Launch Week

By John Gilstrap Okay, I’ll start with the apology.  When my editor told me that last week was the launch of the front-of-store displays for...

An Indie Author’s Checklist – A Look Behind the Curtain of OZ (Post #1)

This is post #1 in a blog post series that I hope you will find interesting—things that I have learned on my indie author journey. Since I’v...

Boxer vs. Karate Guy

Today, I want to welcome a guest blogger and old friend of mine to TKZ. Tom Schreck and I became acquainted a few years ago when we shared t...

Even the best ideas need flawless execution

    Has this ever happened to you? You have a great idea for a story--an idea that's so strong, so clear, the story should probably writ...

Plotting for Success

by Clare Langley-Hawthorne Recently, we have been critiquing first-page submissions here at TKZ and focusing very much on that first 'in...

Please Remember

J ames Scott Bell @jamesscottbell In April, 1917, a puckish, fun loving nineteen-year-old Marine named Frederick Hamilton “Ted” Fox was abou...

First Page Critique: TEAM MADNESS

Presented for your consideration: the first page of a work entitled TEAM MADNESS: "River Madden!" I jerked in my seat and looked a...

Lift-Off

By John Gilstrap If you wander into your local Barnes & Noble this weekend, you will, with luck, trip over the copies of Damage Contro...

First Page Critique: Shopping Can Be Deadly (& Fun)

by Jordan Dane I am still chuckling over this delightful submission. It felt like a cross between Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum (a guy ...

DOG: First Page Critique

This story shows the importance of making the reader care about your characters. Engage the reader right away and she'll want to see wha...

GRAPHIC NOVELS: Writer’s Tools to Entertain and Educate

By: Kathleen Pickering   http://www.kathleenpickering.com Author Plug: Want to put your finger on the pulse of the writing world? Att...

Literary Heritage or Irrelevancy?

by Clare Langley-Hawthorne A couple of weeks ago there was what you might call a mini literary dust-up here in Australia following the revel...

5 Things Every Author Needs to Understand About Self-Publishing

J ames Scott Bell @jamesscottbell          So now you are either self-publishing or thinking about self-publishing.          Yes, welcome to...