Columns

Have You Been Good This Year? 10 Awesome Holiday Gifts For Bookworms

December 7th, 2012

December is upon us and that means the holidays are nigh, a time of thanks and family and introspection – and, of course, the giving and receiving of big, juicy gifts. We here at LitReactor would never leave you high and dry, so here you are: the most covetable book gifts available this holiday season. Feel free to thank us with any of the items on this list.

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Why Netflix Makes You a Better Writer

December 7th, 2012

Welcome to the 21st century. Are you taking advantage of it? Today's technology provides innumerable new resources for hopeful writers, and one of the most powerful learning hubs—besides LitReactor, of course—is Netflix. When used appropriately, Netflix is one of the most powerful, thorough, and affordable learning hubs for up-and-coming creative writers.

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10 Awesome Comics To Give and Receive For The Holidays

December 6th, 2012

It’s somehow that time of year again. So what are the comics you should be gifting (if you want people to love what they’re getting) and asking for? Here are ten fantastic books, both old and new, that should be on your list.

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Publishing in The Time of War

December 6th, 2012

I’ve been reluctant to dig too deep into the publishing wars that have been heating the upholstery of board room chairs for the past several years. Art is art and business is business, and for centuries the two have never mixed terribly well. But, we’ve now entered into a dark time of war, hyperbole, and hysteria; and common sense is being lost to rank silliness.

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The Magic of Christmas: An Advent Calendar of Fantasy Fiction

December 5th, 2012

It’s that time of year again, and it’s hard to think about the holidays, particularly Christmas, without thinking of fantasy. Whether or not you’re religious or Christian, the story of Jesus' birth is full of fantastical elements, from the angels to the star to the three Magi. Moving to the secular (or perhaps pagan) side of things, Santa Claus is nothing but fantastical--flying reindeer, elves (which rather resemble gnomes), a fat man fitting down a chimney, and so on.

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Notes from the Drunken Editor: Forging Your Own Independence

December 5th, 2012

I don't have a drinking problem, because I rarely drink. When I drink, I don't get drunk. The reason I'm calling this series "Notes from the Drunken Editor" is because I would like to catch a particular kind of reader's attention, and if you are reading this, it seems to have worked.

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Storyville: Top Ten Best Short Stories Ever

December 4th, 2012

How dare I make a list of the top ten short stories ever, right? Who the hell do I think I am? Well, obviously I’m a fan of fiction, of the short story form. I’m also an author. And I now have my MFA in Creative Writing as well. Does that make me an authority? Yes, on stories that I love—that’s it, nothing more. These may work for you or they may not. You’ve probably heard of many of them, but I hope you’ll track down the ones that are not familiar and give them a read.

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Book vs. Film: 'Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho' and 'Hitchcock'

November 30th, 2012

Hollywood loves navel-gazing. It’s a long-held truth. Every year Tinseltown releases a slew of movies about making movies, whether the film within the film is fictional or factual. So I’m rather surprised that a silver screen adaptation of Stephen Rebello’s Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho has been such a long time coming. The 1990 non-fiction book has been very well received over the years, as it’s infinitely readable, meticulously researched and wonderfully enlightening.

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10 Reasons Your Screenplay Sucks (and how to fix it)

November 30th, 2012

…99 out of 100 screenplays I read [aren't] good enough… When you read a good screenplay, you know it – it’s evident from page one.  The style, the way the words are laid out on the page, the way the story is set up, the grasp of dramatic situation, the introduction of the main character, the basic premise or the problem of the screenplay – it’s all set up in the first few pages of the script. — Syd Field Screenplay (1979)

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UPDATED WITH WINNER - LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: November Edition

November 30th, 2012

Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity. Welcome to LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown, a monthly bout of writing prowess, in which you're challenged to thrill us in 250 words or less. How It Works We give you a picture. You write a flash fiction piece, using the picture we gave you as inspiration. Put your entry in the comments section. One winner will be picked, and awarded a prize.

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