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Exercises All Writers Need To Do
April 17th, 2015
Once upon a time, there was a romantic vision of writers treating their bodies terribly. Opiates, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and cigarettes were an integral part of the tortured writer stereotype. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was known for her opium addiction. William S.Burroughs was a heroin addict. Then there are the myriad of writers, past and present, with alcohol issues: Hemingway, Bukowski, Fitzgerald, Poe, Bukowski, to name a few…
Read Column →14 Reasons We Love List Articles
April 17th, 2015
In my time as a freelancer, I've written hundreds of list articles. That's not a joke or an exaggeration. Literally hundreds. When I pitch multiple article ideas, the ones most commonly selected seem to be the list articles. And hell, even when I write articles in a non-list form, lo and behold, an editor decides to number my sub-headings and transform my work into a list.
Read Column →The Minds of Others: 6 POV Hacks for Fiction
April 16th, 2015
Point of view (POV) in fiction is often one of the hardest elements for new writers to master, with good reason. Regardless of whether you choose the first person (I), third person (he or she), or second person (you) in any of their various incarnations, there are things that you, the author, know that your protagonist cannot. Things, perhaps, you would like your reader to know.
Read Column →Brainstorm Your Next Novel with Fiasco - Part 2
April 15th, 2015
Welcome back to Brainstorming with Fiasco! In the previous installment we figured out who some of the characters of our fictional town were and what kind of relationships connected them. Now it’s time to fill in some more Details about the town and what the characters are trying to do in it. There are three types of Details:
Read Column →LURID: Death Becomes Her
April 14th, 2015
LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.
Read Column →'The Babadook': A Lesson In Subtext
April 10th, 2015
This month, Shout! Factory, that venerable source for outstanding Blu Ray releases of both classic and underrated and/or forgotten horror titles, will release a special edition of The Babadook, one of the most critically-celebrated films of 2014, and one praised by horror fans and casual viewers alike. On the same day as Shout! Factory's Blu Ray release (April 14th), the film will also be available to stream on Netflix, so there's no excuse not to see it if you haven't already.
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Elegy For A Dead World: The Poetry Game
April 9th, 2015
A video game about writing? Sounds awful. If that doesn’t give you an idea about my stellar attitude going into a playthrough of Elegy For A Dead World, let’s talk a little history. Before today, there were only two video games I played that could possibly be categorized as writing-related.
Read Column →5 Reasons Why We Love Lannisters (and Other Morally Gray Characters)
April 3rd, 2015
***SPOILER WARNING: This entire article will contain spoilers for the Game of Thrones TV show up through season four and the books up through the early portions of A Feast for Crows. If you're caught up, read on. Otherwise, get to binge-watching and binge-reading! I heartily recommend both.***
Read Column →What Writers Can Learn from Gardening
April 2nd, 2015
Most writers have an alternate means (or six) of making a living to support their literary ambitions. One of mine happens to be as co-manager of a small gardening and landscaping company. Like any job, it comes with its share of pain. The lack of air conditioning or electric heat can make for some unpleasant days out in the elements, but I’ve spent enough time digging in the dirt to notice a few unexpected perks as well. Although he wasn’t speaking of the physical act of gardening, George R.R.
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