Backstory is an essential part of writing. It puts elements of the main narrative into context, helping us understand characters’ motivations and the history of the world or setting. It gives us a better sense for character relationships and also helps us understand why certain objects, events, or institutions are important. There are primarily eight… Read more »
I recently introduced my daughter to my all-time favorite Broadway musical: Les Miserables. In fairness, we could not see the actual show because it’s no longer on Broadway, so we watched the film adaptation (which is a poor imitation at best, let’s be real). It was enough to get her hooked on the show. This… Read more »
Time management is one of the most misunderstood concepts because most people think it’s all about watching the clock and saving time. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. You see, watching the clock is not time management, it’s punctuality. Similarly, saving time is efficiency, which is different from time management. After all, you could… Read more »
Today we’re doing a three-act analysis on one of the most beloved Christmas stories: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. While Dickens wrote many books examining the divide between rich and poor, I find A Christmas Carol the most compelling. Even with its compressed scope as a novella, it gives us a depth of character… Read more »
“Read with purpose” is one of the three pillars of DIY MFA, but it’s often the most overlooked. It’s easy to see how writing and community can contribute to our literary development, but sometimes reading can fall by the wayside. Today I wanted to talk about the importance of reading with purpose, what exactly it… Read more »
