Columns

What An Author Reading Is And Why You Should Go To One

April 11th, 2016

Last week I went to an author reading with my partner, PoonMasterFlex. That's her chosen nickname, by the way. For the sake of this column, I'll just call her "Flex." It's shorter, less fratty, and I live in fear of the kinds of Google searches this column might pop up under if the term "PoonMasterFlex" is overused. Flex and I were walking to the reading, and when we were about halfway there, she said, "So...what's going to happen? How does this work?"

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22 of the Best Single Sentences on Writing

April 8th, 2016

There have been entire articles and books devoted to the craft of writing. And while you should definitely read at least a few of them (I personally recommend Stephen King's On Writing and Robert McKee's Story), you'll likely never find the time to read them all. Fortunately, some of the best tips out there can be whittled down to a single sentence, easily consumed and memorizable. Here are some of my favorites (22 in all, to be exact) culled from some of the biggest names in the world of fiction writing.

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6 Killer Death Scenes to Tattoo On Your Writer's Brain

April 8th, 2016

When my kids were little we had a family fun game called “Death Scenes.” We’d gather in the back yard or in the playing fields behind our house—the same fields, by the way, where Peter Jackson shot his matricide movie, Heavenly Creatures—and we’d compete to see who could die the best.

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LitReactor Community Spotlight: April 2016

April 6th, 2016

I've been thinking a lot about perspective. If you've been following politics in the US this election cycle, you probably have too. Conflict is easier for an individual to manage from a limited perspective; you can name a thousand and one reasons why your side is correct, and why the opponent is wrong. From an individual perspective, every fight is a virtuous one.

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Why You Should Write Something Pointless

April 5th, 2016

Have you ever heard of water calligraphy? Here's how it works.  Basically, a person, often an old man, goes to the park. He brings a water bucket and a stick with a sponge strapped on the end. He finds a spot of concrete, and he dips his sponge in the bucket. Then he writes. Beautiful, ornate characters on the sidewalk, carefully formed. The characters last for only a short time before they dry out and disappear.

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7 Valuable Pinterest Tips for Writers

April 4th, 2016

Most writers are aware that Pinterest is known as the single greatest time-suck in all of procrastination, but in reality it can be so much more. Sure, you can spend hours pinning recipes you’ll never try or crafty bookish projects that won’t turn out quite like you imagined, but there’s a way to make Pinterest a source of more creative pursuits. From before you sit down to your work in progress to marketing your finished novel, here is a list of ways for making the most out of Pinterest as a writer.

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Every Danielle Steel Novel Summarized in 140 Characters or Less

April 1st, 2016

Images via Cyrus Webb & DaniellSteel.com Inspired by the column that almost became a segment on the Queen Latifah Show: Every Stephen King Novel Summarized in 140 Characters or Less by Max Booth III Say you wanted to get into Danielle Steel and didn't kno

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UPDATED WITH WINNER - LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: City of Rose Edition

March 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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Book vs. Film: 'Horns'

March 30th, 2016

When it comes to the success or failure of a book adaptation, casting the prominent roles is essential. An actor that just isn't right for a particular role can make or break the quality of a film based on a novel. Sometimes, the actor in question seems born to play a particular role—like Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden in Fight Club; can anyone picture the character any other way now?

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The Joy of Writing Negative Book Reviews

March 29th, 2016

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  Isn't it convenient that the stupidest quote ever also provides its own defense against critique? But more to the point, I'll respond to this quote. Why say something mean? Because it's fun to say mean things sometimes.  There's a bit of a backlash against the negative book review at the moment, and I'd like to make a case for why it's good, clean fun to get dirty in your reviews.

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