Columns

Well-Written Horror Films: Part IV

October 19th, 2016

It's the most wonderful time of the year, when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to roam freely among us. Perhaps you keep these spirits at bay with propitiation, or perhaps you honor those you've lost in the last year. Or perhaps you spend this time of year engaged in the Americanized traditions of costumes, candy, and horror movies. Or all three.

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The Mini-Guide To Writing Sex For Your Genre

October 19th, 2016

There are approximately a zillion questions to consider when it comes to the craft of sex in fiction. One of the most important being: Does your genre's intended audience expect, crave, or even allow sex? Will your intended audience flee the minute the forecast leans toward a slight chance of penetration, or will they be pissed at you if there's not enough? Whether sex plays a main role, a side character, or is simply an off-the-page thought only mentioned in passing, chances are, the topic’s going to pop up. Incorporating sex into your fiction can be a tricky endeavor.

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Writing the Crime Scene: Cops Don't Talk Like That!

October 18th, 2016

Your cop protagonist shouts into the radio strapped to his tactical vest while he races toward a liquor store robbery. The veteran detective you’ve created confesses something to her partner on an overnight stake-out outside the killer’s apartment. Whatever crime fiction you’re crafting, it’s important that you maintain your authority by nailing the dialogue when writing characters who are in law enforcement. As a criminal lawyer, I spend a lot of time chatting with the police.

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22 of the Best And Worst Promotional Products For Your Book Release

October 18th, 2016

I played in a golf tournament recently (or, I should say I was very drunk for several hours and there was golf happening around me), and was given the customary goodie bag. Golf tees, coupons, and, of course, a stress ball that was made to look like what I assume is part of a human spine.

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Horror While Black: Race in Matt Ruff's 'Lovecraft Country'

October 17th, 2016

H.P. Lovecraft, along with Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, is one of the most chilling horror writers in history. He also was a raging racist. Although obscure within his lifetime, the last few decades has seen the Rhode Island native receive a critical re-appraisal, and with that comes the perspective of modern eyes.

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Library Love: Where Do Books Go When They Die?

October 17th, 2016

Image via UBC Library You may have heard about the Shakespeare First Folio that is visiting each of the 50 states this year. It’s a timeless relic that brought together 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, 18 of which had never been published before. The First Folio ensured Shakespeare’s place in a narrow canon of works that continue to have meaning centuries after their conception, thousands of miles outside their place of origin.

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What Works & What Doesn't: 'Halloween'

October 13th, 2016

Welcome once again to What Works & What Doesn't, whereby we take a classic or notable film and explore its effective and weak aspects in kind, determining what exactly works about the film and what doesn't (as the title of this series indicates). And as we are now firmly planted in the month of October, what better film to analyze than John Carpenter's breakout hit Halloween, featuring the now iconic characters Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Michael Myers AKA The Shape (Nick Castle) and Dr.

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A Book Reviewer's Bill Of Rights

October 12th, 2016

I'm guessing most of us are familiar with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which give us the right to be harassed by journalists, the right to be terrified by the presence of firearms, and then a bunch of other stuff about quartering soldiers, excessive bail, and stuff that's not exciting because none of it involves using swear words or shooting stuff.

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The Story Behind Kafka's Insect Infestation

October 12th, 2016

The premise of Kafka's The Metamorphosis is well known. After waking one morning from uneasy dreams, traveling salesman Gregor Samsa found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

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The 10 Types of Horror Stories I’d Love To Read

October 11th, 2016

A few weeks ago Max Booth wrote a column about the Ten Horror Stories Nobody Wants to Read. So, I thought I’d follow up on this with a column about the Ten Horror Stories I’d LOVE to read. Not only have I been an author for the past nine years, with three novels, three short story collections, and over 100 stories in print, but I’ve also edited four anthologies (The New Black, Burnt Tongues, The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers, and Exigencies).

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