Try as I might, I forgot sometimes to track my columns on LitReactor back here on my own blog (FAIL!), but thankfully, I remembered this time.
This article discusssed unreliable narrators and what makes them so much fun to write. This is a favorite topic of mine, so please check it out. Besides who else do you know that combines discussion of Robert Browing poetry with Al Pacino and Scarface. Enjoy!
Cover of Bleak House (Vintage Classics)
It’s my new favorite holiday…NaNoWriMo Day! Today is the day to kick off that novel you’ve been rolling around in your head for, well, EVER.
To help you reach your word count, check out my latest post on Litreactor.com about writing desciptive scenes. There is a GREAT scene from Charles Dickens‘ Bleak House that’s perfect for this cold, foggy November morning (in Portland, OR, at least). That should really get you inspired!
C.D. was a master of description and you can be, too. Enjoy the latest installment, and don’t forget to play along!
http://litreactor.com/columns/sixth-sense-settings-writing-rich-descriptive-scenes
Image via Wikipedia
I almost forgot: LitReactor.com has published my latest craft column. I think it’s my best one so far. This time the topic is nonlinear narrative (which you might remember me posting about last year). I discuss use of this particular style in the new book from Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Good Squad, as well as movies like Memento. I also post an awesome short story, Continuity of Parks by Julio Cortazar, and I offer my own rendition (butchering?) of the classic fable Little Red Riding Hood.
And, as always, audience participation is encouraged!
Enjoy: http://litreactor.com/columns/out-of-order-a-discussion-of-nonlinear-narrative-structure
Cover of Cliffhanger (Collector's Edition)
Hate a bad ending? Me too. There is NOTHING worse than a story that ends with pfffft! Instead of a BANG!
Read my latest installment at Litreactor.com on how to write better endings.
*IRONIC NOTE: The editors of LitReactor picked a shot of Stallone from the movie Cliffhanger, which incidentally and unbeknownst to the LitReactor editors, was filmed in my hometown—Durango, Colorado. Sweet!
Click here to read it! http://litreactor.com/columns/dont-leave-me-hanging
Wow, I am so excited to announce that my first column for LitReactor.com is now up and ready to read. If you are planning on participating in National Novel Writing Month this year, check out my slightly gory tips for plot generation using a variation on the Exquisite Corpse activity. [Insert maniacal laughter here]
These columns are written with reader participation in mind. Each will offer a writing exercise that you can do from home, the office, the coffee shop, the taxidermist, or secret evil laboratory. Post your ideas and writing activities in the comments so we can all read how ridiculously brilliant you are.
More columns are coming up on Monday 10/17 and Tuesday 10/25. Stay tuned!
Here’s the link!
