335: The Art of Heartfelt Teaching (and Writing)— Interview with Diane Zinna

Hey 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 seasons. Diane lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband and daughter, and The All-Night Sun is her debut novel. In this episode Diane and I discuss: How a dream she had, her experience with grief, and her memories of Sweden inspired the premise of her novel. Why she started the story where she did and why she almost wrote Lauren a completely different ending. What kind of heartfelt teaching Diane feels is imperative to the workshop experience. Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/335