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LitReactor Staff Picks: The Best Books of 2012
December 26th, 2012
Another year has passed and we're still here, reading and writing our little hearts out. On the micro level, it could be that the figurative representation of our pumping fists of muscle grew two sizes over the holidays, giving us the strength to persevere. On the macro level, it's probably because the Mayans were big-time practical jokesters. Either way, it would take more than the end of the world to stop us from contributing to the glut of year-end lists. Take that, Doomsdayers!
Read Column →13 Resolutions To Make You A Better, More Productive Writer In 2013
December 26th, 2012
We’ve all been burned by New Year’s resolutions. Otherwise, we’d have statuesque physiques, shelves lined with our best sellers, and pools full of cash instead of hangovers, unfinished manuscripts, and maxed-out credit cards. Most of us have failed so many times that even the words “New Year’s resolution” elicit shame and fury. (Or maybe that’s just me, but I sure hope not. Schadenfreude is the best.)
Read Column →Ask the Agent: More On Writer/Agent Etiquette, How to Approach Agents With Multiple Genres & More
December 26th, 2012
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 three of the industry’s mysteries, straight from the shoulder. Question from Amanda My question: If a writer receives [an offer of] representation from one agent while she's working on a Revise and Resubmit for another agent, should she notify the R&R agent that she received an offer?
Read Column →Dramatic Situation Vs. Dramatic Scene: Win the Fight Against Poor Form
December 21st, 2012
I. Hemingway’s Thoughts on Interior Decoration Ernest Hemingway said that “prose is architecture, not interior decoration.” Some of us might not like to think of fiction as something so architectural, something so concrete as, well, concrete. But we’d do better to interpret Hemingway's statement as encouragement to see fiction not as blue-print or mathematical formula, but as form. The difference between the two is the difference between an erector-set and a wheel-thrown vase.
Read Column →The Blagger's Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien
December 21st, 2012
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. Ha! I don’t need a Blagger’s Guide to Tolkien – I can go and see the films! And what about when your date asks you about the books afterwards? What then huh? Huh??
Read Column →Book Brawl: A Christmas Carol vs. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
December 21st, 2012
We haven’t had a good ol’ Book Brawl round these parts in quite some time, but I think the holiday spirit demands a little merry pugilist action. In the ring today, we have the two most classic tales of Yuletide: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Who shall prevail in a display of brute strength and glad tidings? Let’s find out!
Read Column →10 Stories We Never Need to See in Workshops Again
December 20th, 2012
Several months ago, Indiana Review staffer Joe Hiland wrote a great column about many of the submissions that routinely appear in the I.R.’s slush pile. Its timing was apropos for me, as I've recently felt like an unwitting subject in a perplexing metaphysical paradox: I keep running into the same stories in fiction workshops over and over again.
Read Column →Top Ten: The Year's Best Fantasy - 2012
December 20th, 2012
Below you will find a list of my top 10 fantasy releases of 2012. This is not intended as a comprehensive list, but is a selection of the things I have read and seen. Also, keep in mind that the order is very loose. I welcome differing opinions, alternate selections, and suggestions in the comments. Without further ado...
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