Columns

4 Storytelling Lessons We Can Learn from the Giant Fuckup that was True Detective Season 2

September 8th, 2015

Once there was only dark. Then there was True Detective and for a while things got a little brighter. But for those of us who have been hate-watching our way through True Detective Season 2, that light has slowly faded in a welter of confused plotting and Colin Farrell in a handlebar mustache.

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Deadpool's Greatest Hits: 6 Must Reads

September 8th, 2015

Thanks to some leaked test footage that went viral a year ago, we’re finally getting a full-fledged Deadpool movie, and if the trailer (and the trailer for the trailer) is at all an accurate representation of the final product, it’s the one he so richly deserves. Despite being one of Marvel’s most-beloved characters, he has gone relatively unknown in other mediums, and tragically mistreated by most attempts at adaptation.

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10 Really Obnoxious Things Writers Do

September 8th, 2015

The title says it all. Buckle up. Put on your helmet. I'm about to hurt some feelings. Here, declared by me today, are the most annoying things ever that writers do, and should probably stop doing.  This might sting but I do it because I love you. 

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What Works & What Doesn't: 'Lost in Translation'

September 4th, 2015

Discussing the craft of screenwriting by analyzing (modern) classic film scripts, and asking the essential question: what works and what doesn't? Welcome once again to What Works & What Doesn't, a monthly column dedicated to the craft of screenwriting. Last time, we talked about Chinatown, which is one of the best examples of a classic three-act structure.

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Turning a Phrase: How to Write Historical Dialogue

September 4th, 2015

Human speech can change extremely quickly. Words that were trending last year are now passé, and terms from ten years ago can seem ancient. When done correctly, historical dialogue can be used as a tool to add polish and an air of authenticity. Done incorrectly, it can completely eject a reader from the story.

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Is 'Go Set a Watchman' Really THAT Bad? (Spoiler: Kind of, yeah...)

September 3rd, 2015

It feels like years ago that I wrote my column: Controversy Be Damned: My High Hopes for Harper Lee's New Novel. It feels like years ago that my hopes for the novel were that high. That I believed the release of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman could be a good thing. That girl...well, she wasn't wrong, not exactly. But she certainly wasn't right.

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LitReactor Community Spotlight: September 2015

September 2nd, 2015

Aww, it's good to see you guys again. Sorry for having been away for so long. I'm ready to return as the hero you deserve, so long as you don't need me to leave the couch here. Somehow, LitReactor's boards muddled along without me, and you guys were up to all sorts of things this summer. I have a bit of a backlog to address in the Spotlight portion of this column, and I have enough exciting things to talk about without rambling up here, so let's get started.

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UPDATED WITH WINNER - LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: August Edition

September 1st, 2015

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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What Works & What Doesn't: 'Chinatown'

August 31st, 2015

Welcome to What Works & What Doesn't, a new monthly feature here at LitReactor, dedicated to the craft of screenwriting. So what's this all about? And how does Chinatown fit into the scheme? 

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5 Lessons For Your DIY Audiobook

August 31st, 2015

It takes a special kind of nerd to get excited about meeting George Guidall. You might not know that name, but you know his voice. If you're a fan of audiobooks, you definitely know his voice.  I'm a special kind of nerd, and I was pretty damn excited to hear George Guidall speak in my hometown. 

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