What a tat!

I watched The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo last night on On Demand, Swedish with English subtitles, so I had to pay attention -- i.e., no playing computer games at the same time. I liked the film and now dread the American version because U.S. covers of European films tend to add saccharin and smooth essential edges. If you've ever seen the French Cousin/Cousine and the U.S. Cousins you know what I mean. (Gag.)

Anyway, some great acting in TGWTDT. The eponymous girl is mind-blowingly beautiful and strong, with her own code of justice -- which one is free to accept or reject, but must at least understand. It would be nice to forget what a sick, sick world we live in, but such memory lapses are dangerous to everyone.

NBCC Awards

To learn the winners of the National Book Critics Circle Award 2011, presented last night, go here.

The winner in fiction was Jennifer Egan for A Visit From The Goon Squad -- intriguing title. Jonathan Franzen's Freedom was a finalist. Other categories include nonfiction, criticism, poetry, biography, and autobiography.

Can you stop writing?

That's the question J. M. Tohline asked in a March 3, 2011, guest post (Guide to Literary Agents & Editors Blog). J. M. is only twenty-six years old and says he's asked himself whether he should just give up writing. For those of us who've been at it a lot longer, the question has come up many times. I know a couple of writers who have quit for various reasons.

I've tried to quit. I never succeeded because, whenever I tried, something inside me started to die. The stench got pretty bad, to the point where no amount of deodorant covered it. So I resurrected my writing and struggle on with it.

Whatever happened to lending your ears?

Have you ever just wanted to blow off steam? Do you want to express your feelings to a friend without being judged or advised or lectured? All you really want to hear is that your listener understands how you feel and is maybe even sympathetic.

Having any luck with that?

Years ago I read an article explaining that women listen and sympathize while men try to fix the problem for you. Baloney! Women are as liable as men to try to fix your problems and find answers for you, whether you want that or not.

I wish I understood why it's so hard for friends to listen to one another without inserting themselves into the other person's problem, but I'm at a loss.

The best literary magazines lists

What is the best? Everyone has her opinion on that. But if you don't have your own opinion and want someone else's, check the list at Every Writer's Resource for their Top 50. Newpages.com also has lists of magazines and also reviews literary magazines. At either site you can click on links and explore the online presences of Granta or the Bellingham Review or the New Orleans Review. Many, not all, have sample articles, poems, and stories. If you're more comfortable looking up entries in a book, that's what the Writers Market is for. A new one comes out every year. But looking online can be quicker and sometimes gets your more information.

You've heard by now it's essential to read a few issues of any magazine to which you're thinking of submitting. Everything you've heard is true. Finding lists of magazines in one place is the only shortcut you get.

Bram Stoker Award nominees announced

        BOO!

The Horror Writers Association has a fun and informative site. There are links to writing-related articles not specific to horror, so you don't necessarily have to write in that genre to appreciate this site or learn something from it. The site isn't even all that scary -- although maybe I shouldn't say that. Maybe they think they are, who knows? It is rather dark . . . and there's a raven . . . and a gloomy old castle . . .

Anyway, if you're interested in the Stoker awards -- if you know who Stoker was and why the awards are named after him -- or not -- check out the site here.

On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writers Association