Columns

Ten Authors Who Write Great Dialogue

May 25th, 2012

Dialogue is a tricky beast. There are so many writers who can craft stunning descriptive passages, entirely believable characters and heart-pounding action sequences, but whose dialogue falls flat and pale. Here are ten authors who can create a conversation that crackles.

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Writing with Authority: A Primer

May 24th, 2012

You may have heard someone say that a story they’ve read either has or lacks authority. It’s a common term in writing craft, albeit one that’s deceptively vague.

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Real Life Authors As Fictional Characters

May 23rd, 2012

I recently read Daphne by Justine Picardie, a novel that follows Rebecca author Daphne du Maurier during her years of research into Branwell Bronte. The book is just what I like, a juicy literary mystery that is elegantly written, but afterwards I found myself consumed by this new portrait of du Maurier.

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Keeping it Real: A Rough Guide to Using Real People As Fictional Characters

May 23rd, 2012

Pop quiz: what do Ebeneezer Scrooge, Alice in Wonderland and Tintin all have in common? OK, the title makes the answer obvious (and if it didn’t, you’re too tired to be reading this): all of these ‘fictional’ characters were based on real people.

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Primer: The Chronicles of Amber

May 22nd, 2012

I would be remiss in writing a regular column on fantasy if I didn’t cover my favorite fantasy series of all time, The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. In last year’s NPR poll on the top 100 science fiction and fantasy books, the series came in at number 40 . I would put it in the top 5.

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Indie Bookstore Spotlight: The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle

May 22nd, 2012

Independent and used bookstores offer things the big chains can't: Precise recommendations, spectacular coffee, rare treasures, and a real sense of community. The LitReactor team is scouring the planet to find the very best bookstores in existence, and will highlight them through 'Indie Bookstore Spotlight'. These are the stores that don't necessarily outsell the big stores--but they almost always outlast them. ADDRESS: 1521 10th Avenue, Seattle WA 98122

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The Long & Winding Road: Part III – Talking To Agents

May 21st, 2012

Recap: The Long & Winding Road is a multi-part essay about my endeavors to get an agent and publish my first novel. Part I discussed writing my first novel and seeking representation, Part II discussed "revision hell." 

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LURID: It's Alive! The Top 10 Mad Scientists of Literature!

May 18th, 2012

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a twice-monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading. From the beginnings of humanity, we’ve struggled to find our place in this wondrous and confusing universe.  It’s in our nature as a species to question, to seek, to theorize, but on our millennia-long quest for knowledge about ourselves and our surroundings, not everything we’ve learned has been to the benefit of all humankind.

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Not Even Close: The Predictions of Ron Goulart's 'Hawkshaw'

May 18th, 2012

Science Fiction is all about predicting the future. Sometimes its authors are eerily right - see Arthur C. Clarke's track record of predicting everything from geostationary communications satellites to the freaking Internet. But more often, they are very, very wrong. This is the first of what I hope will be a regular feature celebrating some of the worst predictions the genre has ever produced. 

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The Third Character: A (Very) Rough Guide to Settings

May 17th, 2012

You may already have heard it said that all drama boils down to one situation: two people and the conflict between them. Protagonist, antagonist – nice and simple. Except it isn’t. Because that statement just isn’t true. It isn’t true because drama doesn’t involve just two characters. It involves three: protagonist, antagonist and… …the room they are standing in.

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