KillZone Blog

The Journal, Wednesday, October 3

Hey Folks, Some pretty good stuff in “Of Interest” today. There won’t be a Journal tomorrow or probably the next day, so I wanted to get this one out. In my absence, you might check on the websites from which I regularly post “Of Interest” topics: I typically visit Dean’s site every morning at https://deanwesleysmith.com. I often scroll down also to read the comments. I usually visit the Kill Zone blog at https://killzoneblog.com as well. Even some of their First Page Critiques are worth reading, but keep your salt shaker handy. (Tequila is optional.) I also recommend stopping by Kris … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 2

Hey Folks, Well, I was going to go back to writing sometime today, but I decided against it. I still have the upcoming procedure (Thursday) on my mind, so I’ve decided not to do much of anything between now and then but relax. It’s only a couple days until that happens, and then I’ll probably be down for a few days afterward. The Journal might be a little intermittent during the next several days too. Physically, I felt a lot better, more myself, both yesterday and the day before. As a result, naturally, yesterday I overdid things a bit. Duh. … Read more

The Journal, Monday, October 1

Hey Folks, Wow. For me, September both flew by and slowly slipped through my fingers. I allowed my WIP, the third novel in my Nick Spalding series, to languish on the back burner while I recuperated and worked on a copyedit for a gentleman. But as October dawns, everything’s wrapping up nicely. The symptoms of my cold are mostly gone and I’ve recovered fully from the initial medical stuff. Just in time for Part 2, really, but it shouldn’t be nearly as big a deal. For one thing, this time it’s an outpatient procedure in a surgery center (not a … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, September 30

Hey Folks, I can’t stand publishing scams, and it hurts me to see so many writers falling for them. Hence this post. Yesterday I did nothing at all except finish judging the contest. We got the results out in the mail. Today I will work on the copyedit for awhile, then take the rest of the day off. But this morning, I saw that one of my writer friends in Oklahoma posted a newsletter from Booklocker.com to a Facebook group we both belong to. That posting caused me to write a response and then the following. Topic: The Scams, They … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, September 26

Hey Folks, Well, the doc appointment yesterday went well. I found out I get my new internal pacemaker/defibrillator on the morning of October 4. I also learned we won’t find out whether my heart function will improve or how much for a month or longer. (They recommend three months, but expect to see a trend in one month.) So we’ll see how that goes. Either way, it just is what it is, and I’m entering a new stage of life. In the Corps we had a saying we used to toss back and forth when we were confronted by a … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, September 25

Hey Folks, Well, I’m headed back to see the cardio-electrician today. We’ll head that way around 11 or so. Before that, I’ll work on the edit some more, but there are a few good things in “Of Interest” so I wanted to be sure to get this out there. Hence the early post. Talk with you again soon. Of Interest See “Sleeping Secrets” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/sleeping-secrets/. With a promo like that, I bought the book. (grin) See “Planning Ahead in Writing Time” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/planning-ahead-in-writing-time/. See “How to Write a Great Story…in 18 Holes” at https://killzoneblog.com/2018/09/how-to-write-a-great-story-in-18-holes.html. Not what I expected, but still … Read more

The Journal, Monday, September 24

Hey Folks, A LOT in “Of Interest” today. I even added a couple of them to my website Writer Resources page. Absolutely nothing to report from yesterday. But this morning, after spending a couple of days getting over this cold or whatever it is, I feel better enough that I can at least think. I mentioned a few days ago that I received a copyedit. It’s a re-edit, so it shouldn’t be all that difficult. Since it’s also prepaid, I’m going to set everything else aside and work on that until it’s finished. Some reshuffled priorities, in light of my … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, September 22

Hey Folks, You can’t tell, but I’m laughing out loud as I write this. Yesterday I discovered (on top of everything else) I had a bad case of sniffles. As in grabbing a tissue and blowing my nose every other minute or so. By the time my wife got home, I realized I had a head cold. (grin) It’s not funny, not really, but in the overall context it’s hilarious. Awhile back, a person who should feel close to me asked why I was giving away some of my stuff to my children. “You aren’t dying,” the person wrote. “After … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, September 20

Hey Folks, A great “Of Interest” section today (playing catch up), but first some personal stuff, though it is related to writing, or in this case, not writing. So sorry about missing yesterday. I missed writing not only this Journal but fiction for a day too. My “streak” ended at 4 days. Today it’s back to 1. (grin) Here’s the rundown on the past couple of days: As you know, we went to Tucson on Tuesday for what we believed was an out-patient procedure. We expected to depart Tucson around 5 p.m. Then the following morning, I would resume my … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, September 18

Hey Folks, Welcome to new subscriber Dianne. Glad you’re aboard. I hope you get something of value out of the journal. The Journal apparently is a well-kept secret. That makes the subscribers a kind of elite group. Each of you is one of only 56 folks who currently enjoy these private glimpses and “Of Interest” tidbits. (grin) I’m very glad you’re out there. And it isn’t all one-sided. Thanks to subscriber Céline who this very morning gave me some invaluable advice re naming conventions in France, where my WIP is set. *** I received an email from another friend noting … Read more