DIY MFA Radio
485 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 102 ratingsTake 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.
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Episodes
380: World Building and the Fantasy YA Serial - Interview with Stephanie BwaBwa
October 20, 2021 12:15 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie BwaBwa. Stephanie is a Jesus-centered, young adult and fantasy author, writing in the universe of Elledelle about black angels in magical worlds with impressive powers that mirror the human condition. She loves writing stories centered around feisty angels with complicated pasts, unexpected futures, learning to take up causes bigger than themselves, who may or may not fall in love along the way. Stephanie is a Canadian-born, Haitian-...
379: Bending Genres, Defying Expectations, and Crafting Characters in a Horror Novel - Interview with Andy Marino
October 13, 2021 12:15 - 56 minutes - 64.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Andy Marino. Andy Marino was born in upstate New York, spent half his life in New York City, and now lives in the Hudson Valley. He works as a freelance writer. The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess is his first horror novel In this episode Andy and I discuss: Why addiction and recovery provide a rich backdrop for a horror novel. How he crafted a cold open that created a sympathetic bond between his protagonist and readers. Whether ho...
378: The Inside Scoop on Book Reviews - Interview with Kiffer Brown
October 06, 2021 12:15 - 1 hour - 69.6 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kiffer Brown. Kathryn (Kiffer) Brown is the CEO and co-founder of Chanticleer Reviews and Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards (The CIBAs) that Discover Today’s Best Books. The company differentiates itself with "under the hood" digital technology that increases the digital footprint of each book review and CIBA winner developed by her super-geek husband, Argus Brown. Kiffer has presented at events such as: Writer's Digest Conference in NYC, IBPA Univ...
377: The Art of the American Essay Anthology - Interview with Phillip Lopate
September 29, 2021 12:15 - 44 minutes - 51 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Philip Lopate. Phillip is the author of over a dozen books: 4 personal essay collections (Bachelorhood, Against Joie de Vivre, Portrait of My Body, and Portrait Inside my Head), as well as Being with Children, Waterfront, and Notes on Sontag 3 works of fiction (Confessions of Summer, The Rug Merchant, and Two Marriages) 3 poetry collections (The Eyes Don’t Always Want to Stay Open, The Daily Round, and At the End of the Day). He has also ...
376: Persistence and Publishing, a Debut Author’s Story - Interview with Elizabeth Gonzalez James
September 22, 2021 12:15 - 49 minutes - 56.6 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Gonzalez James. Elizabeth’s stories and essays have appeared in The Idaho Review, The Rumpus, PANK, and elsewhere, and have received numerous Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. She is also a regular contributor to Ploughshares Blog. Her debut novel Mona at Sea was a finalist in the 2019 SFWP Literary Awards judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and is out now. We’ll be discussing her book and her writing process in today’s intervi...
375: Bringing Omitted BIPOC History to Light through Middle Grade Picture Books - Interview with Traci Sorell and Carole Boston Weatherford
September 15, 2021 12:15 - 57 minutes - 65.8 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Traci Sorell and Carole Boston Weatherford. Traci is the author of the critically acclaimed book We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma, where her tribe is located. Today we’re talking about her picture book Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer (Illustrated by Natasha Donovan). Carole is the author of numerous award-winning books...
374: Historical Fiction, the Bronte Family, and the Original Mrs. Robinson - Interview with Finola Austin
September 08, 2021 12:15 - 1 hour - 71.4 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Finola Austin. Finola Austin, also known as the Secret Victorianist on her award-winning blog, is an England-born, Northern Ireland-raised, Brooklyn-based historical novelist and lover of the 19th century. Her first novel, Bronte's Mistress, was published in 2020. When she’s not writing novels or her blog, she works in digital advertising. In this episode Finola and I discuss: How household and gender roles have and have not changed since t...
373: Hook and Tether: How to Draw Readers In and Keep Them Grounded in the Story - Interview with Marissa Levien
September 01, 2021 12:15 - 1 hour - 76.4 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marissa Levien. Marissa is a writer and artist who hails from Washington State and now lives in New York with a kindly journalist and their two cats. The World Gives Way is her first novel. In this episode Marissa and I discuss: How current and recent events influenced the dystopian future of her novel. The unique point of view shifts she writes at the beginning of The World Gives Way. Why empathy, human connection, and hope get readers...
