DIY MFA Radio

Hello Word Nerds! Thanks for joining me today. Man, it's been a while since I've done a solo show. It feels like it's been forever since I've had a chance to chat with you. We've been doing so many awesome interviews, and we have a bunch more coming up, but today I felt like it was time to have more of a heart-to-heart.

In this episode, I've decided to share some mindfulness tips that turned my approach to writing on its head. I call this my Mindfulness Manifesto for Writers.

This was a very tough episode for me. I had been resisting the idea for a while. You see, I'm very pragmatic and my creative process is very linear. Plus (how do I put this nicely) I always felt like the whole idea of mindfulness, of meditation, all that mind/heart/soul was a little to "woo woo" for me.

The thing is, being intentional about where your thoughts go is really important to writing. This skill is the essence of mindfulness and challenging myself to be open to it has changed my writing for the better.

I used to really hate meditation. I thought that sitting and breathing and clearing my mind was so boring. What I didn't really realize then was that mindfulness is more about being present, about not thinking about what is coming or what has passed (I call this time travelling). And being fully present can be exciting. Especially when you've got a lot going on.

To learn more about my mindfulness manifesto for writers plus the show notes, head on over here: DIYMFA.com/058

Hello Word Nerds! Thanks for joining me today. Man, it's been a while since I've done a solo show. It feels like it's been forever since I've had a chance to chat with you. We’ve been doing so many awesome interviews, and we have a bunch more coming up, but today I felt like it was time to have more of a heart-to-heart.

In this episode, I've decided to share some mindfulness tips that turned my approach to writing on its head. I call this my Mindfulness Manifesto for Writers.

This was a very tough episode for me. I had been resisting the idea for a while. You see, I’m very pragmatic and my creative process is very linear. Plus (how do I put this nicely) I always felt like the whole idea of mindfulness, of meditation, all that mind/heart/soul was a little to “woo woo” for me.

The thing is, being intentional about where your thoughts go is really important to writing. This skill is the essence of mindfulness and challenging myself to be open to it has changed my writing for the better.

I used to really hate meditation. I thought that sitting and breathing and clearing my mind was so boring. What I didn’t really realize then was that mindfulness is more about being present, about not thinking about what is coming or what has passed (I call this time travelling). And being fully present can be exciting. Especially when you’ve got a lot going on.

To learn more about my mindfulness manifesto for writers plus the show notes, head on over here: DIYMFA.com/058

Hey there, word nerds! Thanks for joining me for another episode of DIY MFA Radio. I'm so glad you're here!

Today I'm interviewing Jandra Sutton, the digital media coordinator for PR by the Book, a boutique literary PR firm based in Austin, TX and Nashville, TN. While her job title might not make sense, it's helpful to know that she is essentially a social media publicist. Her job is to connect authors with their online audiences in a meaningful way, whether that's managing a full social media campaign for the author or teaching him/her how to navigate the ins and outs of social media (DIY Social Media!)

In this episode, Jandra and I will geek out over one of my favorite topics: social media. She'll share some pro tips specifically for writers and show you how to use social media to build your author brand and your career.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/057

Hey there, word nerds! Thanks for joining me for another episode of DIY MFA Radio. I’m so glad you’re here!

Today I’m interviewing Jandra Sutton, the digital media coordinator for PR by the Book, a boutique literary PR firm based in Austin, TX and Nashville, TN. While her job title might not make sense, it's helpful to know that she is essentially a social media publicist. Her job is to connect authors with their online audiences in a meaningful way, whether that's managing a full social media campaign for the author or teaching him/her how to navigate the ins and outs of social media (DIY Social Media!)

In this episode, Jandra and I will geek out over one of my favorite topics: social media. She'll share some pro tips specifically for writers and show you how to use social media to build your author brand and your career.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/057

Hi there Word nerds! I'm so excited to share today's interview with bestselling author Tana French and her process in crafting series and writing literary mysteries.

Tana French has been called "one of the most talented crime writers alive" by the Washington Post. With four bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning novels in print worldwide, she excels in portraying fallible, deeply human detectives, as broken as the cases they investigate. In her new book, The Secret Place, she revisits characters from a previous book, plus she gives readers an inside look at a all-girls prep school. It turns out that the private underworld of teenage girls is more mysterious and more dangerous than it appears.

