Dreaded writer’s block. Your muse has left you for another writer, the empty computer screen mocks you every day with it’s silent emptiness. Horrible, huh? Well, I have a confession to make. I know nothing about it, because it’s never happened to me. I’ve gotten too busy to write, or distracted with other things, or just been too out of it to get anything accomplished. But days on end where I can’t write anything? Nope. So here are a few suggestions to help on those days where your current WIP… Continue

Best First Sentences



The American Book Review has a list of the 100 best opening sentences of all time. I think they did pretty well, although I think they missed the boat by not including some of the great suspense/mystery openers, but by nature a list like this has to be incomplete. Only 100? With all the books that have been written that’s just a drop in the bucket. I have found this list to be endlessly inspiring, however, and so I present it to you (along with a few of my other… Continue

I have had way too many ideas that I forgot for lack of writing them down. So I have learned how to keep them. Even if I have plenty to work on right now, later on when I just can’t focus, I go to one of my folders and jumpstart my muse with them. When there’s a new concept I start on it right away, even if I’m busy with another project. At the very least I put the pertinent details down so they can be remembered. Now this is only true with pretty detailed ideas, anything very basic or vague… Continue

There appears to be some confusion as to the exact nature of all the alphabet branches of our government. You know, FBI, CIA, NSA, ATF, etc. For some reason, they tend to be used somewhat interchangeably in various fiction books. In order to help clear up the differences, Special Agent Bill Whatrights of the FBI has agreed to answer a few questions for us.



Hello Agent Bill. Nice to meet you.



Um, that’s Special Agent Whatrights.



Sorry. Special Agent… Continue

Let me be up front with something. I have a really hard time editing my work. I tend to swing in extreme directions, either self critiquing way too much while I’m in the middle of what should be writing time, or else not wanting to get rid of really pointless self aggrandizement because I like it so damn much. In order to overcome these two tendencies, I have combed over a TON of advice on editing and come up with this list of what seems to work for me. Some of it is old news, but that doesn’t… Continue

I have never been in the military. However, I do have quite a few loved ones who are. Hanging around them must have rubbed off, because I find myself wincing at quite a few books about the Armed Forces where the author didn't do enough research. So here are a few basic facts to keep in mind.

Note: I am only covering the US military, since if I started in with the rest of them, we would be here for years…



United States military ranks, in order from lowest to highest, are as… Continue

I hate it when words are used incorrectly. The phrase “I don’t think that word means what you think it means!” may be one of my most repeated sentences. Regardless of this, I am guilty of word abuse. Maybe this will help.



Homophones (Words that sound alike but have different meanings) -



Accept/Except: Accept is a verb meaning to receive. Except is usually a preposition meaning excluding, but can also be a verb meaning to… Continue

Writing is a very personal thing, and each writers process should be whatever they are most comfortable with. That said, sometimes it doesn't move the way you want it to. Problems with pace and momentum can be hard obstacles to overcome. After having read every piece of advice I can get my hands on, from magazines & blogs to thick heavy books, I have put together this worksheet to help my work maintain...



Want to read more? Check out my blog @… Continue

I don’t know about you, but a serial killer is a sure way to get me to check out the cover copy of a book. Why are we as a society so fascinated by them? In my opinion it’s mostly their alien quality, the sense that they are something apart from the rest of us. Not to mention that we are used to being the top of the food chain, and serial killers imply that we really aren’t.

Whatever the reason, things sure have changed since we first saw Psycho. Due to the glut of serial killers in the… Continue