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Um . . . Retirement?By John Gilstrap First things first. As I write this, it’s Book Launch Day! Harm’s Way, the 15th entry in my Jonathan Grave thriller...
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I Hear A SymphonyWriting prose without thinking about cadence is like trying to seduce a man by handing him your résumé. The facts are there, but the electric...
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Do You Have Dirty Links?All our links need to work. Especially buy links. What if the link to your new release prevents your ARC readers from leaving reviews on Amazon?...
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Give Your Characters Memoriesby James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories. — Steven Wright We often talk about a...
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The ClassicsI was a voracious reader as a kid, and read well beyond my grade level. When other kids were reading the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Half-Magic,...
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Reader Friday: What made you decide to become a writer?John Grisham, before going to college and law school, becoming an attorney, and beginning to write, had several occupations. As a teenager, he...
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The Pareto Principle for WritersThe Pareto Principle is the 80/20 Rule. It’s an economic concept stating roughly 80 percent of effects come from 20 percent of causes. Put...
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How Are They Talking?How Are They Talking? Terry Odell This topic has come up here at TKZ before, but I recently read a book by a best-selling author, traditionally...
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First Page Critique – Or, the Devil You Don’tBy Debbie Burke @burke_writer Today let’s welcome another Brave Author who submitted a first page of a story in the horror genre. Please enjoy...
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Getting Cozy“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” – Neil Armstrong * * * What is a cozy mystery? And how has...
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The Basic Formula of Fictionby James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell Many writers are not content merely to write a good story. They want to “say something.” This is...
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Words of Wisdom for the Muddle in the MiddleI haven’t reached the middle yet in Book Drop Dead, the mystery I’m currently drafting, but certainly have experienced the muddle in the middle in...
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Reader Friday: Reader-Writer ConnectionsThe question up for grabs today is directed at you as an author. Last week, Steve asked a question of us as readers: how do we connect with...
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Rejections Happen to Us AllHi, TKZers. I’ve finished my novel on time and I’m heading out for a short vacation. Here’s a classic blog that I hope will give...
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Not Writing Is Easier Than It Used To BeBy John Gilstrap When I first started down the path of what would become a long writing journey, the act of sitting down and making stuff up was a...
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Disconnecting From The WorldSo You Can Create Your OwnBy PJ Parrish I’ve been having a bad time of late trying to get in a writing mood. It was really getting me down and I couldn’t, for...
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Writers, have you fired “Chekhov’s Gun”?I’ve got a special treat for you today. My dear friend Anne R. Allen is here! If you’re not following her blog, you should remedy that...
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Eye on the Publishing Businessby James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell We’re over halfway through the year (ack!), so it seems an apt time to catch up on a few publishing business...
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Farewell, and AmenSometimes we don’t have to use all the words we know. You can convey entire stories full of feeling with just a few sentences. Today’s...
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Friday Reader-Writer ConnectionsAugust is “Reader-Writer Connections” month here at TKZ. Recently I invited readers of my newsletter to send me ideas for topics of...
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How to Read a BookIs this title a bit condescending? After all, one thing we’ve in common at the Kill Zone is we’re avid readers. We enthusiastically read...
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Time to Have a Little FunTime to Have a Little Fun Terry Odell It’s summer. People are on vacation. Escaping the heat. Or trying to. As a diversion, I thought we...
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Six Tips for a Book Party on a ShoestringBy Debbie Burke @burke_writer In 2018, I was privileged to crash a party in Manhattan hosted by Blackstone Publishing to celebrate their new book...
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Running and Writing and CompetitionIf you want to compete with somebody, run a race. If you want to change the world, write a book. * * * Last week PJ Parrish wrote a TKZ...
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Sister Aimee’s “Kidnapping”by James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell Was she a prophet, a huckster, a healer, or a performer? Or a combination of them all? Aimee Semple McPherson,...
