Columns

5 Reasons To Keep A Record Of What You Read

November 10th, 2016

If you’re like me, you’re always reading something. Sometimes you’re reading multiple books at once. Other times, you’re so fixated on a single book that you actually feel a deep sadness when you reach the last page. Regardless of your level of reading obsession, I believe it’s a great idea to keep a record of what you read.

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Happy Birthday, Anne Sexton

November 10th, 2016

Anne Gray Harvey Sexton was born Nov. 9, 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts to a woolen manufacturer. Her life was fraught with unhappy relationships and a downhill battle with depression, but to read her writing is to glimpse the mind of a remarkable woman whose work demonstrated the convalescent powers of the written word. Her writing began as a form of therapy and it has endured long past her suicide at the age of 46. 

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5 Reasons To Hire A Freelance Editor, and What To Do When You Can't

November 9th, 2016

Freelance editors often get a bum rap from authors in the literary world. They are seen as predators. Critical snobs. The scum of the earth. Hello, I'm a freelance editor. 

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40 Years Ago, Howard The Duck Ran For President

November 9th, 2016

I've got a piece of election history for you, and I'm betting it's one you didn't hear about yesterday, no matter how much news you watched. Let me take you back 40 years. Yes, 1976. America was tooling around in automobiles powered by 59-cent/gallon gas. NASA released the famous Face on Mars photo. A baby named Joseph Lawrence Mignogna, Jr. was born, and little did we know that a scant few years later, he'd be "Whoa"-ing his way into our hearts.

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Ten Obsessions that Murder Writing Careers

November 8th, 2016

Writing is an obsession. It occupies your brain all the time. Your characters talk to you at night. Plot twists come to you in the middle of conversations with other human beings. The perfect day is spent inside putting words to paper regardless of the weather outside. Such is the life of the writer. Unfortunately, the same obsessive nature that allows writers to live and breathe their art is the same behavior that makes them easily develop hurtful practices that may hinder their career and cut into their writing time. Here are ten of those bad obsessions.

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Google Made Me Stupid. How Do I Learn to Read Again?

November 7th, 2016

“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” – William Gibson, Neuromancer I can’t read anymore.

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World Fantasy Convention 2016: Delayed Live Blog

November 7th, 2016

Thursday October 27 4:30 AM. My cousin drives me to San Jose airport from Gilroy, CA, to make my 6:20 flight to Columbus, OH. Howard Stern is on the radio and Lady Gaga plays "A Million Reasons" live in the studio. I start to cry in the dark truck, and I cling to my cousin on the curb, gripped by separation anxiety. Seriously. WFC? What was I thinking?

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9 Questions Writers Hate to be Asked

November 4th, 2016

I’m pretty sure every occupation comes with questions that make the askee roll his/her eyes. No, nurses don’t want to look at that rash. Well duh teachers enjoy having the summers ‘off,’ but they probably don’t appreciate the implication that they have it easy. And yes – sigh – your local band will begrudgingly play at your wedding with no pay, but only because they love you, Sis.

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5 Benefits of Using a Typewriter on Your First Draft

November 3rd, 2016

I've sat here for an embarrassing amount of time debating how to begin this article without sounding like some kind of hipster douchebag, and I finally decided there’s no way of avoiding it, so fuck it, here we go. If it helps you to envision a fedora atop my head as you read this, go ahead, I won’t be upset.

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What I'm Doing Instead of NaNoWriMo

November 1st, 2016

I've always been a big supporter of NaNoWriMo. I think it's a worthwhile endeavor that can teach writers a lot about style and habits. Over the years, I've participated to mixed success. Fast forward to today, however, and writing has become the way I pay the bills as a freelance columnist and newspaper stringer. I honestly don't have the time or desire to pump out 50,000 words for fun or practice, especially since it would draw energy away from the commercial writing that I rely on.

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