Columns

The Pitfalls of NaNoWriMo

November 6th, 2014

NaNoWriMo logo courtesy nanowrimo.org All throughout the month of November, you'll likely see numerous articles on NaNoWriMo—or, National Novel Writing Month, during which aspiring and established authors alike attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. You'll see articles of encouragement, offering up various tips and tricks that will keep you on track and help you complete your goal in time.

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Path to Publication 3.3: On Editing, And A Little On Blurbs

November 6th, 2014

Polis Books will release my debut novel, New Yorked, in June 2015, and has contracted me for a follow-up, City of Rose. This is a monthly column about taking a book over the finish line. Before I got my agent, I must have re-written New Yorked a dozen times. At least. Two of those were nearly ground-up rewrites. 

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NaNoWriMo vs. The Three-Day Novel Contest: Pros and Cons

November 5th, 2014

I am definitely a tortoise. If ever I had any doubts on the matter, this past Labor Day weekend cleared them out faster than Hemingway could toss back a martini. Some people are hares. Whether through effort or nature, they have the ability to write large amounts in very little time. I applaud these individuals, but my attempt to become one of them for a temporary period left me exhausted and overly caffeinated. I’m speaking of NaNoWriMo’s Canadian cousin, the Three-Day Novel Contest.

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The NaNoWriMo Survival Kit

November 4th, 2014

So, you've taken on the challenge of NaNo and you've nailed your first week. Great job! Let's just enjoy that accomplishment for a second. Sigh. That was nice, right? Now, let's get you ready for the inevitable burnout with ...

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LitReactor Community Spotlight: October 2014

November 3rd, 2014

If you live in the US, November is the month of giving thanks to entire peoples your culture nearly genocided out of existence. For everyone else, November is the month where we all try to write a novel for little more than bragging rights. I suppose it makes sense that November has to be a little wacky; it's wedged between Halloween and Christmas, and without that barrier, the lines would end up blurring into some sort of nightmarish amalgamation of holiday horror. Or, you know, a Tim Burton movie.

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Ten More Well-Written Horror Films

October 31st, 2014

Happy Halloween everyone! If you're like me—a lover of the macabre and an all-around weirdo—then today is basically Christmas for you. This is the day adult-you hearkens back to childhood by donning a costume, gorging on miniature-sized candies, and letting the devil in for a little while. Or, you might be hitting up a few of your favorite cemeteries in honor of Halloween's more ancient traditions. Or, you might be staying in with those aforementioned candies, a loved one (or a few) and watching horror movies all night long.

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UPDATED WITH WINNERS: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: October Edition

October 31st, 2014

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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Culling The Classics: Frankenstein

October 31st, 2014

After a brief sabbatical, during which I may or may not have competed in a ghost story competition in a villa on the banks of a Swiss lake, I have returned to cull as many classics as sense and good fortune will allow. Many thanks to Cath Murphy, who very ably stepped in last month with her culling of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar.

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Happy Halloween: 5 Creepy Regional Stories

October 30th, 2014

photo credit: buzzfeed.com It's the most wonderful time of the year. That time when ghosts and goblins roam the streets, terrorizing innocent neighborhoods with demands for candy and promises of fantastic and horrifying lawsuits tricks. That's right, my friends: Halloween is coming.

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Attention Deficit Creators

October 29th, 2014

Back in July, I took a two-month break from all my obligations. I was quitting a powerful, prescribed amphetamine, and since my previous two attempts to quit had been disastrous, it felt important to leave myself ample space to land as I made this third attempt. I've successfully gotten off of the medication now, but now have to cope with what the meds were designed to remedy: Life with an attention deficit mind.

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