Columns

Neglected Books: 'Hangover Square,' 'Foam of the Daze' and 'Pincher Martin'

January 25th, 2012

Original photo via Free Images Sometimes you finish the last page of a book, close it, and have to sit quietly for a few moments (reaction times may vary) and let the whole thing configure in your mind. In this month’s selection, I’m choosing three novels, all very different, with endings that kick you hard in the mind, and stay there a long time after the book’s finished. Don’t worry - there be no spoilers here.

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Change the World: Write Your Manifesto

January 25th, 2012

Header image via Wikipedia Commons, public domain You are a writer—an artiste! A creator of beauty and meaning. A cultural commentator. A revolutionary! It stands to reason that you ought to stand for something, and how best to impart to the masses your particular vision and mission than to write a manifesto declaring your artistic intentions?

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Literary Longshots

January 24th, 2012

You already know how to get a traditional book deal: write the book, get an agent to represent it, then sell the thing off to the highest bidder.

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Write What You Don’t Know

January 24th, 2012

Photo by Ken Cheung Of all the aphoristic rules out there for writing, perhaps none is more common than the banal adage to “write what you know.” It’s my belief that this phrase, while well intentioned, is ultimately misleading advice.

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The Word You’re Looking For Is Genius—Not Crazy, Genius: The Top 5 Craziest Crime Writers

January 23rd, 2012

The writers of crime fiction are some of the nicest people you could possibly meet.

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Ask The Lit Coach: 'Is It Okay To Submit To Multiple Agents At The Same Agency?' and More

January 23rd, 2012

And we're back for another sizzling round of Q&A! This week's discussion focuses on the etiquette of querying and submitting to agents, and the bottom line of using a pen name. 

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LURID: Flowers In The Attic

January 20th, 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.

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Alexander Trocchi: A Primer

January 19th, 2012

Alexander Trocchi was a “junkie, visionary, pimp, beat, literary outlaw, pornographer, philosopher, pig farmer, underground organiser and antique book dealer” — but he was also a writer.

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The Period Part 1—Lots o' dots: How frequent and deliberate use of the humble period can create maximum impact.

January 18th, 2012

Header image by Aleksandar Pasaric via Pexels First, I’ll tell you what we are not going to discuss in this article—when to use a period according to the rules of usage for the English language. While that's important (although not as intuitive as one might think), this article will instead focus on using the period deliberately and selectively to enhance your writing and your story.

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Storyville: Research and Duotrope

January 17th, 2012

You have a voice now, and you can write a cover letter, you’ve seen the horrors and the joy of the submission process, but let’s take a step back for a second. Where are you sending your stories? How in the hell do you decide on the right journal or magazine or website for your epic genius? If only there was one place to go, one source for all of your questions, complete with links and statistics and pretty pictures. There is. If you haven’t discovered Duotrope.com yet, then you, my friend, are in for an awakening.

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