DIY MFA Radio

Latest Episodes:

271: Write by Instinct and Break the Rules - Interview with RJ Barker Sep 18, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing RJ Barker.

Now, according to the bio that either he or his publicist submitted when we set up this interview, RJ Barker is a softly-spoken Yorkshireman with flowing locks. He lives in the frozen north with his wife and son, and divides his time between writing and looking after his son.

According to the about page on his blog, RJ Barker is (and I quote) "Probably more ridiculous than you already believe."

RJ is the author of The Wounded Kingdom series, which comprises Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins, & King of Assassins and his newest book is The Bone Ships which is the first in The Tide Child series.

In this episode RJ and I discuss:

The story behind The Bone Ships
Hearing and creating the voice of a fantasy world
Working with a copyeditor while breaking the writing rules
Deciding when and how to break writing rules
Creating an awesome opening line
Balancing immersing a reader and explaining a world

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/271

270: Grappling with the Uncomfortable Truth - Interview with NoNieqa Ramos Sep 11, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing NoNieqa Ramos.

Now if you're a die-hard word nerd and fan of the show, you probably remember NoNieqa from her previous interview with us (Episode 202). I had such a blast talking with her that when I heard she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to have her back on the show. I mean, how often do I get to geek out about the literary merits of the F-bomb with a fellow writer? NoNieqa and I are definitely birds of a feather.

NoNieqa is an educator and literary activist. She's the author of the YA novel The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary, which was named a 2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens, and a 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection. She believes Halloween is a lifestyle, not a holiday (which I totally agree with by the way).

Today, we'll be discussing her latest book, The Truth Is…, as well as the important (but often difficult-to-talk-about themes) that come up in this story.

In this episode NoNieqa and I discuss:

The power of forgiveness and empathy
Writing inclusive narratives
The writer's responsibility to write three-dimensional characters
Writing invisible as well as visible marginalizations
The power of a respectful question

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/270

269: Writing Speculative Fiction - Interview with Cadwell Turnbull Sep 04, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Cadwell Turnbull.

His novel, The Lesson is a work of speculative fiction is about what happens when a spaceship arrives at the US Virgin Islands with a race of super-advanced aliens on a research mission on board. This story grapples with the tensions between these newcomers and the local Virgin Islanders and explores various themes, including: the nature of belief, the impact of colonialism, and how far are we willing to go for progress?

This book breaks new ground as one of the first science fiction novels to be set on Saint Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. It's a combination of literary social fiction and speculative fiction, and it also paints a vivid picture of Charlotte Amalie, which is Cadwell's hometown.

Cadwell has an MFA in fiction from North Carolina State University, as well as Master's degree in Linguistics. He was the winner of the 2014 NCSU Prize for Short Fiction and attended Clarion West 2016. His short fiction has appeared in The Verge, Lightspeed, Nightmare, and Asimov's Science Fiction and several of his stories have received honors or been nominated for Best-Of lists. I have been reading his debut novel, The Lesson, and it is absolutely un-put-downable.

In this episode Cadwell and I discuss:

How a dream inspired The Lesson
Keeping a story character-driven while also adding speculative elements
The power of using--and sometimes withholding--multiple points of view
Using speculative fiction to grapple with contemporary social issues
Blending past, present and a speculative future
Writing speculative fiction in an MFA program

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/269

268: From Bollywood-Inspired YA to RWA - Interview with Nisha Sharma Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

Today, we're doing another one of our live-from-a-conference interviews, this time from RWA annual conference, which is the big event that the Romance Writers of America put on each year. I had the pleasure of speaking at this event a few years ago in San Diego, and this year because it's back in New York, I'm delighted to be attending it once again.

For this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Nisha Sharma, whose YA novel, My So-Called Bollywood Life, has just won the RITA award, which is one of the top awards for romance writing, for best young adult r omance. Nisha is also the author of the adult contemporary romance The Takeover Effect.

