Columns

Three Books About... Beginnings

January 26th, 2016

January is the month for beginnings; a time for ignoring the obvious fact that nothing much ever changes and forging regardless into a new year, full of optimism. We start life full of optimism too — unblemished by experience or disappointment. This might be why so many writers eventually turn to memoir. The beginning of life represents the foundation on which we are built and the subject of we proves irresistible to most of us, writers not excluded. Some writers turn to the subject of their beginnings as a postscript to an otherwise successful career in fiction.

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Writing Gave Me Hemorrhoids

January 25th, 2016

This is my PSA. My chance to give back to other writers.  [Imagine me narrating this to you while I’m in some kind of mountainous meadow. I’m in a jean jacket for sure. Jean pants, commonly referred to as “jeans.” My hair looks great. And there’s something wise about my face. It's a dark wisdom. I've seen...things.] Here we go.

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The Dreaded R-Word: The Goods and Evils of Rhetoric

January 25th, 2016

Seems like every time I read the news, I see the word “rhetoric.” But what is rhetoric anyway? Merriam-Webster says it is “the art of speaking or writing effectively.” Honestly, I never gave the word or what it meant much thought until I was assigned to teach First Year Rhetoric and Composition at Penn State while I was a grad student there. What a fancy name for “English 101,” I thought.

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10 Mistakes (Almost) Every Rookie Writer Makes

January 22nd, 2016

photo by Matt McGee via Flickr The thing about being a rookie writer is that you can't tell when you look like one.

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Book vs. Film vs. TV Series: 'Hannibal'

January 21st, 2016

Good evening, LitReactor readers.

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Self-Editing For Dummies

January 20th, 2016

Should you hire an editor for your novel?  Yes, you should. But if you write short fiction and are looking to submit your writing for publication, you probably need to self-edit your stories. Having an editor on call isn't feasible and it can get real expensive, real fast. At the same time, you want your writing to be the best it can be, even when you know your manuscript is going to be edited by a professional before publication. Novels or shorter work, you're here because you want to know how to do the grunt work yourself.

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30 Much Anticipated Young Adult Novels for the First Half of 2016

January 18th, 2016

It’s January, and that means looking forward to all of the highly anticipated novels that are releasing in the coming year. 2016 is bringing the young adult community many new and wonderful books, from sought-after sequels in well-loved series, to fresh, new debut voices. Here are thirty of the most talked about young adult novels of 2016 to get you started.

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Lessons From Martin Luther King Jr., The Writer

January 18th, 2016

Jan. 18 marks over three decades of national celebrations dedicated to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. King is known around the world as an activist and humanitarian, but his skill as a writer and communicator played an important role in bringing his advocacy to a broader audience. His speeches have been praised for their rhetoric, and he wrote one of his most passionate essays from an Alabama prison cell. King's words were not only transcendent in their message, but in their linguistic elegance.

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6 Self-Help Books That Actually Help

January 15th, 2016

It's far enough into the new year that we've all given up, right? Given up hope. Given up being on time. Given up on that gym membership because, meh, the ID photo stinks anyway. But you know what works better than resolutions, those champagne-fueled promises that are meant to be kept by a soberer, future you? A little help. 

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SMART Goals: 5 Steps To Setting Goals You Can Achieve

January 15th, 2016

A new year brings new possibilities, promises and resolutions. Every year I review what I want to achieve, professionally and personally, and set a series of SMART goals for the year ahead. I like to publish my goals publicly, on my Facebook page, as it keeps me accountable and motivated. If you’re running a small press, writing a novel, hosting a podcast, running a business or carrying out any kind of work you can benefit from goals. Not only can you benefit, but if you want to maximise productivity and potential you need to set goals.

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