Columns

A Study In Sherlock

May 30th, 2012

One of the most popular character models in literature is the Christ-like figure. Books, television and film are riddled with this template, from Jim Casey in The Grapes of Wrath to Neo in The Matrix trilogy; characters marked by the performance of miracles, displays of kindness and forgiveness, and more often than not, self-sacrifice.

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Indie Press Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio

May 30th, 2012

Website - Twitter - Facebook - Youtube

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LURID: Jaws - Back In The Water

May 29th, 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.

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Ask The Lit Coach: "Is It Normal For An Agent To Request Changes And Then Pass Withou Offering Representation?" and More

May 29th, 2012

Question from John H.  Recently a literary agent requested my full manuscript and after reading it, wanted me to make some changes. I made the changes he suggested and sent the revised manuscript back to him. A few weeks later, he passed on the manuscript, saying it wasn't for him. During this time, I never saw an offer for representation or agent contract. Is this normal?

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Gear Up! It's The Top Ten Technologies in Science Fiction

May 25th, 2012

Listen, I love Science Fiction for all the highbrow reasons that you do. The genre provides readers with nothing less than a chance to project humanity beyond our current physical, spatial, and mental restraints.  Having said that, sometimes it's really fun to just freak out about the crazy cool technologies on display. Who hasn't pretended they had a lightsaber, or an Orgasmatron? 

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Ten Authors Who Write Great Dialogue

May 25th, 2012

Dialogue is a tricky beast. There are so many writers who can craft stunning descriptive passages, entirely believable characters and heart-pounding action sequences, but whose dialogue falls flat and pale. Here are ten authors who can create a conversation that crackles.

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Writing with Authority: A Primer

May 24th, 2012

You may have heard someone say that a story they’ve read either has or lacks authority. It’s a common term in writing craft, albeit one that’s deceptively vague.

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Real Life Authors As Fictional Characters

May 23rd, 2012

I recently read Daphne by Justine Picardie, a novel that follows Rebecca author Daphne du Maurier during her years of research into Branwell Bronte. The book is just what I like, a juicy literary mystery that is elegantly written, but afterwards I found myself consumed by this new portrait of du Maurier.

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Keeping it Real: A Rough Guide to Using Real People As Fictional Characters

May 23rd, 2012

Pop quiz: what do Ebeneezer Scrooge, Alice in Wonderland and Tintin all have in common? OK, the title makes the answer obvious (and if it didn’t, you’re too tired to be reading this): all of these ‘fictional’ characters were based on real people.

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Primer: The Chronicles of Amber

May 22nd, 2012

I would be remiss in writing a regular column on fantasy if I didn’t cover my favorite fantasy series of all time, The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. In last year’s NPR poll on the top 100 science fiction and fantasy books, the series came in at number 40 . I would put it in the top 5.

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