Columns

Five Tools for the Journeyman Writer

November 9th, 2017

A couple of months ago, I had an idea for a new book with no vampires in it. This is actually pretty unusual for me. For my entire writing career, I’ve stuck almost exclusively to the urban fantasy genre, which is my happy place. I love what I do, but after twelve books of writing…well, not the same thing, but related things, I figured it might be time to go outside my comfort zone, maybe try something a little more literary. To do that, I decided I would need to spend a little time improving my writing.

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Why Art is So Important During Turbulent Times

November 9th, 2017

We live in turbulent times. Each day it seems we wake up to more bad news or troublesome tweets from our President. These are angry times as well — times when families are riven by political tension, when it feels like the regular global order is fractured beyond repair.  I recently got into a yelling fight with my mother because I thought she was being too “privileged” by turning off the TV and not taking in the news. And she told me that she was sinking into a legitimate depression because of what she heard or read there.

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The 11 Bram Stoker Novels That Aren't 'Dracula'

November 8th, 2017

Bram Stoker was born November 8th, 1847. Then some other stuff happened, then we had vampires. That’s the way it looks to most of us, anyway. This being Ol’ Bram-ble’s (we’re close, I have cute nicknames for him) 170th birthday, I thought it’d be good to write something about the man. But the last thing the world needs is another column about Dracula. What could I say about it that hasn’t already been said a dozen times over by a few dozen English professors with a couple dozen bored students in front of them?

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Storyville: Horror Story vs. Horror Novel

November 7th, 2017

Today I’m going to be talking about how to establish the length of your story, and while I’ll be focusing on horror, you can probably apply all of my comments to any genre. Sometimes the story decides what it wants to be, but for now, let’s pretend like we’re in control.

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Parallels Between Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains" and 'Blade Runner'

November 6th, 2017

Blade Runner 2049 may be a colossal failure at the box office, but its critical reception and the buzz generated online indicate people will be talking about it for years to come. One point of discussion has been its literary connections. Of course there’s the fact that it’s a sequel to a movie based on Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but there are allusions to other books in Blade Runner 2049.

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Gory, Bizarre, Cheesy Horror Movies and Their Book Matches Pt. 2

November 1st, 2017

As was made clear in part one of this column, I love horror movies, and I love horror books. So much that I went a little bit overboard on this column and had to divide it into two parts. Which is all the more exciting! Because now it can have a subtitle like "The Bloodening" or "Revengitality."

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The 15 Best Costumes for Writers

October 31st, 2017

Halloween is my favorite misunderstood/commercialized "holiday," and dressing up is a big part of it. I know saying people take off their masks and show the world their true selves on Halloween night is a cliché, but it's a good, accurate cliché. In any case, writers are a special breed, so I decided to create a list of cheap costumes for those who plan to go to a party or go ask strangers for free candy. Let's get started.

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A Horror Novel Novice Takes a Stab at Halloween-y Books

October 30th, 2017

I’d like to credit The Shining with being the reason I can’t turn off the bathroom light unless the door is open—I’ve still got nightmares about that one bathroom scene. When I watched Donnie Darko in middle school, I sprinted to my parents’ car through someone’s backyard at dusk, jumped in the front seat and yelled, “Go, go!” because I was having visions of a giant rabbit chasing me.

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5 Reasons Jigsaw is the Perfect Writing Mentor

October 27th, 2017

Jigsaw just wants to make people be their best selves. He’s a secular humanist and a post-modern self-help guru. Is he a psychopathic mass-murder? I mean technically yes, but I think Jigsaw didn’t find his true purpose—being the best writing mentor of all time. Yes, his love of torture is a bit extreme, but Jigsaw understands the human heart and the power of narrative. His heart is in the right place and he could help many beginning writers find their true voice. 

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Gory, Bizarre, Cheesy Horror Movies and Their Book Matches Pt. 1

October 26th, 2017

I love horror movies. I also love horror books. It’s October, and you’re on LitReactor, so I’m guessing you feel the same way. Combining a love of horror movies and horror books seems easy, right? I mean, look at a good movie, find the book it was based on, pow.

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