Columns

Storyville: Leaving Room for the Reader in Your Fiction

April 24th, 2017

I was talking to a few of my favorite authors, Stephen Graham Jones and Brian Evenson, when they stopped by my Contemporary Dark Fiction class, and in both conversations the idea of “leaving room for the reader” came up. I think this is something that is crucial, as an author, and I’d like to talk about it a bit here today, to try and elaborate and explain what I mean, and how you might do that yourself.

Read Column →

10 New Female Authors That Should Be On Your Radar

April 21st, 2017

A ton of books are published every day, and many of them are by women. However, sometimes it's easy to overlook or simply miss new talent because there is just too much out there. Because some of these authors deserve all the attention they can get, I decided to put together a list of the best new voices. How did I decided which ones are "new"? Well, I went with authors with only one book published. Here they are. Go read their words.

Read Column →

Oni Press 20 Years Later: 'Blue Monday' and the Pros and Cons of Colorizing Black and White Comic Books

April 21st, 2017

Oni Press is an independent comic book publishing company formed in 1997. It made a name for itself in the early days by having a punk rock attitude, with books like Jen Van Meter’s Hopeless Savages, Brian Wood’s Pounded and Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, with room for exceptions like Greg Rucka’s Whiteout. But its distinctive alternative edge came from the fact that they published almost entirely black and white books.

Read Column →

What I Learned Being Mandy De Sandra

April 20th, 2017

About 3 and a half years ago, two college students started churning out kindle singles about women having sex with dinosaurs. I found their success a little depressing but also fascinating. Eventually, my curiosity overpowered my snobbery and I was one of the first people to interview one of the dino-erotica girls. I interviewed Alara Brawnen and my literary worldview was forever changed.

Read Column →

The Hack Chronicles—The Dadonauts: Time Management

April 20th, 2017

For a writer, time is the enemy.

Read Column →

Tech and Product Round-up: April Edition

April 19th, 2017

image courtesy neybox.com Hello all, welcome once again to LitReactor's monthly tech and product round-up, where we discuss the latest in technology with a writerly bent. There's plenty to report, as usual, so let's jump right in.

Read Column →

17 Recommended Podcasts To Help You Improve As A Writer and Human Being

April 19th, 2017

Initially I was going to write an article solely focussing on podcasts that can help you improve as a writer. But the more I pondered the subject, the more evident it became that being a well-rounded writer is inseparable from being a well-rounded human being. Rather than read this as a definitive list of podcasts, I want this piece to serve as a starting point in your own podcast journey. A choose-your-own-adventure, if you like. For that reason I’ve sectioned recommendations into categories.

Read Column →

13 Ways to Support an Author Without Ever Spending a Dime

April 18th, 2017

I may be an author myself, but I still get it: books can be expensive. I read like a fiend and have made it a personal mission to support as many of my favorite books and authors as possible, but it can be tricky at times on an author/teacher paycheck. There are so many ways, however, to show an author some love without having to drop $25 for every hardback on the shelf. Here are just a few suggestions to help get you started.

Read Column →

Storyville: Great Titles—Hooking Your Readers

April 17th, 2017

So today we are going to be talking all about titles and hooks—how your title can grab your readers and kick off the story with information, excitement, and mystery. I’ll be focusing on my own work, because I can provide some insight into the process, and what the story and titles mean to each other, as well. Let’s dig right in.

Read Column →

100 Bits Of Advice Gleaned From Writing 100 LitReactor Columns

April 17th, 2017

By the time you read this I'll have over 100 LitReactor columns under my belt. There have been some successes, some failures, and a whole lot to learn for someone new to the freelance writing game. Some of the lessons are about writing, pitching column ideas, productivity, and a good portion are about Demolition Man. Let me narrow it down to the 100 most important things. Which are in a particular order: the order in which they came to me. 1. tl;dr is the realest shit ever.

Read Column →