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Go Back to Boarding School With These 7 Young Adult Novels
September 9th, 2015
September means back-to-school, and what better way to get in the scholastic spirit than with young adult novels set in boarding schools? These books all feature a lush boarding school setting, but the similarities end there. From edgy, limit-pushing main characters to sweet contemporary romances abroad, these books will get you in the mood for the classroom antics and educational pursuits that Fall inevitably brings.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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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