Columns

Storyville: Turning Your Obsessions Into Fiction

May 20th, 2020

I want you to take a few moments to look back over your life and consider the things that you are obsessed with, or WERE obsessed with. Those interests, addictions, hobbies, jobs, and skills can really help to create stories that have a strong sense of authority, riddled with details that somebody outside of those habits just can’t get to. Let’s go deeper.

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The Gabino Iglesias Online MFA: Third Semester

May 19th, 2020

Original image by mentatdgt You started this MFA with certain preconceived notions and now here you are, transformed into someone who knows what's what. We are proud of you and it fills our hearts with joy that you completed/survived your first two semesters. However, we're only halfway there. Welcome to the third semester. This is where we get serious. Here are the classes you'll be taking in the coming six months.

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Patrick Dennis’s Birthday Banquet

May 18th, 2020

“Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving to death!” —Patrick Dennis, Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade The strongest, most eccentric female lead ever created was written by a man who struggled with his sexuality and died a servant to the wealthy after becoming the first author in U.S. history to have 3 consecutive books on the New York Times Best Seller list. Why hasn’t Hollywood optioned this story yet?

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Writers, Stop Neglecting Your Author Photos!

May 15th, 2020

Photo by Edu Carvalho Author photos are notoriously awful. For whatever reason—be it our noble dedication to the written word or a dogged desire to remain unseen—the writing community hasn’t taken any cues from the acting community that a headshot is a promotional tool. An amazing picture is a way to sell yourself and your brand.

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The Truths And Lies About An English Degree

May 14th, 2020

High School Seniors: You might be making higher ed decisions right now. Or, you’re supposed to, but you’re reading this instead. I support you either way. College Students: You might be in the middle of a program. Maybe making a tough decision for the fall. Hope this helps. Recent Graduates: On one hand, this will be almost useless for you. Bitter experience will provide all of these lessons. On the other hand, you can reconcile the truth now and save some heartache later.

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Go Out to Dinner with These 7 Delicious Books

May 13th, 2020

Original Images by Ry Young & Valentina Degiorgis I didn’t do much before quarantine. I wasn’t the kind of person who went to cool, underground shows at dive music venues. I didn’t spend whole Saturdays shopping at boutiques. Not really a fan of festivals. Some of this has to do with the low rate of pay that comes with the territory of being a writer and working in the book business.

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Bullet Journaling: The Writer's New Best Friend

May 12th, 2020

Image via Cottonbro Studio The luckiest writers get to rise in the morning, start writing when they feel like it, and then quit writing when they feel like it as well. They have nothing else to do with the rest of their day, other than chores around the house and any other everyday life things (including paying bills, going to the doctor, and all the un-fun stuff we have to do).

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Writing Advice From Metal Songs

May 8th, 2020

If you find yourself facing writer's block, frustrated and incapable of injecting the kind of feeling into your work that you’re looking for, and just overall feeling down about the state of your writing project, maybe you need to crabwalk your way to the mosh pit and make a few noses bloody, first. Consider this a playlist if you like, but I consider the following some of the best writing encouragement I’ve ever received. Take heed from these brutal overlords of shred and get back to work.

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Horror Book Recommendations for Geminis

May 8th, 2020

I'm a Gemini. Full stop. I wasn't born on the cusp of another sign, I don't borrow from any other astrological attributes. I fall squarely in the camp of Gemini. To provide a little context to my familiarity with astrology I'll have you know that I don't read my daily horoscope. I don't really ascribe to the idea that ruling planets have such and such effect on my life.

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10 Hacks To Get The Most From Your eReader

May 7th, 2020

Let’s talk about some behavioral and non-technical things you can do to improve your eReader experience. I’m not talking about hardcore stuff like unscrewing panels or rooting your device or turning it into a Playstation 4 or whatever. Those guides are out there and...well, if you want to play a Playstation 4, they invented this thing called Playstation 4. Playstation 4, a device designed specifically to play Playstation 4 games, turns out to be the best gizmo when it comes to doing Playstation 4 stuff. Go figure.

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