Columns

The Perils of Reading in Public

August 5th, 2014

It’s a risky endeavor to take a book out of the house. Finding a quiet moment in bed is relatively easy, and the couch is always happy to oblige a book binge, but the outside world is a tough and unforgiving place for readers. The logic behind trying to read in public is obvious. Potentially calm moments abound: long plane rides, even longer little league games, visits to the beach, waiting in the car during a shopping trip. Even the simple desire to get some sun with a minimum of physical exertion is a perfectly valid reason to grab a book and a picnic blanket.

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Better With Age: Giving Elderly Characters the Spotlight

August 4th, 2014

Every living person on the planet has experienced something of childhood, but the same can’t be said for old age. It’s an acquired condition, and a privilege (or a curse) that only those who have passed through many seasons of victories and hardships can claim. 

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LitReactor Community Spotlight: July 2014

August 4th, 2014

So raise your hand if you're tuckered out from all the reading this month. It's okay if you don't want to, because circus music has been coming from inside my walls all night, and that's a more pressing concern for me at the moment.

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Listen Up, Nerds! 5 Lessons from 30 Rock on How to Make Your Characters Down with the In-Crowd

July 31st, 2014

I'm not a creative type like you, with your work sneakers and your left-handedness.                                                                                  

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

July 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 similar. 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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Literary Matchmaking: 5 Fantasy Couples

July 31st, 2014

Have you ever fancied yourself a matchmaker? I certainly have, but most of the time I’m a little off with my suggestions. Okay, way off. But when it comes to literary characters, perhaps I can redeem myself? Even though they aren’t written into the same narrative, I think some characters would really get along, if only they could meet. Imagine new stories written, with both likely and unlikely character pairings. Your favorite characters would have a chance to develop relationships. How would it go? Let’s do a little matchmaking and see!

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The Rookie's Guide to The LitReactor Writer's Workshop: Short Story vs. Essay/Non-Fiction

July 30th, 2014

By request, we're addressing a question that has come up from time to time regarding the critiquing process as it relates to short stories vs. essays/non-fiction. Fortunately, a lot of the groundwork has already been laid out in a prior column, which you can read HERE. It's a nice little refresher on how the LitReactor workshop functions and how to get the most out of it.

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Bodices Don’t Rip: Writing Accurate Historical Fiction

July 30th, 2014

History is one of my favorite topics to write about. It’s complex, tumultuous, and often bizarre. Sitting in a classroom or wandering through a sterile museum, we often feel estranged from history. We see it dragged out of context, put on a slide or beneath a glass case that can’t be touched. In such an environment, the past can seem dull and impractical to modern outsiders. But history isn’t just about dusty objects; it’s about people, and that’s what makes it such fertile ground for writers.

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Storyville: Writing About Taboo Subjects

July 29th, 2014

WARNING: There may be triggers in here about violent and sexual acts. Think about the stories and novels you write, or may want to write some day. What is the one thing you’d never write about? Okay, now write it. Terrifying, right? Today we’re going to talk about how to write taboo fiction, those aspects of our lives, our fantasies, our greatest fears, that are difficult to get down on the page. Done correctly, I think just about any taboo can be conquered.

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Culling The Classics: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

July 29th, 2014

Happy birthday! "Culling The Classics" is a year old this month! We've somehow managed to sift through 12 classic works already, and I think many a "to-read" bookshelf is better for it. We've got some big plans for the next 12 months, but first, let's take a quick look back at our year in classics:

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