Columns

UPDATED WITH WINNER: LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: August Edition

August 31st, 2012

Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity. How This Works We give you something. It could be a picture or an idea or a sentence. You write a flash fiction piece, using the thing 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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The Good, The Bad, and The Sadly Deluded: Actors Who Write

August 30th, 2012

If there’s one commodity actors are not short of, it’s ego. The trouble with egos is that they’re very like the insatiable plant in Little Shop of Horrors (feed me Seymour!): demanding of constant sustenance. Acting is rarely enough for most actors. In their search for a bigger share of the spotlight, some actors turn to directing, some to music. Some even turn to art. And some – inevitably - turn to writing.

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Storyville: The Horror of Editing and Revision

August 29th, 2012

Okay, if you love editing your writing, raise your hand. Come on now, don’t be shy, who loves to pour over their work cutting, pasting, cutting, adding, all of that stuff? Anybody? You in the back, put your hand down, you’re a freak. Nobody likes to edit, to proof their own work. It’s a slow, painful process. But if you can get over the worry and fear and self-doubt that is constantly trying to worm its way into your writing, maybe we can get through this together.

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Clause I Said So: A Refresher Course On Sentence Types

August 29th, 2012

No matter the content, the inspiration, or the writer, a good piece of writing is only as strong as its sentences. In the creative writing world, practically anything is possible. Crack a novel and you will find alternative punctuation, clever sentence fragments, and creative twists on traditional grammar and usage. That’s what makes writing and literature fun and exciting. However, if you’ve read any of my articles, you’ve probably gleaned by now that I advocate knowing the rules before you break them.

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Taking From the World Tree: Mythology and Cultural Appropriation

August 28th, 2012

Mythology has long been a source of inspiration, and indeed material, for those writing fantasy fiction. One of the gold standard examples I always use is J. R. R. Tolkien, whose Lord of the Rings universe was influenced by Norse mythology. Tolkien’s creation took a much different form, but there are echoes of these myths in Middle-Earth and beyond.

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Unsanctioned: Sequels To Classic Novels Written By Different Authors

August 27th, 2012

A literary trend I've never been able to support is that of sequels to classic novels written by different authors. Even when the author's estate actually sanctions these sequels, I will never consider them canon. I've read a few of them out of sheer curiosity and a penchant for masochism, and I cannot recommend a single one. 

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Why The Hell Do We Want Everyone To Die and Eat Our Brains?: Zombie Fiction and The American Obsession With The End of the World

August 27th, 2012

Death The irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity : the end of life. *

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LURID: Welcome to the Dollhouse, Pediophobes and Agalmatophiles!

August 24th, 2012

LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a twice-monthly guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading. …dolls, the undead, who cannot live at all and yet who mimic the living in every detail since, though they cannot speak or weep, still they project those signals of signification we instantly recognize as language.” ― Angela Carter, Wayward Girls and Wicked Women

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Scandalous! Is Stephen King's Original Version of THE STAND Better Than the Uncut Edition?

August 24th, 2012

I am a fervent Stephen King fan. I have read everything he's ever published, often multiple times. I've seen every adaptation. I've defended him countless times against detractors. I wrote him a fan letter when I was a pre-teen and he in turn mailed me an inscribed publisher's copy of Wizard and Glass, to this day the single most exciting piece of mail I've ever received. I think King is a brilliant writer who creates some of the most memorable characters and narratives of any author I've ever read.

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YA Superstar: Sarah Dessen

August 23rd, 2012

The first time I ever met Sarah Dessen, she gave me a free whoopie pie. Really, that should tell you everything you need to know about what a fantastic person she is, but I can't pass up the opportunity to gush about what makes her such a terrific YA author as well.

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