Columns

Post-Mortem: How I Stopped Being (as) Afraid of Stephen King's It

August 13th, 2013

When the made-for-TV version of Stephen King's It came out in 1990, I was almost eleven. Filled to the brim with horror movie bravado, there was no way I was missing a movie about kids battling a killer clown.

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TripLit: 8 Audiobooks to Pimp Your Trip

August 12th, 2013

Summer is the time for road trips, and you still have a few weeks left to stage one before the kiddies go back to school and your boss outlaws midday happy hours. But road trips can get pretty boring until you reach your destination, and even the most musically-inclined of us will eventually tire of our own iPod playlists. Have no fear; this is why God invented audiobooks. Spend some quality car-time with your favorite writers and characters during the journey and watch the endless hours speed by. Amp up the summer fun by matching the theme of your audiobook to your trip.

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Muttonchops and Robots: An Isaac Asimov Primer

August 12th, 2013

You've heard that Isaac Asimov is one of the biggest stars in the science fiction industry. You know you should read his books, but you don't know where to start. You're a little leery of his facial hair, and frankly you'd rather just reread a Twilight novel and be done with it. I'm here to help, you insufferable curmudgeon.

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Five Inappropriate Parenting Books Every Reader Will Enjoy

August 9th, 2013

There's nothing more frightening than the realization that in a few short months, you will have a baby. A real, live, screaming baby, one that requires attention every day of the week. Not only that, but you will have to parent your child through all of those developmental stages you chose to forget about in your own life. Puberty, anyone? And remember that kid in elementary school who ate his boogers? Or the one obsessed with bugs? Those children had parents, and now, that parent might be you.

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Satanic Summer: Horror Fiction for Hot Days

August 9th, 2013

Horror is typically associated with autumn, when the days turn shorter, the air grows brisk, trees lose their leaves, and jack-o’-lanterns take their place on every doorstep. But there’s plenty of horror that’ll keep you awake through the sweltering nights. Here are eight short stories and seven novels perfect for the summer. Note: With the short stories, I've included links to a collection/anthology containing that story to make them easier to track down.

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The Trouble With Being a Mooch: Why Book Trading Didn’t Work for Me

August 8th, 2013

Photo by Emilian Robert Vicol Most prolific readers have been in a position at some point in their lives when getting rid of a few books becomes necessary. It’s an unpleasant prospect, so you stave off the inevitable by tossing clothes, knickknacks, even furniture, but eventually there’s no getting around it: that box of dog-eared mystery novels that you picked up at a yard sale has got to go.

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Storyville: Ten Tips for Successfully Publishing Your Stories

August 8th, 2013

I know that we’ve talked about a wide variety of craft, process, and submission techniques here in Storyville, but what I’d like to do today is give you ten of my best tips to help you get your stories published. Based on five years of sending my work out, here are the most successful ideas I have for giving yourself a good shot at getting accepted. Obviously, it’s always about the writing, your compelling stories, your unique voice, well written, with emotional impact. But there are other factors that can help tip the deck in your favor.

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The Blagger's Guide to Franz Kafka

August 7th, 2013

To blag (v): to sound like you know what you’re talking about when you don’t The Blagger’s Guide to Literature (n): an invaluable resource for those who wish to blag about books without actually reading them.

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5 Ways to Get Rid of Your Damn Empty Modifiers

August 7th, 2013

I discussed the need to get rid of empty emphatics when I gave you 8 words to seek and destroy in your writing, but just saying that you should get rid of a thing doesn't say much about the right way to do so. Today I'm going to show you a few of my favorite ways to get rid of your empty modifiers.

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Ask The Grammarian With Taylor Houston—Now Taking Your Questions

August 7th, 2013

One of the most exciting and helpful features we offer in the LitReactor Magazine is our series of columns geared at answering reader questions. As you know, Erin Reel-—publishing and editorial consultant, writing coach, columnist and blog host—led this feature with her masterly 'Ask The Lit Coach' series of columns.

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