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Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven isn't actually a book, it's just a really long poem about a crow. But the epic poem is about more than a bird or a man who can't seem to get to sleep, and it beautifully showcases the dark nature of Poe's work. Poetry doesn't translate easily into film, or in fact into any other medium. The three films loosely based on Poe's work reflect this truth rather spectacularly. The Poem Edgar Allen Poe published The Raven in 1845, and it became rather famous right away. The musical lines of the poem are studied often by scholars of all ages, and some people can recite entire passages. Reciting the entire thing takes a whole lot of study -- it's more than 100 lines long, but the rhyming scheme does help.  The Raven mourns the loss of the lovely Lenore. A man wracked by grief for this woman, presumably a lost love, is being taunted by a raven who repeatedly tells him "nevermore." It's all the bird will ...

"Maneuver through this new world of money and lies and mystery." "The characters were dynamic and so entertaining."  Kitters Ramblings has followed up their review of Justice with a new review of The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2)! Read the spoiler-free review to get a taste of where this installment of the series will take you.

Holly Golightly first appeared in the world of fiction in 1958, but her character lived on the page in the 1940s. By the time she debuted on film, she'd aged 10 years and moved into the early sixties. But no matter where you find her, she's always one thing: incredibly stylish.  The Little Girl in the Little Black Dress In any era, Holly Golightly's style transcends the page. She was introduced in a novella written by Truman Capote, ostensibly based on someone he actually knew when he moved to New York as a young writer. Holly's love of style and fashion are revealed early in the book when she talks about going to Tiffany's, the famous jewelry store, and how safe she feels when surrounded by the men in their dark suits. Holly is a party girl who loves the night life, and she's usually dressed for it even at seemingly inappropriate hours of the day. The story struck a chord with readers, and Holly became a well-loved fiction heroine (or anti-heroin...

Have you ever turned to a friend to say, "let us go to the mall this afternoon" rather than let's ? Of course you haven't. Contractions are a natural and normal part of dialogue , and if you're a writer you really need them in your book.  Contractions Contractions are confusing. Apostrophes always complicate matters, because they appear all over the place. An apostrophe might be near the beginning, near the end, at the very end...sure, it's easy to get all mixed up. Start throwing contractions around, and matters only get more complicated. In contractions, apostrophes have a single function: they represent the missing letters. When cannot becomes can't , the apostrophe symbolizes the n and the o .  And once you know that, you should be able to write contractions perfectly every time. You'll need to, because you need contractions . Without them, your book will sound stilted and strange. It won't flow well, and I can prove it. ...

"The perfect YA read." "The story goes to a whole different place than what I expected." Kritters Ramblings has reviewed Justice (Deck of Lies, #1). Read the full review at the blog to find out why the reviewer called it perfect!

It's not easy to write something great. It's not even easy to write something that no one will want to read. There's a misconception that writers simply lounge around with tape recorders and laptops all day, busily typing away without cease. That's not what it's like. It's emotionally exhausting to write, and you can sweat for four hours and complete a single page of text. There's one great enemy that can make it impossible for you to write to your best capability. Do you know what it is...and how to defeat it? Music Playlist at MixPod.com Fear If you're a writer, your greatest enemy is fear . Lots of writers have been battered, maybe even a little damaged, by criticism and rejection . It's easy to second-guess your writing, to stop writing and read what you've just done...and hate it. You might start thinking about how readers will react, how literary agents will react, how publishers might react. What will the reviewers say? Wi...

Writers are supposed to be in their own heads a little bit. You have to completely immerse yourself in the world you're inventing in order to write it properly, don't you? But you've got to step outside of that world every once in a while, and into someone else's. What are you reading right now....and are you reading for you, or to improve your writing?  Reading and Writing Lots of writers also enjoy reading. Many authors have been inspired by other authors. I have a few particular favorites, myself. But you shouldn't necessarily be reading those authors that you love -- at least, not all of the time. Some of the time, you've got to read in order to improve your writing. You've also got to read to make sure you're writing within your own genre, and that you're marketing toward the right audience . Think of it as reconnaissance. If you're writing YA books, shouldn't you be reading other YA books to see what's happening in the ...

How good is Bram Stoker's novel Dracula ? So good, kids are still dressing up like his main character more than 100 years later. The novel was originally written in 1897, but it's come to life many times since then. The Book We're celebrating scary books this October, but Dracula is about a lot more than cheap thrills. The book touches upon the role of women in Victorian society, sex, even immigration (still a hot-button issue in some countries). Bram Stoker wasn't the very first author to write about vampires, but he's famous for bringing the vampire into the modern world.  It's one of the most-adapted novels ever written. It's been around long enough to be adapted for the stage and the screen many, many times over. Dracula centers around a title character who is quite thoroughly undead, though many protagonists help to tell the story through diaries, letters, newspaper clippings and ship logs. Dracula is the title character and ...