Columns
Showing 3545 Columns
Showing 3545 Columns
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?
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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.
Read Column →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:
Read Column →April 11th, 2019
One of the burdens of comic book nerdom is that whenever a new comic book movie comes out, you get the same question: “Which comics should I read? Number 1, right?” Gross Generalization: No, it’s not #1. With a new Hellboy movie out, I’m sure many of you are wondering which Hellboy books are worth reading. I’ll let you know, but I also need you to learn about the wider Mignolaverse. Because there are too few other geeks who care about this stuff, and damn it, I’m looking to swell the ranks.
Read Column →April 10th, 2019
Beverly Cleary once said: “Quite often somebody will say, 'What year do your books take place?' and the only answer I can give is, in childhood.” Indeed, since it was first published in 1955, Cleary’s Ramona series has shown her unique ability to write from the complex but always honest perspective of a child. It’s therefore no huge surprise that “Drop Everything and Read” (or D.E.A.R.) is celebrated annually on Cleary’s birthday, April 12th.
Read Column →April 9th, 2019
Neil Gaiman's acclaimed novel American Gods had a rough time making it to the screen. First published in 2001, it wasn't until the spring of 2017 that a television adaptation finally hit the airwaves. Created by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green (Hannibal, Stark Trek: Discovery), upon its debut, the Starz series perfectly grasped Gaiman's blend of meditative social commentary and fantasy action.
Read Column →Sign up for a free video lesson and learn how to make readers care about your main character.