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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.
Read Column →Ask The Agent: When to Nudge Agents, Hiring Editors, and MORE!
April 29th, 2013
Navigating the rough terrain of today’s publishing industry shouldn’t be a solo event. This week in Ask the Agent, I’ll explore and dissect a few of the industry’s mysteries, straight from the shoulder.
Read Column →Life-Changers and Soul-Crushers: 3 Books I Feel Blessed to Have Read & 3 I Wish I Could Obliterate from My Memory
April 26th, 2013
There are books, and there are good books. There are books that are not so good, but that are good reads. And then there are the books that, when you finish reading them, make you feel emotional, inspired, full of love for language and hope for humanity. These are the books that you can’t forget, the LIFE CHANGERS.
Read Column →7 F***in' Great Ways to Build Your Writing Routine
April 25th, 2013
I spent ages looking for tips on building writing habits, and was disappointed. There's a lot of bland advice out there: write every day, don't edit while you write, have a goal… None of that is very helpful if you're trying to understand how you should actually put this stuff into practice.
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