Columns

What is Gutter Opera? 'Absolutely Golden' Author D. Foy Is Here To Explain...

October 9th, 2017

After D. Foy's stunning debut Made to Break sparked some serious noise in literary circles, I knew I wanted him to teach for LitReactor. We chatted a bit about the possibility of a workshop and he asked me if he could do it on Gutter Opera.  I had no idea what he meant, but of course, I wanted to know more. So I asked him to explain it, and what he came back with was so thoughtful, so concise, so electric, I knew we had the makings of an excellent class. 

Read Column →

The 7 Greatest Fears of Horror Writers

October 9th, 2017

October has rolled around, and we, readers, once more return to horror fiction in anticipation of Halloween. We put ourselves in the hands of masters like Lovecraft and Barker, or new kids like Joe Hill — all with the aim of scaring ourselves stupid. But what chilling thoughts keep horror writers awake at night? What thing scares Stephen King? What makes R.L. Stine lose his mind? Take our hand as we peel back the velvet curtain to reveal the seven terrifying things that frighten the frighteners.

Read Column →

13 Tourist Destinations for Horror Lovers

October 6th, 2017

Header image by Artur Strzelczyk via Wikipedia Commons October is a gorgeous month for traveling! From leaf peeping to camping, it’s probably the nicest time of year to see the sights. But true horror lovers want more than fall foliage; we want scary ass shit. So I’ve put together a list of 13 destinations for fans of the macabre, strange, and creepy. And this is no list of movie sets and theme parks, either. These locations are real – and really disturbing.

Read Column →

Queer Stereotypes Aren't Just Bad Writing—It Goes Deeper, Says 'Writing The Rainbow' Instructor Nita Tyndall

October 6th, 2017

I’ve been reading queer YA since I was in middle school and starved to see myself in stories. In the beginning, I took what I could get, even if the stories were riddled with cliches, because I was so desperate to see my identity reflected. I snuck these books from the library and hid them behind my textbooks to read, comforted because I could at last see myself.

Read Column →

The Agony & the Ecstasy of the Best-Seller List

October 5th, 2017

Last month, there was a little hullabaloo about a book publisher "quitting" the New York Times Best-Seller list. Regnery Publishing publicly stated that they would no longer use the best-seller list in promotional materials or as a basis for bonuses.

Read Column →

The Top 10 LitReactor Columns of All Time

October 4th, 2017

On October 1st, 2011, LitReactor was pushed wet and screaming into this world. Like many new parents, Dennis Widmyer and Kirk Clawes had high hopes for their bundle of Internet joy. They didn't know what the future held, exactly, just that they wanted the site to grow into something special. A community where writers could connect, learn, and flourish. On this, LitReactor's sixth year anniversary, we are proud to say we are still here—making new friends, arguing the minutiae of the written word, and paying writers to write.

Read Column →

The Top 10 Rare and Pricey Stephen King Books

October 3rd, 2017

I consider myself a book collector. I have some signed books, a few first editions, a couple of rare releases, some stuff that's old but in great condition, and books by my favorite authors that are now out of print. However, the world of Stephen King book collecting is a whole different beast.

Read Column →

Six Lessons I Learned Co-Writing A Novella With James Patterson

October 3rd, 2017

Last year James Patterson announced a new publishing venture: BookShots. Shorter, novella-sized stories. The tag line was: Under 150 pages. Under $5. Impossible to put down. I was very excited when BookShots got a splashy announcement in the New York Times—because it meant I could finally share some news I had been sitting on for months: I was writing one.

Read Column →

LitReactor Remembers Kirk Clawes

October 2nd, 2017

AWP 2016, Los Angeles: Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Rob Hart, Bree Ogden, Joshua Chaplinsky, Renee Asher Pickup, Taylor Houston, Kirk Clawes, Dennis Widmyer LitReactor suffered a huge blow a few days ago when we learned our co-founder and technical lead, Kirk Clawes, had passed away in his sleep. It truly was a shock, because Kirk was only 38 and so full of life.

Read Column →

The 10 Best Scenes From The First 10 Anita Blake Books

September 27th, 2017

I’ve been obsessed with Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series since I was a teenager. What can I say? It’s my fandom. Wikipedia describes it this way: “The series is narrated in the first person by Anita Blake, who works in St. Louis, Missouri, as a professional zombie raiser, vampire executioner and supernatural consultant for the police. The early novels focus predominantly on crime-solving and action.” They also have a healthy dose of horror.

Read Column →