Writing Tips, Workshops, and Inspiration from Bestselling Authors

Q: In my story, a police officer is shot while sitting in her patrol car. The assailant fires through the open passenger window, using a.38 caliber S&W. The officer's upper right arm is hit twice. One round lodges in her humerus. A second misses the bone and hits an artery before entering just below her armpit, where it splinters two ribs and punctures a lung. Rounds three, four, and five hit the officer's body armor when she pitches forward. The sixth never leaves the ch

Advice? Every single author's journey is different, just as every single author's working routine and life is different. You may be able to work an hour three days a week, or all day every day, or different hours on different days. There are families in our lives, things that happen. . .but writing is like riding a bike! (In a way) If something happens, you get back on the bike. If you're disrupted in your work or your schedule, you just get back to it. The thing is, never gi

Join Outliers GET TO KNOW hosts DP Lyle and Kathleen Antrim for a conversation with Best-selling Author James L’Etoile on the Outlier's YouTube Channel and Podcast Series. 📺 WATCH: Outliers YouTube Channel " GET TO KNOW Series": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-UZ48ILPXLvlfs0u8Baew 🎧 LISTEN: Outliers Podcast Series On Your Favorite Outlet: https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/shows James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-w

In my last column , I wrote about writing routines. “Your brain will support habits that facilitate your writing,” I said. “You just have to start them.” This time, I’ll tell you the habits or routines of some established writers—behaviors they’ve found that worked best for them. When John Grisham first started writing, he developed a set of rituals: “The alarm clock would go off at 5, and I'd jump in the shower. My office was 5 minutes away. And I had to be at my desk, at my

Join Kathleen Antrim and DP Lyle for a conversation with best-selling author T. Jefferson Parker on the Outlier's YouTube Channel and Podcast Series. WATCH: Outliers YouTube Channel: GET TO KNOW: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-UZ48ILPXLvlfs0u8Baew LISTEN: Outliers Podcast Series On Your Favorite Outlet: https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/shows T. Jefferson Parker is the author of 30 novels, including Silent Joe and California Girl, both of which won the Edgar Awar

New year, new plot twist! January is a great time to reset your online presence. Whether you crushed your 2025 goals or barely posted at all (no judgment), this is your chance to clean things up and set yourself up for success in 2026. Here’s a quick checklist to help you refresh your social media and author brand without needing a total rebrand. 1. Update Your Bio and Profile Photo Your bio is your first impression. Is it clear who you are and what you write? Keep it simple:

Mary Anna Evans holds a PhD in English and an MFA in creative writing, both of which came in particularly handy while writing the story of The Dark Library’s books and troubled professors.

Join Outliers GET TO KNOW host Tracey Devlyn for a conversation with best-selling authors Simon Gervais and Ryan Steck on the Outlier's YouTube Channel and Podcast Series. 📺 Outliers YouTube Channel — GET TO KNOW: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-UZ48ILPXLvlfs0u8Baew 🎧 Outliers Podcast Series On Your Favorite Outlet: https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/shows Outliers Get to Know host Tracey Devlyn sits down with bestselling thriller authors Simon Gervais and Ryan