Columns

Storyville: Why Denouement is So Important to a Satisfying Story

September 4th, 2020

If you are hearing this word “denouement” for the first time, then we have a LOT to talk about. To me, it’s a crucial part of your storytelling, and one of the most important aspects of your story structure, mechanics, and ending. Let’s dig into it.

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Four Reasons Hulu Executives Were Fools To Cancel “High Fidelity”

September 3rd, 2020

I’ve admittedly never read Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel High Fidelity, though the film adaptation from 2000 has long been a favorite of mine. John Cusack manages to charm as main character Rob even though he is thoroughly, as Liz (played by Cusack’s sister Joan) calls him in the film, a “fucking asshole.” But he learns not to be a fucking asshole throughout the narrative, or at least, less of one. Jack Black’s turn as Barry is easily his finest hour as a comedic actor (save maybe his guest appearance on Community).

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The Scarlet Plague: Exploring the Historical Influence of Pandemics on Literature

September 2nd, 2020

Is it a good idea to write a pandemic story in 2020? What about next year or the year after? One of the things I thought early on as the pandemic played out was that the inboxes of publishers were going to be flooded with pandemic novels and stories. Another thing that hit me was how bad I felt for authors already in the middle of writing pandemic stories. How Do We Go On?

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The Ancient Universal Truths of Confucius on What is Likely His Birthday

August 27th, 2020

Image via Wikipedia K’ung Ch’iu, K’ung Fu-Tzu, K’ung Chung-ni... These aren’t exactly well-known names in western culture, but when you mention Confucius, everyone knows who you are talking about. He has gone by all these names. The infamous latter title is the westernized name assigned to him. 

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A Brief History of Vintage Writing Software

August 27th, 2020

Maybe it’s just me who's been seeing a lot of writerly complaints lately. Mostly about how hard it is to write. Truth be told, we're damn lucky. It's never been easier to write. Let's wipe out one more excuse to NOT write by looking at how hard it used to be to type words onto a screen and turn them into a book.

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Confessions of a Short Story Addict: More, More, More

August 25th, 2020

I am a huge advocate for short stories. I'm not sure why so many readers express a disinterest in shorter works vs. full size novels, but I do my best to be a constant voice in favor of short story collections and anthologies. It's my opinion that a well edited anthology provides a ton of value to a genre-reader such as myself. In one book, I get about a dozen stories from a curated selection of authors. Hopefully, the TOC (table of contents) boasts diversity in the form of race and gender, as well as a balance between well known voices and up-and-coming ones too.

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The Best Star Trek Novels: A Personal List

August 24th, 2020

Star Trek has always been my fictional comfort food. When times are tough, I can always put on an episode or open a book and things aren’t so bad for a while. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of scientific discovery, the positive vision of humanity’s future, or just the premise of a diverse and competent crew working together to make the galaxy a better place—I almost always end a Star Trek story feeling a little more hopeful than when I began.

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Celebrating a Centenary of Ray Bradbury

August 21st, 2020

Author photo via Wikipedia Imagine you’re walking down the street in a pre-pandemic city. Across the way, the people milling by are absorbed in what’s playing through their earpieces, scrolling distractedly on the screen strapped to their wrists. Their heads are down as they rush forward, so engrossed in the cacophony of their devices that they don’t even notice the people around them.

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Keyboarding Games: Your Writing Still Sucks, But It Sucks Faster

August 20th, 2020

The first time I played basketball at a friend’s house, I was the only kid still deploying the two-arm, underhanded “granny shot.” Everyone else shooting overhand was a completely new thing to me. This was a sure sign of a self-taught player who spent a lot of time alone at the hoop.

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Reframing My Writing: Doing it For Me, Not An Audience

August 19th, 2020

Original images by Sara Garnica & Ivan Samkov It might seem ironic to confess what I’m about to say in an essay I’m writing for publication, but I think some time over the past few years of writing I’ve lost the ability to write for joy. In its place I’ve discovered the much-less satisfying art of writing merely for publication or recognition.

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