Columns

7 Supernatural Urban Legends from Japan

April 30th, 2019

There are a multitude of urban legends and folktales from Japan. So many, that today I’m focussing exclusively on supernatural urban legends, and even then, this is by no means an exhaustive list. Want more? Let me know in the comments or over on Twitter and I’ll make it happen.

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Storyville: What is Head-Hopping and Why Should You Avoid It?

April 29th, 2019

When I was first getting started as a writer, some eleven years ago, I can remember some editing and criticism from my peers in workshop, and professors in my MFA. It had to do with head-hopping, and it’s something you should actively avoid when writing your fiction. Head-hopping is when you fluctuate between more than one person or POV in a scene. It can be extremely disorienting for the reader, pulling them out of the narrative. Let’s dig deeper, and I’ll explain what I mean.

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Writing on the Spectrum

April 26th, 2019

Photo by Magda Ehlers As a child of the eighties, my understanding of the autism spectrum came entirely from pop culture and the media: Rain Man, Bill Gates, the odd news piece. Autistic people were almost always men, usually children, hopelessly separated from society by their condition and barely able to function without assistance. Usually with a set of savant-like skills, sure—counting cards in Vegas or graced with superhuman technical abilities—but they weren’t normal.

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The 10 Worst Things About Shakespeare

April 23rd, 2019

If Shakespeare were alive, we’d be celebrating his 455th birthday on April 23rd. Weirdly enough, Shakespeare’s death day was the same as his birthday: April 23rd. Different year, unfortunately. Even in being born and dying, Shakespeare managed to be idiosyncratic and annoying. Like something out of a Wes Anderson movie. Just, you know, several hundred years before Wes Anderson. I’m not a fan. Can you tell?

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Writing Horror Using All Five Senses

April 22nd, 2019

Photo by samer daboul Horror is a raw and visceral genre that relies on fear and anxiety. Readers need to really connect with characters on a base level and share their negative emotions in order for horror fiction to be truly effective.

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The Folkloric And Literary Roots Of La Llorona

April 19th, 2019

Out today from Warner Bros. Pictures, The Curse Of La Llorona tells the story of a woman bedeviled by a female ghost with her sights set on the woman's children.

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The Feminist Fairy Tale of Captain Marvel

April 18th, 2019

Before it was released, before it had even begun filming, Captain Marvel was beset by naysayers and discouragement. Comment sections, message boards and Twitter were filled with angry men spewing hatred at it simply for existing. And there were plenty of opinion pieces and critical analyses explaining with a veneer of condescension why a female-led superhero movie was a bad idea doomed to fail. It was review-bombed before it was ever seen.

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Library Love: April Showers Bring...Wet Books?!?

April 17th, 2019

Water, the giver of life. And, the worst enemy of your book collection. Ever seen a wet book? They're gross. Left untreated, mold will develop in the nooks and crannies, the paper will wrinkle, the spine will bend out of whack. You will never want to touch or read it again. But it doesn't have to be that way.

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30 of Webster's Worst Words

April 15th, 2019

Neologism is a fancy term for “new word.” While Urban Dictionary has provided the general populace the ability to trace neologisms as they develop, it’s still Merriam-Webster that really counts. It counts in Scrabble, spelling bees, and if you’re ever having a barroom argument over whether or not “embiggen” is a “cromulent” word, Merriam-Webster is the place to go.

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10 Writers Killing It On Twitter in 2019

April 12th, 2019

I've been teaching my MFA students about platforms, social media engagement, and brand recently. It has forced me to think about perfect examples of writers who do the Twitter thing right. It's more than just being approachable and constantly plugging your latest book. If you want to know more, go check out what these writers are doing. Here they are in no particular order: 

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