Happy Weekend, everyone!

Today I thought I’d do a Love of Literature check-in post to see how everyone’s doing with their DIY MFA literature study.

What’s on the bedside table?  What are you reading these days?  Right now, I’m flying through a bunch of verse novels: Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff, and Witness and Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.

How’s the reading list coming?  Back in September we talked about building a reading list.  It took me a while to put together a reading list and it’s constantly changing, but at least having a general list helps me stay focused.  What about you?  How’s your list looking?  Checked off any books yet?

The “Big Paper”:  Last time we talked about the idea of writing a big literature paper, we discussed two different approaches to talking about a body of literature: author study and thematic study.  Have you chosen which paper you’d want to write (or at least outline?)  That’s the first step.

Step 2–Topic:  For the next step, you need to decide on a topic you want to cover and start thinking about what argument you want to prove in your paper.  To give you an idea of papers I’ve written in the past, one was an author study where I discussed mother-daughter relationships in 4 different books by the same author.  For another class, I talked about books as a means of creating an experience for the reader and discussed various different books by different authors, books that create experiences in different ways.

Step 3–Making Your Point: Remember, the main purpose of writing a “big paper” is because you have something to say about the literature, some point you want to make for the reader.  The most important part of writing a “big paper” is coming up with this central argument and then using the literature to prove your point, in much the same way as a lawyer uses evidence to prove his case in court.  Some teachers call this step “Formulating your Thesis” but I prefer to say “Stating your Case” or “Making your Point.”  Thesis sounds big and scary, and frankly, not everybody knows what a thesis statement is supposed to be.  But if we say this step is like making a point about the literature and then using books to prove our case… I don’t know about you, but it makes a whole lot more sense in my brain.

So the next two steps for a “big paper” are thinking about what topic you want to address and then deciding what point you want to make about the literature.  Here are some examples:

• Topic: Mother-daughter relationships in books by Carolyn Mackler
  Point: In all the books, the daughter finds a unique way to break away from the mother and assert her independence, but how the daughter chooses to do this is inextricably linked to the daughter’s personality and identity.
• Topic: Books as Experience
  Point: Some authors have chosen to stretch the very meaning of the concept “book.”  In these books, the interaction between the book and the reader is intricately designed by the author.  In doing so, these authors redefine what it means to “read” and push the reader to adopt a specific role in relation to the book, thus creating a unique reading experience.  As we examine the techniques and implications of designing a book-as-experience, we will discover that form must indeed follow function—or in this case, story.

So tell me, how’s your literature study coming along?  Read anything good lately?

Welcome to the last part of the iggi U celebration!  Starting today iggi and I are hosting a weekend-long blog party here on this blog.

What’s a blog party, you ask?  It’s a chance for you to share your blog with the rest of iggi U and also a chance for you all to find new exciting blogs to follow.

Sounds like fun?  Here’s how it works:

• Be a follower here at iggi&gabi.
• Leave a comment on this post, sharing your blog info and telling us a little about what you blog about.  Also tell us what iggi-licious yummies you plan to bring to the party!
• Invite some friends and spread the word.
• Visit at least 3 new blogs over the weekend and leave comments.  Follow those blogs if you like.
• I’ll check the comments throughout the weekend, visit as many blogs as I can and follow them if I’m not already following.

So come on in, enjoy the weather (it’s always sunny at iggi U) and meet some fellow bloggers and writers.

As for what iggi-licious treats I’m bringing, I’ve made iggi’s favorite: Brazilian chocolate truffles called brigadeiros.

Hello DIY MFA peeps!  Are you enjoying commencement week so far?  I hope you liked the guest posts because I know I sure did.

Today I wanted to take care of some DIY MFA orders of business.  First, the exciting news.  Some of you may have noticed the bright blue button in the sidebar already, but our online DIY MFA community is now up and running.  So come join, share your DIY MFA experiences and connect with other writers.  Most importantly, have fun!

Second, for our last big DIY MFA celebration I’ll be hosting a Weekend Blog Party right here on this blog.  The idea is for everyone to have a chance to promote their own blogs and find lots of new blogs to follow (not to mention, gain some new followers too!)  I got this idea from Karen G’s fabulous blog Coming Down the Mountain.  She hosted a Labor Day BBQ, and I participated.  It was loads of fun and I got a ton of new followers and found several great blogs to follow as well!

