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10 Books That Feel Like Exes

February 18th, 2019

Image via Daniel G Remember that book you read a decade ago and still hate? Remember that book that was with you while you were going through a tough time? What about that book that introduced you to something you fell in love with? Or that novel you read that made you stay away from a whole genre for years because the experience was traumatic? Well, here are some books I read that changed me/stuck with me/moved permanently into my memory. Some for good reasons, some for bad.

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The 13 Best Women Writing Horror Today

February 15th, 2019

It’s Women in Horror Month, which can mean a lot of different professions and people: filmmakers, scholars, fans, makeup artists – and authors. There are so many brilliant women spinning terrifying yarns today, sprinting ahead on the path forged by Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson. Here are thirteen contemporary authors who will scare the bejeezus out of you. Put them on your must-read list immediately.

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If Books Were Assorted Chocolates

February 14th, 2019

A good box of chocolates has a personality. An overall feeling that comes from the act of discovery, the flavors, and the trust implied by diving into a piece of candy that's unidentifiable at first glance. That's probably why it's such a popular Valentine's gift. You can show someone you know them, treat them to something nice, and they can show you, just a little, that they trust you. 

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50 Provocative Questions About Romantic Subplots

February 12th, 2019

Header image via Pixabay This article was born when I sat down to watch a movie with a bad romantic subplot. It got me asking questions about romantic subplots. Their utility, their effectiveness. Their very right to exist. I came up with a list of questions. Let's think about this. Apply this to your work. Annoy your friends next time you see a movie together. Ready to take the romance out of romance? Let’s go.

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The Top 10 Fake Books in Movies

February 11th, 2019

Sometime around last year, I realized I’ve been steadily losing my ability to read due to a decade of rampant, attention-span-destroying internet usage. This became even clearer to me when, for the first time in my life, I found it impossible to come up with a year-end top ten list of books. In 2018, I think I read just one book cover to cover, I'll Be Gone in the Dark. It wasn’t even that long. So there you go. My top ten was that one book, ten times.

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Platonic Love Between Men In Fiction

February 8th, 2019

Image via Pixabay One time I brought a story to a workshop and came across a problem. The platonic male friendship in the story read, to almost every single person, as a romance. Maybe a lopsided, obscured romance, but a romance nonetheless. The overwhelming response meant the misinterpretation was my fault. I'll own that.

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Library Love: Love Letters to the Library

February 7th, 2019

Sometimes I think about my profession and get the warm fuzzies. Rather than list all the things that I think are wonderful about libraries and the folks who work in them, I've crafted a few love letters to better illustrate the wide-ranging impact libraries have on our lives. Dear Librarians,

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10 Must-Know Tips For Outlining Your Novel

February 6th, 2019

If the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, the road to a finished novel is dotted with false starts. So many aspiring writers think they’ve landed upon a brilliant idea for a novel. That’s great! But when they sit to actually put the story down in words, they soon discover they have no idea where to start with it.

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Places To Read and Listen To Books For Free

February 5th, 2019

Header image via Ellie Burgin The holiday season is well and truly over and bank balances around the world are diminished, but our appetites for books and stories are as abundant as ever. Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of places you can read and listen to books for free. Legally!

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Reflections on the Difficulties and Influence of Joyce

February 1st, 2019

February 2nd is the 137th anniversary of James Joyce’s birth. That’s not a particularly significant number except that it makes me think about how around the 20th anniversary of my own birth I was obsessed with Joyce, and all that has changed over the years about my relationship with the Irishman’s work.

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