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Storytelling secrets from a 4-year-old boy pretending to be Batman
There’s a funny little post on reddit that actually gives us (1) a nice laugh and (2) a great little lesson in writing. Here’s the story: At the grocery store he’s running around doing superhero moves...
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Top 10 evil tips for authors, actors and artists
So, you’re a creative type — a writer of epic literary novels, an actor schlepping tables in Hollywood or a great artist in a black turtleneck who paints canvasses black because that’s HOW YOU FEEL...
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Writing secret: all you need is CURIOSITY and SURPRISE
Whether you write novellas about fierce mermaids, magazine stories for Cosmo (insert your own joke here) or speeches about the Austrian school of economics for the IMF — whatever sort of writer you...
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Top 10 Myths of Journalism School
Oh, if I could go back in time, and whisper in the ear of my younger self during journalism school. Not that I was busy screwing it up. Editor-in-chief of my college newspaper, graduated No. 1 in my...
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The Red Pen of Doom impales FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
As is my custom, and habit, and my Bobby Brown prerogative, I’m going to go with the first page — as printed. You know, printed with ink at these places we used to call “stores of books,” where you...
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Writers: can you do it in FOUR WORDS?
That’s the acid test for every writer: four words. If somebody in line with you for the Largest Latte Known to Man asks what you’re working on, can you explain it in four words? How about eight words?...
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The Overachiever’s Guide to Job Hunting
In my final semester of school, I juggled four classes, three jobs, and an internship. Did I mention that I also had a social life? Hi, I am an overachiever and unemployment is crushing my soul. How...
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Vini sinks DEEP BLUE by Kat Martin
Guest post by the Vini There is no surprising plot in a romance novel. That is both their sin and secret. A romance novel offers the comfort of fantasy where love and life ends well. So the success...
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Banned substances for writers
Click here to read the whole post at McSweeney’s here, because it is brilliant. My personal favorites: CAPOTEX – A vintage 1960s designer drug. Unlike most other banned literary substances, this drug...
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Watch this rare and beautiful graduation speech – DO IT NOW
Most graduation / commencement speeches put the B in Boring and fall into three categories: (1) standard “go change the world!” blah-blah you’ve heard 20 times before, (2) people trying to be very...
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I threw it on the ground — why people stop reading books
Like you, dear reader, I devour books. I eat them for breakfast, munch on them for lunch and blast through an endless buffet of books in bed, waiting for the Sandman — because books, they are THE BEST....
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I won some literary award, and it was awesomesauce
Every fiction writer should do three things: 1) Go to writing conferences – to learn all they can, make friends and put a serious dent in the hotel bar’s supply of Guinness (mission accomplished!) 2)...
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Great writing tips from reddit, of all places
Oh, there’s gold buried in here. Scroll through this post on writing and you’ll find all sorts of useful bits. If a writer is Cookie Monster, this reddit thread is your Ginormous Chocolate Chip...
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New advice column: ASK AYN RAND
I happily poked fun of Ayn Rand’s masterpiece, because it is a pretentious pile of doggie doo. Here’s that post: The Red Pen of Doom murders THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand However, John Hodgman did...
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The Mother of All Query Letters
Dear Agent Sir or Madam, I am writing to you, or your agency, to acquire literary representation in Manhattan, Hollywood, London and wherever else such deals are made to publish books and turn them...
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Secret recipe for any Lee Child novel
Reacher is a great hero, and Lee Child is one of the greatest thriller writers who ever lived. He’s also my favorite author and the owner of a primo British accent. I adore the man. HOWEVER: Having...
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Six ways to fix NEVER GO BACK by Lee Child
Let’s say it: Lee Child has a Superman problem. His hero, Reacher, is beloved by fans for having the brains of Sherlock Holmes and the body of Conan the Barbarian. The man never gets outsmarted and is...
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The Greatest Synopsis that Ever Lived
Dear Agent Sir or Madam, This is a follow-up to my querying letter about a million-word fictional novel trilogy. You can read that letter anywhere on the planet by firing up AOL and clicking on this...
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What doesn’t kill you makes you happy FOR MONTHS
Have you ever avoided doom? I bet you’ve swerved on I-5 to stop a drifting semi from turning your car into a cube of steel. As a teenager, I bet there were times buddies dared you to (a) jump off the...
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The end of BREAKING BAD
The Series of Tubes is chock full of rumors and speculation about some high school chemistry teacher and a junkie named Jesse. I celebrate this show, because it’s the best thing on the Glowing Tube...
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