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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.
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.
Read Column →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?
Read Column →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.
Read Column →6 Ways to Save a Mary Sue
August 28th, 2015
Today we're going to talk about the Mary Sue—the over-powered character found in the works of many novice writers. If you've realized that you accidentally wrote a Mary Sue, this article will help you fix your story and improve your character. But before we get into that, let's discuss the Mary Sue at a broader level.
Read Column →Writing And Parenting: A Survival Guide
August 28th, 2015
There's something about becoming a parent that fundamentally rewires your brain. From my experience, at least. For a long time I was always on the fence about having a kid. It seemed like a thing I would eventually do, but it wasn't something I was rushing toward. And then my daughter arrived. Some days when I'm at work I get depressed because I'm not home with her. So I have to flip through goofy pictures of her on my phone and it only makes me feel a little better.
Read Column →What the Fuck Are You Writing For?
August 27th, 2015
So Why Do You Write? This has to be a question you’ve asked yourself. Or read in a writing forum somewhere. We all ask ourselves this at some point, usually when the need to justify the time, effort and anguish becomes intense. After a slew of rejections or when an acquaintance gets published. Or when you read over what you wrote the day before and wince. Why the fuck am I doing this?
Read Column →Falling Without a Parachute: Lessons Learned from My First Novel
August 26th, 2015
In October of 2013, I was having a bad year. I was jobless, living in a place I hated, and lacking hope. It was one of my lowest points, that quickly became of my highest because that month I sold my first novel, Falling Sky. A lifelong dream of mine had come true. I was going to be a published author. And yet there was just one persistently buzzing fly in the ointment — I hadn't finished the book.
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