372: The Magic of Math and the Art of Picture Books — Interview with Rajani LaRocca
August 25, 2021 12:15 - 47 minutes - 54.4 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rajani LaRocca. Rajani was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning novels and picture books. She has always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels, picture books, prose and poetry. She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks. ...
371: Women's Fiction vs. Romance: What's the Difference? — Interview with Kris Clink
August 18, 2021 12:15 - 43 minutes - 50.4 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kris Clink. Kris writes about relatable characters who rely on humor and tenderness to navigate complicated relationships. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with romance, heartbreak, and just enough snarky humor to rock the boat. When not writing, Kris spends her time searching for an open karaoke mike and an understanding audience. Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Kris lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband and two spoiled-r...
370: Behind the Cowriting Process of a Debut Author Duo — Interview with Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
August 11, 2021 12:15 - 47 minutes - 54.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman. Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman have been great friends for over 20 years and are now co-authors. Their friendship has sustained them through the ups and downs of raising kids, juggling careers, and creating new family traditions. Girls with Bright Futures, their debut novel, out now, is a dark, suspenseful journey into the cutthroat world of college admissions. Between the two of them, they have undergraduate ...
370: Behind the Cowriting Process of a Debut Author Duo — Interview with Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
August 11, 2021 12:15Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman. Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman have been great friends for over 20 years and are now co-authors. Their friendship has sustained them through the ups and downs of raising kids, juggling careers, and creating new family traditions. Girls with Bright Futures, their debut novel, out now, is a dark, suspenseful journey into the cutthroat world of college admissions. Between the two of them, they have undergraduate ...
369: Writing Mystery as Series and Stand-Alone Books — Interview with Elly Griffiths
August 04, 2021 12:15 - 47 minutes - 55.3 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Elly Griffiths. Elly is the author of the Ruth Galloway and Brighton mystery series and the stand-alone novels The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders. She is a recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. She lives in Brighton, England. Today we’ll be discussing The Postscript Murders, which was released earlier this year. The Night Hawks from her Ruth Galloway series...
368: Intention, Agency, and Choice: How to Write Three-Dimensional Characters — Interview with Veronica G. Henry
July 28, 2021 12:15 - 39 minutes - 46 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Veronica G. Henry. Veronica was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has been a bit of a rolling stone ever since. Her work has appeared in various online publications. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Workshop and a member of SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America). She now writes from North Carolina, where she eschews rollerballs for fountain pens and fine paper. Other untreated addictions include chocolate and cupcakes. Today...
367: Character Dynamics in a Fairytale Retelling — Interview with Brandie June
July 21, 2021 12:15 - 46 minutes - 54 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brandie June. Brandie spent most of her childhood onstage or reading, as both activities let her live in fantastic stories. She moved to Los Angeles to study acting at UCLA, and eventually branched out into costume design and playwriting. While she spends most of her free time writing, she will still take any excuse to play dress-up, especially if it involves wearing a crown. She happily promotes more stories as a marketing director for kids' f...
366: The Art and Craft of a Short Story Collection - Interview with Alexander Weinstein
July 14, 2021 12:15 - 45 minutes - 52.5 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexander Weinstein. Alexander is the author of the collections Universal Love and Children of the New World, which was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a best book of the year by NPR, Google, and Electric Literature. His fiction and interviews have appeared in Rolling Stone, World Literature Today, Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Best American Experimental Writing. He is the founder and director of The Marth...
365: Fantasy Inspired by Greek Mythology - Interview with Emily R. King
July 07, 2021 12:15 - 48 minutes - 56.3 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Emily R. King. Emily is the author of the Hundredth Queen series, along with Before the Broken Star, Into the Hourglass, and Everafter Song in the Evermore Chronicles. Her latest novel is Wings of Fury, which was released earlier this year, and we’ll be discussing it today. It is the first in the Wings of Fury duology; the second book, Crown of Cinders, will be out in October of this year. Born in Canada and raised in the United States, Emily ...
