379: Bending Genres, Defying Expectations, and Crafting Characters in a Horror Novel - Interview with Andy Marino

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode ends our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 10 – Embrace the Journey. Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: My end-of-year process for taking stock and evaluating my progress. Why you need to understand your natural tendencies before setting goals. The importance of giving each year a theme or name. How to use that yearly theme to course-correct or keep yourself on track For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/485

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 9 – Take Baby Steps. Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: The importance of dreaming big but executing through small “baby steps.” How goal setting is a lot like climbing a mountain. The “plant the flag” moment, what it is and why it matters. Why it’s essential to reverse-engineer the action steps toward your goals. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/484

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 8 – Track the Money Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: Why it’s so important for writers to talk about and track money. The two “magic numbers” of publishing, what they are and why they matter. Five essential questions to think strategically about IP.  The trifecta of success, and how to consider ROI (return on investment). For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/483

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 482 – Practice, Practice, Practice Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: The importance of a practice-based approach in writing. Different types of practice, and why “deliberate practice” is most effective. The four essential components of a writing practice and why they matter. Why it’s important to iterate on your practice to make sure it’s working for you. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/482

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson #6 – Balance is Fallacy. Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: How finding balance is not about rigidly compartmentalizing your life. What it means to “honor your reality” and how it relates to balance. Why we should be wary of blanket advice and shouldn’t follow any advice too rigidly. Why it’s so important for us to acknowledge and honor our real-life constraints. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/481

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 5 – Choose Abundance Over Scarcity Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: Why so many people in publishing (and other fields) hold on to a scarcity mindset. How scarcity can serve as a safety net for writers who harbor self-doubt. The way an abundance mindset can set us up for writing success. The importance of equity in abundance, and making sure all writers can shine. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/480

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 4 – Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: Why complacency is the enemy of personal and professional growth. The growing pains that come from failing better and why failure is so hard. How I embraced failure for an entire year, and how it helped me grow DIY MFA. The malleable nature of comfort zones, and why we must keep challenging ourselves. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/479

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 3 – Embrace the Power of Iteration Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: Two competing philosophies on failure from Yoda and Samuel Beckett. How these two highly-quotable figures are actually not all that different from each other. What it really means to make a commitment to the work and to your writing. Why it’s so important to embrace imperfection and accept potential failure. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/478

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode continues our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 2 – Act “As If” Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join   In this episode I discuss: How acting “as if” is not the same as “fake it ‘til you make it.” Ways in which acting “as if” helped me build DIY MFA and this podcast. Why it’s important to be completely truthful when you act “as if.” How when you step forward with confidence, eventually your mindset catches up. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/477

Welcome to DIY MFA Radio, where I do a deep dive into the writing life as well as the craft and business of writing. Today’s episode kicks off our series: Ten Lessons from Ten Years of Podcasting. This is Lesson 1 – Jump First, Build After. Have you gotten the DIY MFA Starter Kit yet? This is a two week email series full of worksheets to help you DIY your MFA, so you can get the “knowledge without the college.” You’ll learn more about how to write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community. You’ll also receive Writer Fuel, our newsletter full of words of wisdom and resources to help you keep the momentum going in your writing. And you’ll be the first to hear about other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! You can sign up with your email at diymfa.com/join.   In this episode I discuss: Why it’s important not just to build something, but build the right thing. How failure plays into innovation, and why we should accept it rather than avoid it. How originality is about the execution of the idea, rather than the idea itself. Why it’s crucial to embrace the concept of “good enough.” For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/476