Columns

5 Tips on Researching Legal Jargon for Writers

July 7th, 2016

As a writer who has been a criminal lawyer for over a decade, I often get asked about legal research for novels, short stories and film scripts. Recently, an author friend of mine showed me a draft of her newest work and I had to break it to her that one of the key elements of the manuscript was a legal impossibility. Whoops. It pays to do your research ahead of time to make sure you don’t end up sabotaging your plot from the get-go.

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You've Published Your First Story in a Pro Magazine...Now What?

July 6th, 2016

Photo courtesy Josh Hallett, via flikr.com, CC-BY SA 2.0 (Note: I admit fully to shamelessly plugging myself and the magazine in which I'm published. I have zero qualms about doing so.) You've sold and published your first story to a pro magazine. Now what?

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James Patterson: The Best Author I've Never Read

July 5th, 2016

I love James Patterson. Even though that love has never translated to me actually reading one of his books. Let me explain a couple things here. Skipping over Patterson's books is not a point of pride. I know there are many circles in which never having read James Patterson, or reading him in order to make educated jabs at him, would probably be a badge of honor. For me, it's pretty simple. I'll never forgive the casting of Tyler Perry as Alex Cross. Kidding!

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5 Things You Never Knew About Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Never Thought To Ask

July 4th, 2016

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. To celebrate his 212th birthday, here's a few tidbits that you may not have known about this stalwart man of letters.

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A Modest Proposal in Response to Devin Faraci’s 'Fandom is Broken'

July 1st, 2016

On May 25, the Nick Spencer-penned Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 uncovered modern comic fandom’s literal reading of stories and authorial intent. On May 30, film critic Devin Faraci reacted with “Fandom is Broken”.

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UPDATED WITH WINNER: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: Knockemstiff Edition

June 30th, 2016

Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity Welcome to LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown, a monthly bout of writing prowess. How It Works We give you inspiration in the form of a picture, poem, video, or prompt. You write a flash fiction piece using the inspiration we gave you. Put your entry in the comments section. One winner will be picked and awarded a prize.

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Weird as F@#K Horror

June 29th, 2016

I write it. I read it. I even have the lady balls (and grocery bills) to try and teach it. But what is It? Can you know It? Can you see It? And once seen, can It ever be unseen? Unknown?

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Comics vs. Television: 'Preacher'

June 29th, 2016

The first time I encountered Preacher was at the back of an old issue of The Punisher. There  was a page that listed upcoming releases, and as soon as I saw the description I knew I had to read this book. I don’t even recall what adventures the Punisher was getting into that month, but I can still picture the little gray box full of tiny type that introduced me to one of the finest pieces of graphic fiction ever committed to paper. Preacher went on to become one of my all-time favorite comics.

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John Swartzwelder Is The Funniest Writer You're Not Reading

June 27th, 2016

As my exciting story opens, I am being punched in the stomach. And thus begins the career of Frank Burly, and thus begins The Time-Traveling Detective, the first novel by John Swartzwelder.

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What A $5 Book Cover Looks Like

June 24th, 2016

Self-publishing isn't the scarlet letter it once was. Okay, there's still some stigma. But I'll admit, some of that stigma is earned by people like me who crank out some weird, stupid garbage and slap it onto the Kindle store. You can't write 3 Ninjas fanfic and feel like you're free of guilt there.

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