243: Crafting Rich Settings - Interview with Heather Graham

DIY MFA Radio

Hey there word nerds!

Today I have the absolute pleasure of hosting New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham on the show!

A theater arts major at the University of South Florida, Heather began her career with several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals and bartending. After the birth of her third child, she decided to stay home and that’s when she began to write.

Since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, sci-fi, young adult, and Christmas family fare. She has been published in twenty-five languages with about 60 million books in print and has been honored with just about every major writing award under the sun, including the prestigious Thriller Master Award, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America.

Heather has also been featured in several media outlets including People and USA Today, as well as on newscasts such as Today and Entertainment Tonight.

Her newest book, A Lethal Legacy, is a chilling thriller which I read cover-to-cover because I could not put it down!

So listen in as Heather and I chat about this amazing book, and how to craft a fictitious setting that feels real.

In this episode Heather and I discuss:

• Building your world’s lore and mythology.
• How to use your setting to create impending peril and suspense in your plot.
• Why you need to make your readers care about the supporting cast.
• Crafting your villain’s motivations so they ring true for readers.
• Using alternating point of view characters to give a broader view of your story.

Plus, Heather’s #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/243.