Columns

7 Books Where Everything Goes Devastatingly, Tragically Wrong

March 4th, 2022

Header image by William Krause via Unsplash If you haven’t already heard, BookTok (the readers’ corner of TikTok) has been shifting copies like a whirlwind over the last couple of years. Curated reading lists in video format tend to skip plot descriptions, offering recommendations on the basis of the books’ ‘vibe’ or aesthetic instead. It’s working, and the industry knows it.

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High Impact Exercises and Low Effort Diet Hacks for Busy Authors

March 3rd, 2022

Original image via Cup of Couple Disclaimer: Whatever you do, DO NOT take medical advice from LitReactor or Jay Wilburn. For God’s sake, that’s what doctors are for. Consult someone who has a medical degree framed on their wall and your medical records on file before you take any health advice you read online.

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Storyville: Building Up Your Horror Story Before You Tear It Down

March 1st, 2022

When it comes to horror stories, in my opinion, it’s crucial to build something up before you tear it down. We must create a world, show the main characters, and get readers to care before everything goes to hell. This isn’t just applicable to horror—it’s important to all genres, and any story—but today we’ll focus on horror (and tragic dark fiction) due to the unique nature, requirements, and expectations of the genre. Let’s dig in, shall we?

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Death to Stars: Why I Won't Use Stars to Rate Books Anymore

February 28th, 2022

I remember the conversation that ultimately led to my decision to eliminate star ratings from my reviews. I had shared a Goodreads review for a book I enjoyed and one of my friends asked, "Since you only rated this book 4 stars, should I add it to my list of books to read?" I didn't have a problem with this innocuous question. It was the word "only." Because my friend said, "Since you only rated this book 4 stars..." I sat back and thought about star ratings.

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Withholding: The Secret To Comedy Writing

February 25th, 2022

We live in a world of endless advice on writing serious books, mysteries, crime thrillers, horror novellas, artsy memoirs, biographical pamphlets… What’s missing is the chatter about comedy writing. We really should talk about it more. We might get more funny books that way. Let’s talk about a powerful, underrated tool in comedy writing: withholding.

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Dispatch From the Querying Trenches (Part II): Shelving a Dream

February 24th, 2022

Photo by Kony Xyzx I shelved a book last September. In my first dispatch from the trenches, I spoke about the difficult time I was having querying it. I spent more than four years refining that novel, sprucing it up to as close to perfection as I could manage.

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Who the Hell is Moon Knight?

February 23rd, 2022

So you’ve just seen the new trailer for Moon Knight and you have two questions. I’ll give you the shorter answer first. Arthur Harrow, played by Ethan Hawke, is a villain that appeared in one issue of the comic back in the 80s, who used Nazi science and human test subjects to further his research in pain management. He left no lasting impact on Moon Knight and was never seen or mentioned again, so I really have no idea what his presence on the show might portend, and that excites me.

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What Are Your Favorite Horror Authors Afraid Of?

February 22nd, 2022

Original image via A. Patrusheva When I decided to ask horror writers about the childhood fears they’d carried into adulthood, and how those fears may have shaped or still shape their fiction, I knew I was going to get some interesting answers. However, nothing could have prepared me for the depth and diversity of the answers I received. From sharks to abandonment, from faces in the window to being voiceless—there is a lot to digest below.

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Your Book Has Been Optioned For Film/TV—What Happens Next?

February 21st, 2022

Header image by Roberto Nickson By the grace of some deity out in the cosmos, I’m currently sitting on three media options—my novel The Warehouse was optioned for film by Imagine Entertainment, The Paradox Hotel was optioned for TV by Working Title, and the Ash McKenna books have also been optioned, by Village Roadshow. It’s a fun, sometimes confusing, sometimes scary, sometimes frustrating process.

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Writers Lifts: Sharing the Love or Twitter Pyramid Scheme?

February 17th, 2022

When you see the hashtag "WritersLift" it should smack you across the face the same as when you see the word “LuLaRoe.” Writers lifts are a pyramid scheme—excuse me, “multi level marketing” scam. They take advantage of you, suck you dry (in the bad way), and leave you with no benefit. Allow me to explain.

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