KillZone Blog

The Journal: You Can’t Sell an Idea

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Be sure to read * Topic: You Can’t Sell an Idea * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Waiting rarely makes things easier. Most of the time, waiting makes things harder. The right time is now.” Farnam Street Brain Food “The kiss originated when the first male reptile licked the first female reptile, implying in a subtle, complimentary way that she was as succulent as the small reptile he had for dinner the night before.” F. Scott Fitzgerald “I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 … Read more

The Journal: Focusing Down

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Focusing Down * The current novel * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.” Stephen King on where to get ideas “[Q]uite quickly this technique of the … Read more

The Journal: A Cat Picture

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Little More on Censorship * A Breath of Fresh Air (and Cat Shoulders) * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel sh*t from a sitting position.” Stephen King “I wish that future novelists would reject the pressure to write for the betterment of society. Art is not media. … We need characters in novels to be bree to range into … Read more

The Journal: A Non-Productive Personal Day

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Non-Productive Personal Day * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “It’s dialogue that gives your cast their voices, and is crucial in defining their characters.” Stephen King A Non-Productive Personal Day Hey there. I did a lot yesterday, but almost no writing. Just over 1000 words. I’m mentioning all of the following because my schedule might be up in the air for a few days while I figure out my new routine and get started with it. This is more important than writing on my current story, … Read more

The Journal: A Short Post Today

In today’s Journal * A Short Post Today * Of Interest * The Numbers A Short Post Today and I guess it’s a little negative. Well, not negative so much as indifferent. First, if you’re interested at all, see “Where Gender-Neutral Pronouns Come From” at https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/06/gender-neutral-pronouns-arent-new/619092/. I was going to write a bit about this, but then I realized I don’t really care. People have a right to call themselves whatever they want. How someone else “identifies” doesn’t affect my bottom line or my time off, so what do I care? By and large, aside from a few family members … Read more

The Journal: Alison Naomi Holt and Robert J. Sadler

In today’s Journal * Thanks for the input * Alison Naomi Holt * Robert J. Sadler * Yesterday * Of Interest * The Numbers Thanks to everyone who gave me input re my fairly recent announcement that I was considering writing nonfiction books on all my mentoring subtopics. I even thought about doing a Kickstarter for the series. I appreciate the input, but I’ve decided against doing that, at least for now, and at least as a series. It would take too much time away from my fiction, and really, that’s where I live and breathe. Besides, the mentorships, personalized … Read more

The Journal: A Day Off and Writing Sales Copy

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Day Off * Search the Journal * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The less promise and potency in the self, the more imperative is the need for pride. The core of pride is self-rejection.” Bruce Lee Self-esteem is at the core of the ability to trust yourself and write into the dark. Yesterday I mostly blew off the day. I had to get labs (fasting) at 7 a.m. so I had no coffee etc. until after that. It’s only pure luck that yesterday’s Journal was coherent. … Read more

The Journal: A Story Idea

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Yesterday * A Story Idea * Of Interest * The Numbers Well, yesterday, finally, I took a few minutes to upload the slightly revised editions of The Rise of a Warrior and Comanche Fire, the first two novels in the Wes Crowley series. Nothing major. As I was reading through them, I spotted and corrected a few typos. Anyway, anyone who would like a “clean” copy of The Rise of a Warrior, you only need to email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. A Story Idea For those of you who enjoy reading or … Read more

The Journal: Absorbing Story

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Absorbing Story * The novel * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day a brief conversation between bestselling authors John Gilstrap and Jeffrey Deaver John Gilstrap: “What are you doing right that I’m doing wrong?” [Jeffrey Deaver] answered without pause, “Last time I counted, I was sixteen books ahead of you.” Yeah, okay. Fine. Perspective. Then he went on to say, “You know you have to keep writing. Stopping isn’t an option.” “What if I can’t sell anything?” I whined. “Nobody says you have to do it fulltime.” … Read more

The Journal: Four-Book Give-Away

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A give-away * StreetLib * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “In Heinlein’s Rules, Product Focused writers have trouble with Rules #1, #2, and #3. Process focused writers have a horrid time with Rules #4 and #5.” Dean Wesley Smith, in his reply to my comment. Another of those gems I talk about. In honor of Dean’s previous two excellent posts, I’ve decided to do another give-away. For a limited time, you can get Quiet the Critical Voice (and Write Fiction) and Writing the Character Driven Story free. … Read more