DIY MFA

DIY MFA 2.O (O is for ORACLE)

DIY MFA is back!  This new and improved extrabloganza starts in April and will include daily posts, weekly writing sprints and a twitter chat Sundays at 5pm EDT (using #diymfa).

Sign up for DIY MFA Here: DIY MFA List

Orientation
     FAQ about DIY MFA
     DIY MFA School Supplies
     Idea Bank
     DIY MFA: Writing Sprints and a Marathon
     ORACLE
     5 Principles for Generating Ideas
     4 Phases of Idea Generation
     DIY MFA 2.O Schedule
     Introducing DIY MFA TA's
     DIY MFA Twitter Chats
     7 Tips for Building a Writing Habit

Week 1: Character
     DIY MFA 2.O is Here
     Sprint #1: What You Need To Write
     Image File
     TADA Method of Studying Character
     20 Questions to Create a Character
     Character Interview
     Acrostic Character Bio
     Sprint #2: Working With Character

Week 2: Story
     DIY MFA: Morphological Forced Connections
     ABCs of Story Analysis
     Prompt Builder
     5 Tips for Keeping Up with Writing and Life
     Outline Techniques for Those Who Hate Outlines
     Sprint #3: Growing Your Story

Week 3: Mood

     Mood Collage 

     A Little R&R
     True Colors
     Writing Rituals
     Mood Music
     Sprint #4: There Is No Finish Line

Week 4: Words
     Words, Glorious Words!
     A Day for Poetry
     Setting Limits
     5 Ways to Tell If It's the ONE
     All-Day Writing Marathon


DIY MFA Posts (sorted by topic)

For those of you who are new to iggi U you might be wondering: "what is this place, and what-in-the-name-of-writing is a DIY MFA?"  I'll tell you.

DIY MFA is a nickname for Do-It-Yourself Masters in creative writing.  The idea here is to sharpen your study of writing and simulate the MFA experience with your own independent writing plan.  The goal is to put together your own custom-designed writing plan to help you get many of the benefits of an MFA without going back to school.  DIY MFA officially opened its doors in September for a month-long extrabloganza.

First Things First: Preparing for a DIY MFA
     DIY MFA: A Plan for Writers New and Experienced
     DIY MFA: The Ideal Candidate
      Course Catalog
     School Supplies
     Measuring Success
     What's Your Holy Grail?
     Why Writers Need Community
     Welcome to iggi U!
     Stealing Time
     Disclaimer  

Brain Bootcamp
     Five Stages of Writer's Block
     Who You Gonna Call?
     Morphological Forced Connections
     Mind Mapping
     Guest Post: Michelle Davidson Argyle Discusses Self-Publishing
     Guest Post: Merrilee Faber Writes About Creative Revision
     Keeping a Journal
     Writing Out

Love of Literature
     Building a Reading List
     Learning From the Masters
     Writing About Individual Works
     Writing a "Big Paper"

Creative Community
     Writers on the Interwebs
     Author Readings and Literary Events
     Choosing the Right Conference
     DIY MFA Community

Craftivity
     A Question of Character
     Moving Right Along: The Ins and Outs of Plot
     Technical Tips for Writing Dialogue
     Guest Post: "For All the Haters" by Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz

Working the Workshop
     Critique Groups 101 
     Giving Useful Critiques
     Taking Critique

DIY MFA Recap Posts
     Orientation Week
     Week 1 in Review
     Week 2 in Review
     Week 3 in Review
     Week 4 in Review 

Commencement Week 
     Let's Get this Party Started 
     The T-Word
     Commencement Means Beginning
     DIY MFA Keynote Speech: Shannon Whitney Messenger
     DIY MFA Keynote Speech: Benjamin Andrew Moore
     The Universe of iggi U: Student Speaker SA Larsen
     Let's Get Ready to Party!