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Power to the People: Magic in Fantasy
May 6th, 2013
The idea for this column came while I was working on a novel. The novel was an expansion of my story, “Card Sharp,” which features a main character with a magic deck of cards. I’ve written other stories in the universe, but I’d never quite figured out the full system behind the magic. Was it that the cards were magic and anyone could use them? Or was the magic specific to a few individuals and the cards were just the way they accessed it?
Read Column →Recap: Game of Thrones 3.06 - The Climb
May 6th, 2013
This is going to contain spoilers for this episode, and also for the books. I won't tell you what happens in the fifth book, or what I think is going to happen in the next episode, but I will talk about differences between the book and the show thus far. Deal with it. Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail, never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, given a chance to climb, they cling to the realm, or the gods, or love. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.
Read Column →Book vs. Film: Jurassic Park
May 3rd, 2013
Last month, Universal Studios re-released and converted into 3D the ultimate epic juggernaut movie experience of late Generation Xers such as myself: Jurassic Park. People, if you were twelve years old when this movie came out, then I’m sure like me you saw this thing three or four times in the theater. It was huge, and not even with preteens or early teens (tweens, they're called these days, much to my old fogey’s consternation). I remember the first time I saw Jurassic Park, the entire audience stood up and clapped.
Read Column →The End of Happily Ever After
May 2nd, 2013
[Image courtesy of Dina Goldstein's Fallen Princess series.]
Read Column →Forgetting the "Why" in the Narrative of Horror
May 2nd, 2013
Photo: Tyler Wakstein Less than a month ago (at the time of this writing), two explosions ripped through downtown Boston. The blasts killed three people and injured 264 others. As the situation began to unfold, the pressing question of the hour changed. First, we all wanted to know what was being done to make sure things were being handled as well as could be expected. This is certainly a reasonable, and even practical concern. As soon as it became clear that we were safe (for the moment), the nation’s collective thoughts turned somewhere else.
Read Column →Storyville: Why Write (And Publish) Short Stories At All?
May 1st, 2013
I encourage every author to start with short stories, and to master the various lengths and genres long before attempting a novel. Here are my top reasons why.
Read Column →UPDATED WITH WINNER: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: April (and POETRY) Edition
May 1st, 2013
Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity. Flash poetry: A style of poetry we are making up for the purpose of turning our fiction contest into a poetry contest in honor of Poetry Month! Welcome to LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown, a monthly bout of writing prowess. For this edition, we are going to alter the rules in honor of Poetry Month!
Read Column →Five Authors Who Prove It's Never Too Late To Start Writing
April 29th, 2013
Some women are badgered mercilessly by biological clocks that tick louder and louder as infertility approaches. "Have a baby," the clock tells them. "Just look how cute that baby is! You need a baby. Now! While you still can." That part of me doesn't exist, but in its place is some sort of literary clock, every bit as annoying in its insistence and ubiquity. "Write the book," it says. "Look at that store full of books. One of those should be yours."
Read Column →Recap: Game of Thrones 3.05 - Kissed by Fire
April 29th, 2013
This is going to contain spoilers for this episode, and also for the books. I won't tell you what happens in the fifth book, or what I think is going to happen in the next episode, but I will talk about differences between the book and the show thus far. Deal with it. Last night's episode, Kissed by Fire, was a workman episode. There wasn't a whole lot of forward movement, but it expertly lined up plotlines and character relationships that will pay off for the rest of the season, and beyond.
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