Columns

Storyville: Advanced Writing Workshop Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

July 16th, 2020

So, if you saw my previous column on Surviving a Workshop, then you have already digested my thoughts on having thick skin, what advice to take, dealing with a consensus, jerks and haters, giving feedback as good as you get, and allowing yourself to create a rough draft without freaking out. That column was written back in 2017, so let’s see what I’ve learned since then, and what advanced advice I can give you here.

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10 Books by Diverse Authors That You Should Read Right Now

July 14th, 2020

As readers, we have the choice to read outwardly. In other words, to read beyond the stories of people who are like ourselves, thus expanding our empathy and understanding. Reading books by diverse authors is one way in which any reader can begin to question the way they experience and perceive life, as well as to complement it with perspectives beyond their own.

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Why The Punisher Has No Place In The Police Department

July 13th, 2020

It is no exaggeration to say America is currently in the throes of a policing crisis. Citizens are having their rights violated and being assaulted by the very officers that have sworn to protect and serve them. Tired of a police force that brutalizes innocents and murders citizens, people have taken to the streets in protest. Some of these initially peaceful demonstrations have, sadly, resulted in violence, but not by the protesters. The police have been the ones rioting and attacking people.

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The Ladies of Horror BookTube

July 10th, 2020

Readers can discover new books in a variety of ways. Reviews of horror fiction can be found on social media platforms like Instagram (#bookstagram), Twitter, Facebook and even TikTok. Pick up one of several magazines focusing on Horror, like Rue Morgue, SCREAM, or Fangoria and there will be a section with horror book reviews. But perhaps the most interactive and personal way readers can enjoy book reviews is BookTube—readers talking about books on YouTube. As a woman writing horror fiction reviews myself, I am well aware of the growing sisterhood.

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Black Authors You Should Read

July 9th, 2020

Want to read some black authors? Good. World literature would be a fraction of what it is today without the contributions of black writers. In this short list you will find science fiction, romance, poetry, YA, horror, crime, literary fiction, and nonfiction. Dig it:

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Tricking People Into Diverse Reading

July 8th, 2020

The online internets are filled with diverse book lists right now. This is a good thing.

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Excited About "Lovecraft Country"? Read Victor LaValle's "The Ballad Of Black Tom" First

July 7th, 2020

Last month, HBO released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming series Lovecraft Country, set to premiere in August of this year. The show follows a young Black man, Atticus (Jonathan Majors), as he travels through Jim Crow America with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), searching for his missing father.

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Stephen King's Nine Worst Books and Why I Still Love Them

July 3rd, 2020

I’m one of Stephen King’s Constant Readers. As such, I joined in with Richard Chizmar from Cemetery Dance when he started his #StephenKingRevisited series. I commenced buying and rereading all of King’s books in the order they were published and wrote my own blog posts before and after each one. I’m on track to finish my reread up through the latest, If It Bleeds, by the end of 2020.

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Beach Reads for Indoor Types

July 2nd, 2020

Trust me, you don’t wanna hit the beach this summer. If you’re a person who fears pandemic, aka someone sane, then I probably don’t need to tell you why. If you’re a person who doesn’t fear illness, let me explain why you don’t want to hit the beach, either:

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A Demigod’s Guide to Defining the New Normal

July 1st, 2020

It’s official, one of our favorite demigods is getting his own Disney+ TV series. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Percy Jackson on screen. Back in 2010 and 2013, The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters were adapted for the big screen. But while fans tolerate the films, they don’t always like to talk about them.

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