Writing Tips, Workshops, and Inspiration from Bestselling Authors

OUTLIERS ONE MORE THING: Are you writing A Killer or A Big Heavy?  by Jennifer Dornbush If your crime story is well written, your antagonist is not a black and white character… or as we say in the movie biz, A Big Heavy-- a one-dimensional, cardboard cutout, mustache twirling, cackling maniacal scapegoat.   The best antagonists are Killers-- layered dimensional human beings with whom we find ourselves empathizing… or maybe even liking to some degree. They could be someone clo

OUTLIERS ONE MORE THING: Your Voice Is Yours, and Yours Alone by DP Lyle What is this elusive thing we call voice, and why is it important? Let’s address the latter first. When an agent or editor says they’re looking for something “fresh” or something that “speaks to them,” they’re talking about voice. They constantly search for new ones. It is voice, more than the story, the plot, and the characters, that grabs their attention, and sells your manuscript. So, what exactly is

Senior Editor Joe Brosnan Outliers Get to Know hosts DP Lyle and Kathleen Antrim sat down with Grove Atlantic Senior Editor Joe Brosnan for a fun and enlightening chat. WATCH: Outliers YouTube Channel: GET TO KNOW: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLia8l2DJ_EnXVqej3dnFj-48RJetAYpcl LISTEN: Outliers Podcast Series On Your Favorite Outlet: https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/shows

OUTLIERS WRITING UNIVERSITY OUTLIERS PSYCHOLOGY AND WRITING: How Place Exposes Character by Katherine Ramsland   Whether crime writing involves fiction or fact, writers might treat the location as just a way to orient readers: It took place here. However, the ways in which different people experience a place—especially the same place—can enhance your character development, tension, and pace. A wooded place might be scary to some, a birder’s paradise for others, and means of e

OUTLIERS MEDICAL-FORENSIC FILES: Knife Wound Analysis by DP Lyle, MD Can the ME Determine the Type of Knife Used in a Murder By Examining the Wounds?   Q: I am writing a story about a killer who uses a specific knife and kills the same way every time. The knife is unique in that it has a long blade that is serrated on one side, curvy on the other. I'm trying to determine if the wound can be used to identify at least some aspects of the knife.   Her method of kill is to plunge

Use Nonverbals To Add Dimension To Your Scenes by Dr. Katherine Ramsland At “The Write Stuff” conference, editor and author Tiffany Yates Martin discussed using “nonverbals” to add more dimension to our scenes. She explained that a vast amount of communication can occur beyond the dialogue. Demeanor, expression, body language, silences, and gestures, when used effectively, can provide a vivid sense of the characters and their interactions. To demonstrate, she played a clip fr

Best-selling Author and Outlier instructor Shirley Jump sat down with Terry Shepherd and Jennifer Dornbush in the Outliers Studio at Bouchercon 2025 in New Orleans for a lively and fun chat. @shirleyjump WATCH: Outliers YouTube Channel: GET TO KNOW: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLia8l2DJ_EnXVqej3dnFj-48RJetAYpcl LISTEN: Outliers Podcast Series On Your Favorite Outlet: https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/shows

What's a Psychological Autopsy? By Dr. Katherine Ramsland When a manner of death cannot be clearly identified as natural, accident, suicide or homicide, police might seek a mental health expert's help. With a psychological autopsy, they will evaluate the likelihood that a decedent's mental state aligns with known factors for suicide in order to rule it in or out. They might also suggest ideas for a deeper investigation. I have done this for coroners and cops, and I provide de