Columns

Storyville: How to Collaborate on a Fiction Project

October 9th, 2020

I’ve worked on two major collaborations in my career—The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books, 2016), which is four novellas linked together in the same world, but entirely independent, with Nik Korpon, Caleb Ross, and Axel Taiari; and the novelette Golden Sun (Chiral Mad 4), with Kristi DeMeester, Damien Angelica Walters, and Michael Wehunt. So how did these projects come together, what was the process, and what tips do I have for you? Let’s dig in and see.

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Modern Western Films Written Better Than Ever

October 7th, 2020

The Western ran dry in movies and television by the early 1970s for many reasons, though not for lack of quality material. There were plenty of talented writers looking to improve the genre by going deeper than the outmoded stereotypical plots of cowboys vs. Indians, range wars, and the lone gunman, to name a few. Hollywood being a cold money-making machine, when Western films began failing at the box office in favor of space operas and godfathers, their attention waned.

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The Top 10 Costumes for Writers in 2020

October 6th, 2020

Photo via Ryan Miguel Capili You've been wearing a mask for a while, I know, but now you get to wear one for fun, like you used to. I have no idea what Halloween is going to look like this year, but Halloween is my favorite time of the year and I will be celebrating even if it means getting together with friends over Zoom. In any case, Halloween time means it's costume time.

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Chuck-alikes: A Chuck Palahniuk Read-alike List (Part 1)

October 5th, 2020

Chuck-alike definition: Books like Chuck Palahniuk’s. [Click here for Chuck-alikes: Part 2] Chuck’s books attract people who don’t always enjoy the books they were assigned in school, the books that hit bestseller lists, the books that you find in book clubs. Which means Chuck's fans have to be a little more clever when we're looking for other great books.

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Is Twitch the Next Untapped Platform for Authors?

October 2nd, 2020

The Twitch template allows livestreaming of videogame play for an audience while the gamer talks to those watching. The translation of that idea from gaming to writing is not a clean and perfect one-to-one fit.

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Self-Indie Publishing: Self-Publishing Without the Stigma

September 30th, 2020

Are you stuck in a submitting rut? Just sending shit out over and over without a bite? Are you thinking about just saying to hell with it and going the self-publishing route? There’s another way. If you give me a few minutes of your time, I’ll present another option that will allow you to publish while also saving you the stigma of self-publishing. Welcome to the new world of Self-Indie Publishing

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The Joys and Sorrows of Loving Obscure Books

September 28th, 2020

I’m not the king of obscure books or anything. But I like to dabble. You’ve got 728 pages of skateboard “journalism” from the 90’s? I’m in. Books with words in the title that book banners would prefer didn’t exist INSIDE the books, let alone in a raised font on the cover? I’m your man.

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Support Independent Bookstores: The Bulwarks of Book Communities

September 25th, 2020

Header image via Kew and Willow Books, Queens Indie Bookstore Day took place virtually on Aug. 29th this year, a day to celebrate all the good that independents do for their communities and the larger state of publishing — and a day for readers to give back to these small businesses.

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Storyville: Writing in a Time of Chaos

September 24th, 2020

Look around you—the world is going to hell in a bucket. But at least we can enjoy the ride, right? LOL. How do we write when we are worried about racism, a pandemic, our health, our families—in other words, the general state of the world? It’s not easy, but here are some tips and tricks to help get you writing.

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Ten Editing Tricks that Will Make Your Writing Better

September 23rd, 2020

Original photo by N. Ivanov Editing is a crucial part of writing. I know a lot of people hate it, but editing is a chance (or, in most case, a few chances) to make your work better. Working with a great editor can be as invaluable as working with the right agent, but before you get that manuscript into someone else’s hands, you should do everything in your power to make it as good as possible.

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