Columns
Showing 3546 Columns
LitReactor Staff Picks: The Best Books of 2016 part 2
December 12th, 2016
Another year has come and gone. You know what that means, don't you? Time for a bunch of strangers to tell you what was good! And why should you care what the LitReactor writers think are the best books of the year? Trick question! You shouldn't. But what they have to say might interest you nonetheless, because they are good-looking and knowledgeable and they read like the wind. So for those who care, we submit for your approval/derision some of LitReactor's favorite reads of 2016 (part 2).
Read Column →Why You Need A Snow Day Writing Pact
December 12th, 2016
A snow day is coming. And before you tell me that you live in a place where it doesn't snow, let's define what a snow day is.
Read Column →11 Nasty Women Dominating Weird Fiction
December 9th, 2016
I've recently read and reviewed a lot of horror, crime, and bizarro written by women. Yes, it was by choice, but the choice was not to read books by women; it was to read the best weird fiction I could find, and it just so happens that women are writing some spectacular books. While the current political landscape makes me want to tell everyone to read solely works by women, POC, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, I won't do that because great fiction is great fiction regardless of who's writing it.
Read Column →7 Coffee Table Books for the Nerd in Your Life
December 9th, 2016
It's so easy to give crappy books as gifts, especially oversized ones meant for the coffee table. If you found it at the chain bookstore in the discount section, it probably sucks. Don't spend your money that way! Coffee table books are a weird book type, aren't they? They're like their own genre, encompassing other genres that involve pictures. Who reads a novel in coffee table format? Nobody. But everyone accepts a fashion retrospective in oversize as legitimate.
Read Column →LitReactor Staff Picks: The Best Books of 2016 (part 1)
December 5th, 2016
Another year has come and gone. You know what that means, don't you? Time for a bunch of strangers to tell you what was good! And why should you care what the LitReactor writers think are the best books of the year? Trick question! You shouldn't. But what they have to say might interest you nonetheless, because they are good-looking and knowledgeable and they read like the wind. So for those who care, we submit for your approval/derision some of LitReactor's favorite reads of 2016 (part 1).
Read Column →Ridiculously Extravagant Gifts For Writers And Their Cheap Alternatives
December 2nd, 2016
'Tis the season! To buy some stuff for the writer in your life! I'll be the first to admit, writers can be tough to shop for. Especially if you don't want to indulge some bad habits (booze), overindulge medium-bad habits (coffee), or do that copout thing where you give something like a certificate for 30 minutes of interruption-free time.
Read Column →What 'Westworld' Can Teach Us About Writers
December 2nd, 2016
It’s fair to say Westworld is winning television right now. HBO’s latest gem and 2016’s best argument for reboot culture is being watched, discussed and dissected with far more fervor than expected for a show based on a 1973 film that is mostly remembered for Yul Brenner perfecting the iconic killer robot walk.
Read Column →5 Horrifying Monsters That Aren't Vampires, Zombies or Werewolves!
December 1st, 2016
Editors and publishers are getting weary of zombies, werewolves and vampires haunting their slush piles. Despite their pleas for change, new writers keep resurrecting the same old monsters for their latest horror submissions. There are a million strange and wonderful creatures out there that are dying to claw their way into your next manuscript. Here are five nasties you’ve probably never heard of that will inspire you to terrorize us with something new.
Read Column →Storyville: 10 Neo-Noir Films to Influence Your Fiction
November 30th, 2016
One of the reasons I talk about neo-noir so much is that, to me, it embodies everything I love in a great story—something new, innovative, and different; something dark, tragic, and conflicted; something with atmosphere, mood, and depth. Today’s article will talk about ten of my favorite neo-noir films, and how they can inform, inspire, and elevate your prose. I won’t include a ton of plot summation, as you have probably heard and/or seen most or all of these movies. If you haven’t, then hop to it. I’ll do my best to avoid spoilers.
Read Column →
