to cut on the page vs. the screen.
• When your characters come to life, what to expect when working with actors.
• Setting the right tone in scene one for a book and a movie.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/182

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have award-winning author Joan Dempsey on the show!

Joan's writing has been published in numerous places including The Adirondack Review and Alligator Juniper, and she is the author of This is How it Begins.

For this fascinating novel, that is a mix of literary fiction and mystery, she received a significant research grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation which took her to Warsaw for a month (no, she doesn't speak Polish), and to Washington, D.C. for ten days, to study in the archives at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Listen in as we discuss the multiple layers of This is How is Begins, and get some of Joan's best writing techniques for juggling plot and characters.

• Avoiding the caricature, finding your way into every character's head.
• Using omniscient POV in contemporary fiction the right way.
• Staying neutral, how to keep from steering your readers to any one opinion.
• Balancing the interplay between characters and plot.
• Method writing, and other craft techniques from Joan to get to the heart of your story.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/181

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am delighted to have award-winning author Joan Dempsey on the show!  

Joan’s writing has been published in numerous places including The Adirondack Review and  Alligator Juniper, and she is the author of This is How it Begins.

For this fascinating novel, that is a mix of literary fiction and mystery, she received a significant research grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation which took her to Warsaw for a month (no, she doesn't speak Polish), and to Washington, D.C. for ten days, to study in the archives at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Listen in as we discuss the multiple layers of This is How is Begins, and get some of Joan’s best writing techniques for juggling plot and characters.

• Avoiding the caricature, finding your way into every character’s head.
• Using omniscient POV in contemporary fiction the right way.
• Staying neutral, how to keep from steering your readers to any one opinion.
• Balancing the interplay between characters and plot.
• Method writing, and other craft techniques from Joan to get to the heart of your story.  

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/181

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am so excited to have author D.P. Lyle on the show!

In his writing career, Doug has received a Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award and has been nominated for a gazillion others including, but nowhere near limited to, the Edgar, Agatha, and Silver Falchion. He is the author of 17 books, including the thriller series of Samantha Cody, Dub Walker, and Jake Longly (which is the one highlighted on the show!). He has also worked with writers of numerous popular T.V. shows like, Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, and the list goes on.

As if all that wasn't impressive enough, Doug is also the VP of Education for International Thriller Writers. This means he is in charge of CraftFest, Master CraftFest, and ITW's online Thriller School.

Listen in as we discuss his latest Jake Longly thriller, and the art of crafting a thriller series to keep all your readers, both new and super fans, coming back for more.

• The importance of settings, and how to use them right.
• What the two types of series are, and how to write them both.
• Tips to overcome the challenges of the thriller series character.
• Less is more, knowing what to leave in and what to leave out.
• An inside look at ITW's educational programs, and ThrillerFest 2018.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/180

Hey there word nerds!

Today I am so excited to have author D.P. Lyle on the show!

In his writing career, Doug has received a Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award and has been nominated for a gazillion others including, but nowhere near limited to, the Edgar, Agatha, and Silver Falchion. He is the author of 17 books, including the thriller series of Samantha Cody, Dub Walker, and Jake Longly (which is the one highlighted on the show!). He has also worked with writers of numerous popular T.V. shows like, Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, and the list goes on.

As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, Doug is also the VP of Education for International Thriller Writers. This means he is in charge of CraftFest, Master CraftFest, and ITW’s online Thriller School.

Listen in as we discuss his latest Jake Longly thriller, and the art of crafting a thriller series to keep all your readers, both new and super fans, coming back for more.

• The importance of settings, and how to use them right.
• What the two types of series are, and how to write them both.
• Tips to overcome the challenges of the thriller series character.
• Less is more, knowing what to leave in and what to leave out.
• An inside look at ITW’s educational programs, and ThrillerFest 2018.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/180

Happy Holidays word nerds!

To help you enjoy this special week between Christmas and New Year's, we've got an awesome show for featuring author Stephen Morris!

Stephen holds degrees in medieval history and theology from Yale and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Academy. He is also a former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He has written several historical and contemporary fantasy books as well as the nonfiction book When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality. What drew me to this book in particular is how Stephen approached his research through close reading.

Listen in as we talk about Stephen's research methods, and how to dissect and truly understand texts.

• What do these words mean? Understanding the context and time period of texts.
• Stephen's research methods: The art of index cards.
• What to do when faced with contradictions and a lack of answers to your questions.
• Battling confirmation bias and how to safeguard against it.
• Dealing with push back when writing and publishing a controversial topic.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/179

Happy Holidays word nerds!

To help you enjoy this special week between Christmas and New Year’s, we’ve got an awesome show for featuring author Stephen Morris!

Stephen holds degrees in medieval history and theology from Yale and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Academy. He is also a former priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.

He has written several historical and contemporary fantasy books as well as the nonfiction book When Brothers Dwell in Unity: Byzantine Christianity and Homosexuality. What drew me to this book in particular is how Stephen approached his research through close reading.

Listen in as we talk about Stephen’s research methods, and how to dissect and truly understand texts.

• What do these words mean? Understanding the context and time period of texts.
• Stephen’s research methods: The art of index cards.
• What to do when faced with contradictions and a lack of answers to your questions.
• Battling confirmation bias and how to safeguard against it.
• Dealing with push back when writing and publishing a controversial topic.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/179