• Blog Party starts Friday!
• Be a follower here at iggi&gabi.
• Leave a comment on Friday’s post, sharing your blog info and telling us a little about what you blog about.  Also tell us what iggi-licious yummies you plan to bring to the party!
• Invite some friends.
• Visit at least 3 new blogs over the weekend and leave comments.  Follow those blogs if you like.
• I’ll check the comments throughout the weekend, visit as many blogs as I can and follow them if I’m not already.

Finally, the contest.  As you all may recall, those DIY MFA participants who registered at iggi U were automatically enrolled in a contest.

Prize: a free critique by yours truly on up to 25 pages of your work (double-spaced, 12pt font).

This morning I picked the winner using the oh-so-scientific method of writing names on paper and pulling one from a hat.  And the winner is…

*drumroll*

*fumbles with envelope*

*opens envelope*

Bess, please email your piece as a .doc file and I’ll send you your critique by the end of October.  Congratulations Bess; can’t wait to read your piece.

And thank you to all of you who helped make the DIY MFA extrabloganza so much fun.  You guys rock!

Today we have our Student Speaker guest post and blogfest!  SA Larsen (AKA Sheri) was one of the first people to join in on DIY MFA and has been a part of this blog community since… almost since when this blog started.  She’s a young adult and middle grade writer, wife, and mother to four humanoids. A romantic at heart and self-proclaimed chocoholic, she’s a lover of all things paranormal and the owner of the infamous Graffiti Wall on Writers’ Ally. She can be found on Twitter and Facebook. Read on for Sheri’s take on DIY MFA and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom, to read other posts by other DIY MFAers.  And now, here’s Sheri!

Writing is an evolution for both writer and the works he or she produces. A successful writer is not merely one who is published, but one willing to constantly train and mature within the craft.

Over the last four weeks, iggi U has taken us from one well mapped-out element of writing to the next and given us our own in-house Do-It-Yourself MFA. Totally cool! Technique, reading habits, and inspiration have all been covered. I, for one, will take with me the sense of community developed here and Gabi’s enthusiasm for the written word. It’s contagious, and I love that.

The idea of mind mapping is one of the exciting techniques I’ve honed while at iggi U. It almost reminded me of my theatre classes when the instructor gave us a phrase, and as we acted it out, he’d toss another completely unrelated phrase at us. This kind of activity is great, pushing us out of my comfort zone and beyond our average, mundane thoughts. Personal translation: resurrection from the cautious and otherwise boring scenes, plots, or sub-plots I might have come up with. It’s an innovative way to stretch those mental and creative muscles. I’ve tucked this tool away in my creative writing arsenal for the next time I’m jittery about taking a writing risk.

If you’re anything like me, once I have a scene or a chapter in mind, I tend to go on autopilot and just write. I’m definitely a pantser. Outlining is too restrictive for my squishy brain. Grid out my gray matter and you might as well have erased my thought process entirely. But Gabi’s lessons on the In’s and Out’s of Plotting and the Character Compass, not to mention TADA—which is magnificent, BTW—got me thinking. An itemized list of capital A to G with numbers trailing behind like the Pied Piper isn’t necessary. But I also don’t need to abandon planning all together. I can ask myself simple questions, analyzing conflict, and character traits and growth as I write. If I find any weaknesses, I can turn to the mind mapping method to develop more. And even if I find solid, engaging conflict, I can still use this technique to add a little heat and spice, and maybe deepen the plot in a way I hadn’t thought of yet. I call this non-restrictive, and I’ll definitely be applying this to my writing rhymes.

The last element I’d like to mention is the idea of Reading Like a Writer. This happens to be a topic I’ve studied a lot. Don’t get me wrong; it is vital we read for pleasure. But learning to have that ‘writer’s eye’ while reading other’s work is a form of invaluable training for a writer. I plan on honing this method even more now.

Overall, iggi U has been a wonderful experience and has given me insight into my personal workings as a writer. And best of all, the lessons and discussions can be a continued writing resource by the simple click of a key and a link.

I’d like to thank Gabi for sharing her talents and love of writing with us.

Thank you Sheri, and thank you everyone who helped make DIY MFA a success.  Now, check out these awesome links below.