Columns

Five Lame Excuses for Plagiarism

December 12th, 2011

Plagiarism is wonderful. Or to be more precise, hearing about plagiarism is wonderful. Apart from stories about debut novelists getting a huge advance for a book which goes on to sell as well as Heinz’s new green version of ketchup, few tales warm a writer’s heart more than hearing about someone who has hit the literary big time, won all kinds of prizes, had their butt generally kissed by the establishment, and then gone on to be discovered as a big fat fraud.

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Ultimate Spider-Man: The Hero We Need (Though Might Not Want)

December 9th, 2011

There was much to be said when it was revealed that the Ultimate Universe's Spider-Man (Peter Parker) was going to be killed off. For many, Ultimate Spider-Man was the Spider-Man book that hooked a new generation of readers, as the Ultimate line was released to capitalize on those who came to the franchise because of the movies. So how do you smoothly ease someone into the rich history of a character who has been around since 1962? The short answer is you don't even try.

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10 Gift Ideas No Book Lover Can Live Without This Holiday Season

December 9th, 2011

It’s the holiday season, which ideally means being thankful for your blessings and spending time with your loved ones.  But more often than not it means spending a lot of money and eating a lot of food.  And we’re here to help you with the first part!   Here are ten items no self-respecting book-lover should do without this Christmas!

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Neglected Books: Short Stories by Landolfi, Steiner, Wilson and Borges

December 8th, 2011

Original photo via Free Images Short stories may be difficult to sell in collections nowadays, but sometimes you need to read a damn good one to remember why we need to keep the short story alive. This month I'm picking four beautifully crafted tales of insanity and isolation to remind the skeptics that no matter how big a cliché it is, "Less is more" does hold true.

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The Day I Met God

December 8th, 2011

I met God on a bright and sunny L.A. day in 1999. I’d just written His biography. He’d declined all my requests for an interview, but the book – a big doorstop of a thing - got good reviews despite His celestial silence. (He wasn’t silent about me; He told Jack Lemmon that the idea of doing an interview with me made Him “want to throw up.”) But now, apparently having read Andrew Sarris’s kind review in the New York Times Book Review or similar ones elsewhere, He commanded an audience on a particular August afternoon.

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LURID: Bad to the Bone? (Part 1: Juveniles)

December 7th, 2011

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading. 'Tis the season! When it comes to discussing your current reading material with family and friends, you may want to disguise your preference for Bad Books by indulging in the relatively respectable subgenre of psychopath fiction.

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The Art Of The Rewrite

December 7th, 2011

So you’ve written your story, mulled over its potential problems, and even had it critiqued by friends or colleagues who’ve given you their praise, suggestions and ultimate diagnoses. You know your work has major issues that need addressed. Now what?

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Six Shortcomings of Small Presses

December 6th, 2011

When you complete your novel there are a few directions you can go.  There's the self-publishing route, although more than a few remain firm in their convictions to go "legitimate" in their endeavors.  You can get an agent to query the big publishing houses, but this often proves to be difficult as it yields many rejections.  That's more or less when the idea of the small press comes up.  You don't need an agent since you can contact them directly, however, there are some things you might want to keep in mind while shopping.

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Ask The Lit Coach: "How Do You Find The Time To Write What You Love If You're So Busy?" and More

December 5th, 2011

Two of the questions I get most often have to do with time management and whether or not short story collections are a worthwhile pursuit. I address both issues in this week's Q&A. Thanks to Michael W. and Dakota T. for submitting their questions. Question from Michael W. from San Diego, CA How do you find the time to write what you love if you're so busy that you never have any free time?

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Storyville: The Journey of "Rudy Jenkins Buries His Fears"

December 5th, 2011

You’ve found your voice, you’ve written a few queries, so now what? What happens next? What kind of expectations should you have? What I’d like to do is walk you through one of my stories, the process of writing, editing, and submitting it. This should give you an idea of what you may have to go through in order to get a story published. Or, you could get lucky, and maybe the first market you send it to will snatch your brilliance right up. But that’s not how it usually happens.

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