Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk's 2014-2015 Essays

Chuck surprised us all with a new batch of essays for 2014 & 2015! There is no exact timeline on how these will roll out, so just keep an eye on the site.
Stephen Graham Jones

Write Or Go Home

Essays from the doctor himself, Stephen Graham Jones. Stephen is a critically acclaimed author and instructor here at LitReactor.
Craig Clevenger Photo

Notes on the Craft

Concrete, practical methods for improving your writing.
Chuck Palahniuk

36 Writing Essays by Chuck Palahniuk

36 exclusive craft essays on writing you won't find anywhere else online. The knowledge here is equivalent to what you'd get in an MFA program.
Cina Pelayo

Should You Join A Writers Organization?

In: Research
A general overview of 4 of the biggest to help with your decision.
Richard Thomas

Using Peace, Quiet, and Introspection to Intensify Your Writing

In: Structure
How those quiet moments may end up being some of the most revealing and powerful in your story.

How and Why I Built a Bookselling Monster

Yes, a literal bookselling monster. Named Archivos.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Depression as Catharsis in Your Fiction

In: Voice
How depression can lead to catharsis in your storytelling.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Stop Pulling on Threads

In: Rewriting
Advice on how to stop destroying your work-in-progress by pulling on threads.
Stephanie M. Wytovich, MFA

Dear Charlotte Perkins Gilman

In: Abstracts
An open letter to Charlotte Perkins Gilman that reflects on postpartum and her story "The Yellow Wallpaper."
Joshua Isard

Does Writing Fiction Make You More Empathetic?

Science has proven that reading makes you more empathetic. But does writing?
Richard Thomas

Storyville: What We Can Learn From Reading Bad Fiction

What can a bad story teach us? Turns out, it's a lot.

"Lack of Character Development" is Not Always A Problem

In: Character
Characters don't need to develop all the time. We're fine.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Anthology Calls—How to Write to Theme, and Stand Out in a Crowd

In: Research
Writing to an anthology theme while trying to stand out in a crowd.
Roy Christopher

Taxonomies for Storytelling

Dissecting the threads that make up the tapestry.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: The Big Reveal—Adding Up to Ten

In: Structure
The big reveal—adding up to ten.
Lor Gislason LitReactor

Fostering Inclusivity: Sensitivity Readings and Content Warnings

In: Research
Lor discusses two tools to create a more inclusive experience: sensitivity readings and content warnings.
Kleopatra Olympiou

6 Books with Warped Timelines to Celebrate Groundhog Day, Bill-Murray-style

In: Structure
It's Groundhog Day, the perfect excuse for you to read about time travel and warped timelines.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Dissecting Body, Mind, and Soul

Dissecting body, mind, and soul in our storytelling.

Dialog Journals and Writing Good Dialog

Start a dialog journal, fix up your dialog, write better characters, and basically rule the world.
Andrea J. Johnson

You’re A Writer, But Is MasterClass Right For You?

In: Cliche
MasterClass offers numerous courses for aspiring writers. But are such classes worth the investment? This article seeks to address that concern and give you a brief overview of some of the sessions.
Joshua Isard

Walter Mosley, Natural Language, and Empathy

In: Dialogue
Everyday language is a way to understand different kinds of people. Diving in to those differences is vital.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: 10 Tips and Exercises for Generating New Story Ideas

In: Research
Having a hard time coming up with new story ideas? We're here to help.
Karis Rogerson

So You've Won NaNoWriMo — What Next?

In: Rewriting
After winning your first NaNo, you may be wondering what to do. Here's some advice.