Columns
Showing 3544 Columns
Showing 3544 Columns
May 4th, 2012
Writing about the White Whale has become my white whale.
Read Column →May 4th, 2012
And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s mightiest heroes found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single superhero could withstand!
Read Column →May 3rd, 2012
I ought to start by defining Metaphoric Construct, but I’m hesitant to do so—namely, because I’m pretty sure I made the whole thing up. I’ve been bandying the term Metaphoric Construct about like an unfortunate hobo at a ritzy party lobs into his first game of badminton, using a dust-broom as a racquet, hoping no one will notice. But, whatever we call it, Metaphoric Construct is not only a consistent source of figurative-language, it’s the well we can depend on when it comes time to draw water to a thirsting story.
Read Column →May 3rd, 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.
Read Column →May 2nd, 2012
I wanted to do something a little different with this column. I wanted to let you inside my warped little mind as I break down one of my stories. I want to talk about the various aspects of what went into the story, why I did what I did, and show you the end result, and my thoughts on how it all turned out. I hope that by dissecting this story it may provide some insight into what I go through in the process of writing, editing, and finalizing a short story.
Read Column →May 2nd, 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.
Read Column →May 1st, 2012
Every month I'll be toiling in the dank, dark mines of literary obscurity, scouring the catalogues of every major publisher to bring the LitReactor faithful a few choice titles hitting the shelves. The following is a brief look at what's worth checking out in May. Full disclosure: unless otherwise noted, none of the below books have been reviewed by myself or other LitReactor staff. These are just a few recommendations based on publisher's notes and my own opinions. Without further ado:
Read Column →April 30th, 2012
A little over a month ago, I wrote about my big, exciting leap into self-publishing, in which I threw an old NaNoWriMo manuscript I had laying about, collecting digital dust in my Google docs, onto Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform.
Read Column →April 30th, 2012
Are query letters that difficult to master or are we just over-thinking the craft to this oft-perplexing piece of marketing material? Let's dig in, shall we? Question from Leif H. What do you feel are the most important factors when writing a query letter? Should I write it out like a text book or should I write it on the semi-serious side?
Read Column →April 27th, 2012
The world ends all the time in science fiction. And, depending on which conspiracy sites you've been reading, it might be Doomsday for real this year. After all, it's not often that the Mayans and Roland Emmerich agree on something.
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