364: How Writing Is Like Walking a Tightrope — Interview with Ana Maria Spagna
June 30, 2021 12:15 - 41 minutes - 48.5 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ana Maria Spagna. Ana Maria is the author of Uplake: Restless Essays of Coming and Going and several previous nonfiction books on nature, work, civil, indigenous, and LGBTQ rights. Her previous books include: Reclaimers, stories of elder women reclaiming sacred land and water, which was a finalist for the 2016 Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists, the memoir/history Test Ride on the Sunnyland Bus: A Daughter’s Civ...
363: Dual Point of View in Historical Fiction — Interview with Denny S. Bryce
June 23, 2021 12:15 - 45 minutes - 52.1 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing award-winning debut author Denny S. Bryce. Denny won the RWA Golden Heart® and was a three-time GH finalist, including twice for Wild Women and the Blues. She also writes book reviews for NPR Books and entertainment articles for FROLIC Media. Additionally, the former professional dancer and public relations professional is a self-proclaimed history geek. She credits this obsession to her maternal grandmother, Ella Elizabeth Joseph, who immigrate...
362: A Deep Dive into the Supporting Cast — Interview with Leslie A. Rasmussen
June 16, 2021 12:15 - 46 minutes - 53.3 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Leslie A. Rasmussen. Leslie was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA and went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, and Ralph Macchio, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. She later earned a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years. Most recently, Leslie has written...
361: Villains and Villainy, Antagonists and Obstacles: Crafting Conflict in Epic Fantasy — Interview with Tasha Suri
June 09, 2021 12:15 - 51 minutes - 59.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tasha Suri. Tasha is an award-winning author, occasional librarian and cat owner. Her books include the Books of Ambha duology and The Jasmine Throne, (which is out now). When she isn’t writing, Tasha likes to cry over TV shows, buy too many notebooks, and indulge her geeky passion for reading about South Asian history. She lives with her family in a mildly haunted house in London. In this episode Tasha and I discuss: Why she wanted to de...
360: Unpacking Memories for a Memoir— Interview with Jas Rawlinson
June 02, 2021 12:15 - 56 minutes - 65.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jas Rawlinson. Jas is a best-selling author, book coach, and resilience speaker who specialises in stories that change lives. Growing up in a small country town, Jas first fell in love with the power of literature as a young girl, and would often disappear into the world of writing to escape from the family violence in her home. It was here that she made a promise to one day find a way to support other survivors and victims of domestic violence; a...
359: Trust, Threat, and Truth: A Journey Through the Craft of Writing - Interview with Jeff Arch
May 26, 2021 12:15 - 55 minutes - 64 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Arch. Jeff grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he spent two of his high school years at a boarding school much like the one depicted in his debut novel Attachments, which we’ll be discussing today. In the ’70s, he studied film/tv/theater production at Emerson College in Boston and then moved to LA, where he worked as a concert lighting designer and toured the country with national rock and reggae acts while teaching himself to write ...
358: Find Your Community and Follow Your Passion - Interview with Thien-Kim Lam
May 19, 2021 12:15 - 45 minutes - 52.1 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing my dear friend Thien-Kim Lam. Thien-Kim writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. She and I first connected at an entrepreneurship event and instantly bonded over our love of books and our penchant for challenging the status quo of our respective industries. Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys (featured on NPR, BBC Amer...
357: Layers of World Building in Epic Fantasy - Interview with Suyi Davies Okungbowa
May 12, 2021 12:15 - 46 minutes - 53.8 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Suyi Davies Okungbowa. Suyi is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new novel, Son of the Storm, is the first in the epic fantasy trilogy called The Nameless Republic, and he is also author of the acclaimed and award-winning godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo. His shorter fiction and essays have appeared internationally in various periodicals and anthologies, including ...