Now, because I can't resist a good YA story, and because it's been nominated for a RITA, our discussion focuses particularly on My So-Called Bollywood Life. But before we get to the interview, let me tell you a little more about our guest.

Nisha's writing has been praised in NPR, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, Hypable and more.

She credits her father for her multiple graduate degrees, and her mother for her love of Shah Rukh Khan and Jane Austen. She lives in New Jersey with her Alaskan husband, her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew.

In this episode Nisha and I discuss:

The inspiration behind My So-Called Bollywood Life
How minor characters influence and develop the main character
Building a real world as opposed to a fantasy world
How Bollywood structure conventions influenced the book
Using blog posts at the beginning of each chapter as an anchor for writing
The similarities between Jane Austen and Bollywood

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: diymfa.com/268

267: The Alter Ego Effect - Interview With Todd Herman Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Todd Herman, who I am honored to count as one of my mentors.

I first met Todd about five years ago, when he gave a talk at an entrepreneurship event, and right away I could tell that he was speaking my language. You see, Todd is a performance coach who specializes in the mental game. He works with ambitious entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders who want to achieve wildly outrageous goals, like building a multimillion-dollar business, reaching an Olympic podium, or launching an international brand.

He's run his own sports science training company for over twenty years, and his signature performance system, 90 Day Year (which I use regularly in my work and my writing) has been named the world's top leadership and skill development program—not once, but twice!

Todd is also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Alter Ego Effect which we'll be discussing today.

In this episode Todd and I discuss:

The great superpower that all humans have
The thing all top performers do
How seeing that you have many selves can lead to greater mental health and performance
The trap of the "authentic self"
How to choose and activate an alter ego
Why this technique is so useful for writers

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/267

266: The Art of the Travel Memoir — Interview with Natasha Scripture Aug 14, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Natasha Scripture.

Natasha is an author, poet, humanitarian, and former aid worker. As a spokesperson for the United Nations, she covered humanitarian crises around the world and before the UN she worked for a variety of organizations, including the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera English, the World Bank, TED, National Geographic, and Condé Nast Publications.

She has been published in the New York Times, the Telegraph, Glamour UK, the Sydney Morning Herald, HuffPost, New York Post, and the Atlantic, among other publications. She has also been featured in Marie Claire, Women's Health, and the Sunday Times Style magazine.

Natasha has lived in several different countries, travels frequently, and seeks to inspire and empower women everywhere with her writing and her storytelling. Her first book is Man Fast: A Memoir, which we'll be discussing on the show today.

In this episode Natasha and I discuss:

The journey from writing a self-help book to writing a memoir.
How to use writing to process grief.
The process of structuring a memoir's outward and inward journey.
Creating space for self-discovery.
Saying, "No" to others to say, "Yes" to yourself.
The power of being fully present.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: www.diymfa.com/266

265: Five Things I Learned from Five Years of Podcasting Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

You might be doing a double-take right now because this episode is airing on a Thursday and not on Wednesday like our usual schedule. In fact, this is a bonus episode to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of DIY MFA.

That's right… exactly five years ago today, we announced this podcast to the world. Since then, we have released a new episode every single Wednesday like clockwork. It's been a wild and crazy ride and I am so happy and grateful that you're celebrating this podcast-iversary with me!

In the last five years, we've hit some major milestones. We are at 265 episodes (and counting!) and we hit the top of the iTunes New & Notable Arts section in our second week.

I've had the pleasure of interviewing over 200 authors, editors, agents and industry professionals. These interviews have run the gamut: from debuts to bestsellers and award-winners representing pretty much every major genre award, as well as Pulitzer Prize winner. Last year I even conducted my first official celebrity interview. (Insert fangirl squeal here.)

If you're a DIY MFA super-fan you'll probably notice something else if you look closely at our line-up. Very few of our interviews are repeats with the same guest. This is because we have such a long waiting list to get authors on the show that we had to start limiting the number of times an author could come back.