• Different elements of crafting a series.
• Using viewpoint to structure your narrative.
• The writing and rewriting process.
• Recurring characters.
• Sticking to genre conventions or bucking the trends.
• Plus, Tana shares her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/056

Hi there Word nerds! I’m so excited to share today’s interview with bestselling author Tana French and her process in crafting series and writing literary mysteries.

Tana French has been called “one of the most talented crime writers alive” by the Washington Post. With four bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning novels in print worldwide, she excels in portraying fallible, deeply human detectives, as broken as the cases they investigate. In her new book, The Secret Place, she revisits characters from a previous book, plus she gives readers an inside look at a all-girls prep school. It turns out that the private underworld of teenage girls is more mysterious and more dangerous than it appears.

• Different elements of crafting a series.
• Using viewpoint to structure your narrative.
• The writing and rewriting process.
• Recurring characters.
• Sticking to genre conventions or bucking the trends.
• Plus, Tana shares her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/056

This is our one-year anniversary of DIY MFA Radio and for this episode, Elisabeth and I decided to change things up. Since I'm usually the one doing the interviewing, this time around Elisabeth interviewed me about DIY MFA, writing, and other fun things.

We also celebrated this milestone by doing a live Periscope broadcast of the unedited recording session and it was SO MUCH FUN. While you can't catch the Periscope recording anymore (they're only available for the first 24hours after the broadcast) we WILL be doing these live recording sessions again in the future. Stay tuned because it's going to be epic!

For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/055

This is our one-year anniversary of DIY MFA Radio and for this episode, Elisabeth and I decided to change things up. Since I'm usually the one doing the interviewing, this time around Elisabeth interviewed me about DIY MFA, writing, and other fun things.

We also celebrated this milestone by doing a live Periscope broadcast of the unedited recording session and it was SO MUCH FUN. While you can't catch the Periscope recording anymore (they're only available for the first 24hours after the broadcast) we WILL be doing these live recording sessions again in the future. Stay tuned because it's going to be epic!

For show notes and more info: DIYMFA.com/055

I'm so excited to interview Sara Paretsky, author of 20 books, including the renowned V.I. Warshawski novels. In 1982 she introduced the world to private eye V.I. Warshawski in her book Indemnity Only. V.I. – tough, credible, street-smart, and feminine – challenged the stereotypes of women in fiction as victims or vamps and Paretsky made it possible for a new generation of crime writers to thrive.

In, Brush Back, the latest book in this series, V.I. must uncover the truth about a crime that hits very close to home, and forces her to take a good look into her family's past. As V.I. digs for clues and tries to piece the story together, she must put her life—and career—on the line until she can finally discover what happened on a fateful night many those years ago. It could be the biggest case of her career—if V.I. manages to survive.

Sara Paretsky was named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and is also the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award given by the British Crime Writers' Association. Paretsky is currently president of the Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Chicago.

Listen in as Sara and I discuss:

• Creating a unique and strong protagonist.
• The mystery writing scene and how it's changed now.
• Setting as character in writing.
• Personal limits to detail in topics such as sex and violence in writing.
• Plus, Sara's #1 tip for writers!

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/054

I’m so excited to interview Sara Paretsky, author of 20 books, including the renowned V.I. Warshawski novels. In 1982 she introduced the world to  private eye V.I. Warshawski in her book Indemnity Only. V.I. – tough, credible, street-smart, and feminine – challenged the stereotypes of women in fiction as victims or vamps and Paretsky made it possible for a new generation of crime writers to thrive.

In, Brush Back,  the latest book in this series, V.I. must uncover the truth about a crime that hits very close to home, and forces her to take a good look into her family’s past. As V.I. digs for clues and tries to piece the story together, she must put her life—and career—on the line until she can finally discover what happened on a fateful night many those years ago. It could be the biggest case of her career—if V.I. manages to survive.

Sara Paretsky was named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and is also the recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award given by the British Crime Writers’ Association. Paretsky is currently president of the Mystery Writers of America.  She lives in Chicago.

Listen in as Sara and I discuss:

• Creating a unique and strong protagonist.
• The mystery writing scene and how it’s changed now.
• Setting as character in writing.
• Personal limits to detail in topics such as sex and violence in writing.
• Plus, Sara's #1 tip for writers!

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/054