356: Doodling for Writers - Interview with Rebecca Fish Ewan
May 05, 2021 12:15 - 49 minutes - 57.5 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rebecca Fish Ewan. Poet and cartoonist, Rebecca's passion is mingling text with visual art, primarily in ink and watercolor, to tell stories of place and memory. Her hybrid-form work has appeared in After the Art, Brevity, Crab Fat, Survivor Zine, Hip Mama, Mutha, TNB, Punctuate & Under the Gum Tree. Her illustrations and essay, “The Deepest Place on Earth,” were published in the Literary Kitchen anthology, Places Like Home. She was also a long-ti...
355: Weaving Together History, Folklore, and Fairy Tale - Interview with Rena Rossner
April 28, 2021 12:15 - 49 minutes - 57.3 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rena Rossner. Rena hails from Miami Beach, Florida. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars Program and holds an MA in history from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her debut novel, The Sisters of the Winter Wood was listed as “One of the 100 Best Books” of the year by Publisher's Weekly. She currently lives in Israel with her husband, five children, and a pug, where she works as a literary agent. Her grandparent...
354: Character, Conflict, and World Building in Fantasy - Interview with C.L. Clark
April 21, 2021 12:15 - 43 minutes - 50 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing C.L. Clark. Cherae graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. In addition to writing, she has had various jobs as she’s traveled the world, including: personal trainer, English teacher, editor, or some combination thereof. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages, doing P90something, or reading about war and post-colonial history. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in F...
353: Making the Shift from YA Romance to Adult Thriller - Interview with David Yoon
April 14, 2021 12:15 - 36 minutes - 42.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing David Yoon. David is the author of the New York Times bestseller Frankly In Love, as well as the upcoming YA novel Super Fake Love Song and adult thriller Version Zero. He also drew the illustrations for his wife Nicola Yoon's #1 New York Times bestseller Everything, Everything. He and his wife are also heading up a new imprint of Random House Children’s Books called Joy Revolution. This imprint will debut in 2022 and will be devoted to publishi...
352: You Can Do Anything, Magic Skeleton! - Interview with Chuck Wendig
April 07, 2021 12:15 - 42 minutes - 49.5 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing someone I have the honor of considering both a colleague and friend, Chuck Wendig. Chuck is the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers, Star Wars: Aftermath, the Miriam Black thrillers, and the Atlanta Burns books, as well as Zer0es and Invasive, alongside other works across comics, games, film, and more. He was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and an alum of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and he served as t...
351: The Education of a Writer — Interview with Sophfronia Scott
March 31, 2021 12:15 - 58 minutes - 68 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sophfronia Scott. Sophfronia is a novelist and essayist whose work has appeared in Time, People, O: The Oprah Magazine, as well as many other outlets. Her first novel, All I Need to Get By, was nominated for best new author at the African American Literary Awards and Sophfronia was hailed by Henry Louis Gates Jr. as "one of the best writers of her generation." She is a prolific writer whose work spans both fiction and nonfiction, and her other b...
350: Voice, Emotion, and Metastory in a "Mistopia" - Interview with Simon Stephenson
March 24, 2021 12:15 - 51 minutes - 59.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Simon Stephenson. Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, Simon is a writer and screenwriter now living in LA (with stop-overs in London and San Francisco along the way). His first book was the memoir Let Not The Waves Of The Sea, about losing his brother Dominic in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards in 2011. His most recent novel, Set My Heart To Five, was released in summer 2020 and this is what ...
349: When a Story Idea Won’t Let a Writer Go - Interview with Jeremy Hance
March 17, 2021 12:15 - 46 minutes - 53.5 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeremy Hance. Jeremy is writer and freelance environmental journalist, who also happens to cohabitate with mental illnesses. He has named his OCD Steve and his depression goes by the name of Malachi. He is the author of the memoir Baggage: Confessions of a Globetrotting Hypochondriac. As a journalist, Jeremy is passionate about wildlife conservation, climate change, forests, animal behavior, and indigenous people and many other topics. His work ...
348: Blending Genres in a Historical Series - Interview with Michelle Cox
March 10, 2021 13:15 - 58 minutes - 67.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Michelle Cox. Michelle is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series. She also writes Novel Notes of Local Lore, a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. Her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and more. It’s highly possible that Michell may have once lived in the 1930s and, since time travel has yet to be invented, she has resorted to writing about t...