In fact, this is one of the reasons I created the Writer Igniter Summit Series, as a way to feature some of my favorite authors multiple times. In this half-decade of podcasting, I've had a chance to interview some of my personal literary heroes, and it has truly been a rewarding experience.

Which brings me to lessons learned.

In this episode I discuss

Why it's so important to commit and be consistent
How to lead with value to connect with listeners
All about systems and why they are so vital for success
Making podcasting easy--on your guests and yourself!

For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/265

264: For the Love of Poetry - Interview With Marybeth Niederkorn Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to our guest, the award-winning journalist, essayist, and poet Marybeth Niederkorn.

Marybeth's work has appeared in The Gasconade Review, Trailer Park Quarterly, Red Fez, and others. A Southeast Missouri native, her work is expressive of her background and roots while still managing to be kind of hilarious.

Educated at Southeast Missouri State University, she holds degrees in philosophy and in professional writing, and makes her living as a copywriter for Recruiters Websites. She and her husband Dave live in rural Missouri. Her first full-length poetry collection, Times Knew Roamin', which we'll be discussing today.

In this episode Marybeth and I discuss:

How traveling can affect the writing process
Using poetry to capture a mental space
How poetry can reflect meaning in a way unique from prose
The beauty of structure to push your creativity
Grammar--how important is it?
Using writing to build community

Plus, their #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/264

263: When Big Suspense Happens in Small Towns - ThrillerFest Debut Round Table Interview Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds!

Today is one of my absolute favorite episodes of the year because it's our annual ThrillerFest Debut Authors panel and I am so delighted to have August Norman, D.A. Bartley, Paula Munier, and John McMahon on the show.

Every year, I have the pleasure of attending ThrillerFest, which is a fabulous conference put on by the International Thriller Writers (ITW). I've attended every year since 2012 (except 2014 because Lady Bug had just been born) and this is one of my favorite conferences of the season. It's a very collegial event, with seasoned writers and debuts supporting each other.

This particular debut authors panel has been a tradition at DIY MFA Radio for a few years and I always have a blast chatting with the debut authors about the craft and business of writing. Each year, we choose a theme and this year it's "when big suspense happens in small town settings." As you'll hear in this interview, each of these authors has a unique take on this topic.

In this episode August, D.A., Paula, John and I discuss:

Building a compelling setting for suspense.
The fine art of choosing what to leave in and leave out.
Pacing techniques to ratchet up suspense.
Challenges of small town settings.
The debut author experience.

Plus, each of their #1 tips for writers.

For more info and shownotes: DIYMFA.com/263

262: Inside the Mind of a Worldbuilding Junkie - Interview with Fonda Lee Jul 24, 2019

Show notes

Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Fonda Lee on the show.

Fonda is a recovering corporate strategist, black belt martial artist, and an action movie aficionado as well as the author of several highly acclaimed books of fantasy and science fiction, such as the young adult sci-fi novels Zeroboxer, Exo, and Cross Fire.

Her work has been nominated for several awards, including the Nebula and Locus Awards, and been featured on Best of Year lists such as NPR and Syfy Wire. She also won the Aurora Award, Canada's national science fiction and fantasy award, twice in the same year for Best Novel and Best Young Adult Novel.

Fonda's latest writing project is the fantasy/crime drama series the Green Bone Saga. The first book in this series, Jade City (which I am loving!), won the 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the second book in the series, Jade War, has just been released.

So listen in as Fonda and I chat about this amazing series, and the numerous strategies and decisions that go into crafting the world of your story.

In this episode Fonda and I discuss:

How to choose the right way to build your world.
The "iceberg effect" of worldbuilding.
How to put your reader into the middle of your story from page one the right way.
Using a fantasy element to make your story feel more real.
How to manage the powerful tool of multiple point of view.

Plus, Fonda's #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/262

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