KillZone Blog

The Journal: Update: Game On

In today’s Journal * Update: Game On * Topic: Inventory * More and more patrons * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Update: Game On I reached out to a writer who has attended the Master Business Class and asked him whether anyone there talked politics during the sessions. His answer was a resounding No. He wrote “at the beginning of both Vegas workshops I attended, they announced that there was to be absolutely NO discussion of politics or religion inside or outside of the classroom. They said they have sent people home for doing so.” Good enough. I … Read more

The Journal: Rethinking, Rethinking

In today’s Journal * Rethinking ways to rethink the future * I’m also rethinking * Some days are downers * Of Interest * The Numbers Part of the creative person’s ongoing task is to experiment, plan, rethink, and adjust. Regrettably, I’m rethinking a couple of things today. The first is rethinking ways to rethink the future of our business. Only yesterday, I was certain I wanted to attend the Master Business Class in Vegas next October. Today, not so much. It would be an invaluable investment in our business. What we could learn there — if the instructors and students … Read more

The Journal: It’s All About Learning

In today’s Journal * Notice the new format * Quote of the Day * Lee Child * Topic: Investing in Your Own Future * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Notice the new format. The date of each post is already automatically added to the post (duh). So from now on I’ll endeavor to give each new edition of the Journal a title that indicates what you’ll find inside. Enjoy! Quote of the Day “Yeah. Importance is the worst thing you can put on any kind of creativity. As soon as you think it’s important, you’re dead.” Jerry Seinfeld … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, November 2

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * After slacking off * Topic: A Few Thoughts on Publishing * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.” Raymond Chandler *** After slacking off for a couple of hours yesterday, I decided to go ahead and publish “Seven Minutes in Belfast.” This is a fast-paced thriller in a tight package. If you want to study tight pacing and how to delve deep into your protagonist’s psyche all in a small package, … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 29

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Learning Revisited * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Everything that happens is destined for the past tense, and the way we render it into human comprehensibility is storytelling.” John M. Williams I’ve never read a better or more concise definition. Topic: Learning Revisited Everyone learns in different ways and at a different pace. Remember the stages of a fiction writer? If not, check out my take in the topic at https://hestanbrough.com/the-daily-journal-tuesday-july-/. I recommend you read it before continuing to read this topic. (You can … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, October 24

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Welp, I won’t * Still a spot open * Microsoft Word for writers * Yesterday I was reminded * There’s an article * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” Ray Bradbury And what quality must you possess in order to … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 23

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Show of hands * Topic: Warning—Safeguard Your IP * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Jesus, where the hell is everybody when they first deliver the typing paper? Where are all the ‘helpers’ when those boxes full of silence come in? Blank. Both sides. No clue, no instructions enclosed on how to take just twenty-six letters and endlessly rearrange them so that they can turn them into a mirror of a part of our lives. Try it sometime.” Larry Gelbart First, a ahow of hands—How many … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, October 17

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: On “IP Accelerators” and Other Ridiculous Notions * Chances are * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day First, some preparatory remarks. Back on October 8, I came across an article titled “Amazon Intellectual Property Accelerator.”  I listed it in the “Of Interest” section that day. When I mentioned the article to a knowledgeable friend, he shook his head. “Yup. Lawyers now making money off of baby writers. Go figure.” His comment stuck with me, so I figured it was time to write a topic on the subject. … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 16

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday (for those interested) * For anyone enrolled * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Psychological and emotional challenges are always interesting.” Laura Benedict in “Afflicted” at the Kill Zone blog. For those interested in my writing process, I thought I’d share something brand new, at least to me. This has never happened to me before. I knew something didn’t feel right about my WIP, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Frankly, it was driving me crazy. I thought it might just be … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 15

In today’s Journal * I caught my breath * Yesterday * Of Interest * The Numbers I caught my breath when “Intellectual Property: The Big Picture for Authors” popped into my inbox this morning. (First item in “Of Interest” below.) Could this be a post about (gasp) licensing? And one that’s not from Kris Rusch or Dean Smith? It is. Not only that, it’s posted on Jane Friedman’s site and was written by literary agent Ethan Ellenberg. What? Yeah, I could hardly believe it either. But it’s a great overview, entry-level article. If you read nothing else today, read this … Read more