347: The Art and Business of Writing Serials— Interview with Leanna Renee Hieber
March 03, 2021 13:15 - 58 minutes - 67.1 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing the award-winning author and my friend, Leanna Renee Hieber. Leanna is an actress, playwright and the author of thirteen Gothic, Gaslamp Fantasy novels for adults and teens. Her books have been published by Tor and Kensington Books and they include the Strangely Beautiful saga, the Magic Most Foul trilogy, the Eterna Files trilogy and The Spectral City series. She is a four-time Prism Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. Leanna’s...
346: Curating a Middle Grade Anthology of Intertribal Stories - Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith
February 24, 2021 13:15 - 49 minutes - 56.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Cynthia Leitich Smith. Cynthia is a New York Times bestselling author known for her award-winning children’s and YA books. She writes both realistic contemporary stories and fantastical narratives, and most recently, she won the American Indian Youth Literature YA Award for Hearts Unbroken published by Candlewick. Today we’ll be discussing one of her most recent projects: Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for kids, a middle grade anthol...
345: Language as World Building in YA Fantasy - Interview with Ellie Cypher
February 17, 2021 13:15 - 53 minutes - 61.8 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ellie Cypher. Ellie Cypher grew up in Northern California, received her B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior from UC Santa Cruz and got her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California Davis. She has lived and worked all over the world from New Zealand to Tasmania to the United Kingdom. When she is not writing, you can find her spending her time caring for all manner of creatures great and small, dreaming about traveling, drinkin...
344: A Deep Dive into Point of View - Interview with Sharon Harrigan
February 10, 2021 13:15 - 43 minutes - 50.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Harrigan. Sharon is the author of the new novel Half, which has received accolades from places like Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Foreword Reviews, and the New York Journal of Books. She earned her a B.A. from Barnard College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific University. She is also the author of the memoir Playing with Dynamite and she teaches at WriterHouse in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she lives with her family. In ...
343: Writing in the Dark: How to Write Horror - Interview with Tim Waggoner
February 03, 2021 13:15 - 49 minutes - 57.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Tim Waggoner. Tim is a critically-acclaimed author of over fifty novels and seven short story collections. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He’s also the author of a comprehensive book on writing horror called Writing in the Dark. His novels include Like Death, which is considered a modern classic in the horror genre, and the popular Nekropolis series of urban fantasy novels. He’s written tie-in fiction for S...
342: Multiple Timelines, Climate Fiction, and a Childhood Code of Honor - Interview with Julie Carrick Dalton
January 27, 2021 13:15 - 47 minutes - 55.3 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Julie Carrick Dalton. As a journalist, Julie has published more than a thousand articles in The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Hollywood Reporter, Electric Literature, and other publications. She contributes to Dead Darlings, Writer Unboxed, and The Chicago Review of Books. A Tin House alum and graduate of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator, Julie holds a master’s in literature and creative writing from Harvard Extension School. She is passionate abo...
341: Live Life Colorfully: The Intersection Between Words and Art - Interview with Jason Naylor
January 20, 2021 13:15 - 50 minutes - 58.3 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jason Naylor. Jason is an award-winning artist and designer based in NYC. He is known for his bright colors and even brighter messages. His work has received tons of awards and recognition, including the Golden Novum Design award and two CLIO Fashion&Beauty Bronze medals. He has also been featured on HGTV and the Discovery Channel. In 2018, Jason was named by BUMBLE as one of the 100 Most Inspiring New Yorkers, and his colorful creations have fo...
340: You Can Keep That To Yourself - Interview with Adam Smyer
January 13, 2021 13:15 - 38 minutes - 44.2 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Adam Smyer. Adam Smyer is an attorney, martial artist, and mediocre bass player. His nonfiction has appeared in the Johannesburg Review of Books, and his debut novel, Knucklehead, was the sole title short-listed for the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Adam lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and cats. You Can Keep That to Yourself is his latest work, and we’ll be discussing it today. In this episode Adam an...
