Columns

Is "Stranger Things" The Contemporary Sci-Fi/Horror Juggernaut We've Been Waiting For?

July 21st, 2016

Right now, people are talking about Stranger Things just about as much as they're playing Pokémon Go (almost, anyway).

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The Weird World Of Marvel What If's

July 21st, 2016

Here's the deal with Marvel's What If? series: Imagine a bunch of comic book dorks sitting around, arguing about what would happen if the Fantastic Four hadn't beaten Galactus. And when you imagine this, I recommend only your visual and auditory senses. Skip on the olfactory.

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Wrestletown, Publishing, and Doing It By Myself

July 20th, 2016

The modern publishing industry has never been as splintered as it is today, with authors finding success through a number of channels – traditional big four, small press, self-publishing, crowdfunding, putting work out for free through sites such as Wattpad or blogs to gain a following, etc. The playing field is wide with more and more responsibility being placed on the creator – no matter the avenue they take – to promote themselves and sell their work. There has never been a better time to experiment, and there is no wrong way to pursue your dream.

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The State of the Great American Novel

July 19th, 2016

The concept of a unifying “Great American Novel” (GAN) dates back to an essay published by essayist John William De Forest in The Nation in 1868. Essentially, De Forest wanted exactly what the title says— an original novel that encompassed the heart of the American experience. 

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What Works & What Doesn't: 'Full Metal Jacket'

July 18th, 2016

Welcome back to What Works & What Doesn't. In previous installments we've looked at the basic building blocks of a screenplay, working our way up from beats to scenes, from scenes to sequences, and sequences to acts. Now it's time to examine the screenplay in its entirety, from beginning to middle to end, Acts I-III.

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Ramona Quimby and A Head Full of Ghostbusters: When Men Write Women

July 15th, 2016

On the cusp of Ghostbusters' release, now is a good time to consider when men write women versus when women write women. In a male-dominated industry, both Hollywood and the publishing world, it's common that even powerful women in fiction are written by men. In the case of Ghostbusters, writer/director Paul Feig, who has a history with female-driven stories such as Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013) and Spy (2015), collaborated with Katie Dippold (Parks and Recreation) on the script.

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12 Grammar and Writing Tips from Archer

July 15th, 2016

If I were having a dinner party, and I could invite anyone I wanted, I would totally invite Adam Reed, the creator and writer of the made-for-adults cartoon show, Archer.

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How I More Than Doubled My Patreon Support in Less Than 30 Days

July 14th, 2016

The idea behind this article was conceived on 10 May, 2016 at 1 a.m. when I rather foolishly decided to send this pitch to the LitReactor editors. I can write 'How I Doubled My Patreon Support in 30 Days' provided you tell me ASAP you're commissioning it and give me at least thirty days to write it—it's going to be a pretty experimental column.

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8 Places To Write: Writing When and Where You Can

July 13th, 2016

I’m a big fan of writing routines and daily habits but sometimes life gets in the way. Rather than give up and abandon writing for the day you have to utilise those opportune moments for knuckling down and getting the work done. It might be one minute in a supermarket queue, while commuting to-and-from work, or even while on the beach with nothing but spade and sand (a photographic memory is useful here, too). Here in no particular order is a list of places I’ve written and a few suggestions I’ve yet to try out.

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Broke Hack Mountain: A Recap, and Tips for Planning Your Own Writing Retreat

July 13th, 2016

(Top to bottom, left to right: Josh Bazell, Dan Krokos, Todd Robinson, Rob Hart, Erik Arneson, Jon McGoran. Photo by Jon McGoran's iPhone.) It started with a message from my pal: author, editor, and bartender extraordinaire Todd Robinson. He saw a literary magazine was sponsoring a sleep-away camp. It was $300 for a couple of nights. Private room, shared bathroom, meals included. Time to write during the day, group activities, and opportunities for editorial input from the magazine staff.

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