DIY MFA Radio
Take your writing from average to awesome, and learn tools of the trade from bestselling authors, master writing teachers, and publishing industry insiders. This podcast will give you tools and techniques to help you get those words on the page and your stories out into the world. Past guests include: Delia Ephron, John Sandford, Steve Berry, Jojo Moyes, Tana French, Guy Kawasaki, and more.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 485
- Years Active
- 2014 - 2024
445: IP, Fandoms, and Nostalgia: Rebooting a Beloved Series - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Kendare Blake. They’ll be talking about her new book One Girl in All the World and writing a reboot series.
Kendare Blake is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of t…
444: Lies, Secrets, and Tension in a Closed-Setting - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Iris Yamashita. They’ll be talking about how her experience as a screenwriter helped her create tension in a closed setting.
Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award–nominated s…
443: Writing Diverse Characters via Nuanced Shifts in Language - Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mary Robinette Kowal. We’ll be talking about challenging your default assumption about the world and her latest book The Spare Man.
Mary Robinette Kowal is …
442: Opening Lines and Characterization: Maximize Your Opening Chapters - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Amy Christine Parker. They’ll be talking about coming up with unsettling ideas and Amy’s book, Flight 171.
Amy Christine Parker is the author of the critically acclaimed y…
441: Writing an Experimental Short Story Collection - Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Terena Elizabeth Bell. We’ll be talking about experimental fiction and her book of short stories, Tell Me What You See.
Terena Elizabeth Bell is a fiction w…
440: Music and Magic: Writing a Brazilian Story for an English-Speaking Audience — Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Heloisa Prieto. We’ll be talking about all of the puzzle pieces in her book, The Musician.
Dr. Heloisa Prieto is one of Brazil's most celebrated children an…
439: Blending Family Trauma with the Supernatural - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Deeba Zargarpur. They’ll be talking about family trauma and her book House of Yesterday.
Deeba Zargarpur is an Afghan-Uzbek American. She credits her love of literature ac…
438: The Stories We Tell and the Secrets We Keep in Family Sagas - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Fran Hawthorne. They’ll be talking about her new book I Meant To Tell You and Broad Topic.
Fran Hawthorne has been writing novels since she was four years old, although sh…
437: The Freedom of a Pen Name and the Power of Voice in Memoir - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Carolyn Hays. They’ll be talking about the freedom that can be found in a pen name and her new book A Girlhood: Letter to my Transgender Daughter.
Carolyn Hays is an award…
436: Secrets, Quirks, and Hidden Motivations in Thrillers - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Amanda Jayatissa. They’ll be talking about secrets and hidden motivation in her new thriller You’re Invited.
Amanda Jayatissa grew up in Sri Lanka, completed her undergrad…
435: Family, Soviet History, and the Power of Art in Historical Fiction - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Suzanne Parry. They’ll be talking about the power of art and her book Lost Souls of Leningrad.
A former European security specialist, Suzanne writes historical fiction abo…
434: How to Let Your Characters and World Building Flow in YA Fantasy - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Lenore Borja. They’ll be talking about how she created a natural flow for her characters and her world in her book The Last Huntress.
Lenore Borja grew up in Phoenix, Ariz…
433: Voice, Point of View, and Other Unique Narrative Techniques for Middle Grade Novels - Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Vitalis. We’ll be talking about voice, perspective, pacing and her books The Wolf’s Curse and The Rabbit’s Gift.
Jessica Vitalis is a Columbia MBA-w…
432: Accessing Feeling and Emotions in Young Adult Romance - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing S.K. Ali. They’ll be talking about feeling and emotion in YA fiction and her new book Love From Mecca to Medina.
S.K. Ali is the New York Times bestselling and award-winni…
431: Writing the Imagined Childhood of a Historical Figure for Middle Grade Readers - Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Susan Austin. We’ll be talking about how she imagines the childhood of a historical figure in her book Drawing Outside the Lines.
As an educator, Susan J. A…
430: Finding Inspiration and Writing Purpose-Driven Fiction - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Carol Van Den Hende. They’ll be talking about finding purpose and her new book Orchid Blooming.
Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of the Goodbye, Orchid seri…
429: World Building an Pacing in a Closed Setting Thriller - Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeffrey James Higgins. We’ll be talking about his closed setting thriller novel Furious: Sailing Into Terror.
Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory…
428: A Masterclass in Planning and Writing a Series - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Helen Scheuerer. They’ll be talking about some of the lessons in her new book How to Write a Successful Series.
Helen Scheuerer is the fantasy author of the bestselling tr…
427: Path to Publishing: An Author’s Experience with the Rapid Release Model - Interview
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Nova McBee. We’ll be talking about the rapid release model and her book series Calculated.
Nova McBee is an avid traveler and culture nerd who has lived and…
426: Overcoming Differences and the Ability to Change in Novels - Interview
Today, Lori is interviewing Khristin Wierman. We’ll be talking about how she explores the theme of overcoming differences in her debut novel Buck’s Pantry.
Khristin Wierman spent twenty years rising …