339: The Many Perspectives of Grief - Interview with Rachel Beanland
January 06, 2021 13:15 - 45 minutes - 52.6 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Beanland. Rachel Beanland writes fiction and essays, and has recently released her debut novel. Her essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction and Broad Street, among other places, and she has an MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. With bachelor’s degrees in art history and journalism, Rachel worked in public relations and nonprofit management before focusing on writing full time. She currently lives in Richmon...
338: The Dystopian Superhero Story - Interview with Alexandra Monir
December 30, 2020 13:15 - 53 minutes - 61.4 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Monir. Alexandra is an Iranian-American author and recording artist who has published six popular young adult novels. Her internationally-bestselling debut, Timeless was a Barnes & Noble Bestseller and Amazon.com “Best Books of the Month.” In 2018 she published the hit sci-fi novel The Final Six and Sony Pictures optioned the film rights in a major pre-empt deal. More recently, she has followed up with a sequel—The Life Below—which was p...
337: The Intersection of Voice and Point of View in Literary Fiction— Interview with Brad Fox
December 23, 2020 13:15 - 44 minutes - 51.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brad Fox. Brad is a novelist, journalist, translator, and former relief worker currently quarantined in rural Peru. His novel To Remain Nameless was a Paris Review staff pick, an SPD recommended new fiction title, has been a small press bestseller since its release. It was named by Dennis Cooper as a Best Book of 2020. Brad’s stories, essays, and articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Guernica, and the Whitney Biennial and some of his upcomin...
336: Realistic Middle Grade: Balancing the Light and Dark— Interview with Marcella Pixley
December 16, 2020 13:15 - 39 minutes - 45.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marcella Pixley, the author of four acclaimed books for young people. Her novel Freak was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year for 2007, Without Tess was a Junior Library Guild Selection, and Ready to Fall was a Bank Street of Education Best Book for 2017. Her most recent novel Trowbridge Road was just recently named as one of ten books for children for the National Book Awards 2020. Marcella first began her writing career as a poet and has published ...
335: The Art of Heartfelt Teaching (and Writing)— Interview with Diane Zinna
December 09, 2020 13:15 - 52 minutes - 60.4 MBHey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Diane Zinna. Originally from Long Island, Diane received her MFA from the University of Florida and went on to teach creative writing for ten years. She formerly worked at AWP—the Association of Writers & Writing Programs—which hosts the largest literary conference in North America each year. In 2014, Diane created the AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship Program, helping to match more than six hundred writers over twelve seas...
334: The Unexpected Female Protagonist — Interview with Veena Rao
December 02, 2020 13:15 - 38 minutes - 44.8 MBHey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Veena Rao. Veena Rao is the author of Purple Lotus: A Novel (She Writes Press), as well as founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of NRI Pulse, a popular Atlanta-based Indian-American news publication. She is in the Limca Book of Records as the first Indian-origin woman to edit and publish a newspaper outside India. Veena Rao has a background in print journalism, having worked on the news desk of The Indian Express in Ind...
333: Unpacking the Short Story Workshop — Interview with Sara Schaff
November 25, 2020 13:15 - 48 minutes - 55.8 MBHey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Sara Schaff. Sara is the author of two short story collections The Invention of Love and Say Something Nice About Me. She is a CLMP Firecracker Award Finalist in fiction and a finalist for the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award for short fiction. Her writing has appeared in Catapult, Kenyon Review Online, Yale Review Online, The Belladonna, Michigan Quarterly Review, LitHub, and others. A graduate of Brown University ...
332: The Craft and Business of Cozy Mysteries — Interview with Andi Cumbo-Floyd
November 18, 2020 13:15 - 46 minutes - 53.9 MBToday, I have the pleasure of interviewing Andi Cumbo-Floyd. Andi is a writer of both magical realism and nonfiction, but in the last year, she has taken on a new persona as ACF Bookens, author of cozy mysteries. Today we’ll be talking about her process and strategy in crafting this series. When she’s not writing, Andi is also an editor and writing coach, and she runs a beautiful, supportive online community. She lives in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains with a number of animals who canno...