Columns

The Bitten Word: A Writing Exercise

March 1st, 2023

Header image by Roy Christopher Quoting and paraphrasing are common in writing disciplines such as journalism and academia, but plagiarism is anathema, punishable by excommunication. While endemic to the creative practices of hip-hop, the practice of interpolation is also hotly debated. The orthodox rule there was no biting, but if you can take what someone else wrote and make it better, that’s worthy of respect.

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Craft Books for Writers Who Hate Craft Books

February 28th, 2023

Throughout the past 10+ years of working in a mix of publishing and academic environments, I’ve learned that craft books are hit and miss. Some students and writers really love and depend on them, whereas others feel like after a while, they get a bit stale or repetitive or maybe aren’t giving them the helpful push or inspiration they wanted. Personally, I was the type of writer and student who devoured craft books.

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The David Sedaris Publication Path

February 22nd, 2023

photo: Heike Huslage-Koch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons David Sedaris never submitted pieces to lit mags. David Sedaris never tried to find an agent.

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Yes, I'll Sign Up For Your Author Newsletter

February 21st, 2023

Header image via Madison Inouye I’m trash for an author newsletter. It seems like lately, every author, published or pre-published, has created an author newsletter, and every time they mention their email offerings on my Twitter feed, I simply must sign up. I’m just a huge fan of getting fun emails in my inbox and of feeling a connection to the authors I’ve read and love — or even the authors I follow on social.

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Storyville: The Big Reveal—Adding Up to Ten

February 17th, 2023

So, you know the horror film—a quiet, dark house or maybe a creepy barn, with a full moon outside. The last final girl is walking towards the basement or the loft or the cornfield when all of a sudden—BAM. A cat jumps in the window. Something tips over. An animal runs out of the pile of hay. It’s a jump scare, and it works, but there’s no depth to this horror. It’s a moment, and it will not linger.

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The State of Book Bans in the US in 2023

February 15th, 2023

Image via Wikipedia Commons More. That’s the theme of 2023 when it comes to book bans: more. There have been more challenges, more protests, more pieces of legislation than there have been in the recent past.

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9 Dates From Literary Hell

February 14th, 2023

Flame image via icon0 Swooning over fictional characters is one of the perks of being a bookworm. They’re dashing and charismatic, romantic and audacious. But there’s also the characters we’d never want to run into in real life. Sometimes they’re the villains, sometimes they’re the unlikeable protagonists, and sometimes they’re side characters whose toxic traits take up the entire page.

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Eat Your Heart Out: A 5-Course Meal of Horror-Romance-ish Reads For Valentine's Day

February 13th, 2023

Valentine’s Day. Roses. Chocolates. Cutesy stuffed animals and fancy dinners. A baby with a bow. February is a month for lovers, but even with so much sweetness in the air, there’s still plenty to enjoy for those whose tastes run a little darker. 

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Fostering Inclusivity: Sensitivity Readings and Content Warnings

February 10th, 2023

Image via Fernando Arcos Today I want to talk about two ways you can make your writing more inclusive. They're things you might not even think about, but your readers will definitely notice and appreciate when done well. Both can be summed up in this quote from Alan Baxter:

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Horrormance Titles for A Macabre Valentine's Day

February 9th, 2023

Horror and romance have more in common than one may initially think. Both genres often have to overcome stigmas that they're just one thing or the other, when in reality, there are so many works of popular romance and horror that hold a lot of depth. I'd argue romance and horror are the most honest genres. What's more vulnerable to us than what we love or what we fear? The stakes are always high with both, whether we're fighting for someone's affection or fighting to stay alive.

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