Columns

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

June 30th, 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 →

8 Ways Books Cure Loneliness

June 30th, 2015

Summer is in full swing. Couples are out lounging on blankets in the park, friends are waiting in line at amusement parks, and families are enjoying beach days. If you feel like you’re sitting in the background, watching all the fun, fear not! Walk yourself to the nearest library or bookstore, because I have found the solution to loneliness: literature. Skeptical? I’ve got eight reasons!

Read Column →

Better Writing Through Focus Words

June 30th, 2015

There's a great book on writing called Horror 101: The Way Forward, a solid collection of anecdotes, advice and quotes from some big names in the genre, including Richard Thomas, with whom I'm sure you're all familiar. Even if horror isn't your game, this book offers excellent advice for any writer, and a piece by Michael Arnzen titled "The Five Laws of Arnzen" is no exception (This essay originated in the author's book Instigation: Creative Prompts on the Dark Side). Concerning these "laws," Arnzen states:

Read Column →

Are Internships Valuable?

June 29th, 2015

Summer is here, and that means job boards clogged with internship postings. There has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding internships over the past few years, and the publishing and media industries certainly aren't exempt. Whether you're thinking about spending the next few months in the office of a small literary journal or traversing the floors of a major publication, a bit of research can go a long way. Is it ever reasonable to accept an unpaid internship, and how valuable is that experience when it comes to finding a more permanent position?  

Read Column →

And Then What? 5 Maddeningly Unresolved Plots

June 26th, 2015

When you write for the internet, there’s one word you end up using a lot: SPOILERS! There is perhaps no more powerful word in digital discourse. Its presence guarantees many will instantly stop reading, and its absence will provoke a riot in the comments about all the virginal first experiences you have ruined with your thoughtlessness, while also completely ignoring whatever you actually wrote. If the government ever wants to hide top secret documents on the internet, they should just slap a spoiler warning on them.

Read Column →

My Summer of Sarah Dessen

June 26th, 2015

When it comes to long, sultry nights and first kisses on the beach, no author does summertime quite like Sarah Dessen. With her latest novel, Saint Anything, released this past May, I was prompted to go back and re-read her impressive backlist.

Read Column →

DIY Book Covers for the Self Publishing-Inclined Part 2

June 25th, 2015

Welcome back to the second part of my cover design crash course. Last time, we talked a little about sourcing stock photography, combining photos, and the the dubious technique of just sticking a striking stock image behind some typography and calling it a day. Last Time Here's what we did for our three fictional books: Better Strangers, Bad Ritual and Black Waves.

Read Column →

Storyville: Writer’s Block—Where It Comes From, and How to Break Through

June 24th, 2015

We’ve all been there—you stall on the fourth page, or can’t finish the story with any impact, or maybe the novel just lost your interest. Where does writer’s block come from, and how can you break through? Here are some ideas. Hope they help. WHERE DOES YOUR BLOCK COME FROM? CONFLICT

Read Column →

Product Review: KleverCase Cover For Tablets and eReaders

June 24th, 2015

You know the argument by now: eBooks are inherently inferior because they're delivered via a cold tablet device that lacks the material warmth of a physical book. Enter the KleverCase, an aptly named cover for Kindle and iPad Mini devices, which adds some of that warmth back to technology. Every cover is handcrafted at The Manor Bindery, a family business based in New Forest, England, and features either a classic book cover design (Sherlock Holmes or Alice in Wonderland, for instance), or a universal cover without a title or jacket design.

Read Column →

5 Ways to Fall in Love with Your Character

June 23rd, 2015

I remember the first time I fell in love with a character in my writing. There I was at two in the morning, typing the last few words of my first ever novel-length manuscript, when it hit me. I didn’t think I could live—or write—without him in my life.

Read Column →