KN Magazine: Articles
Creating Your Personal and Business Road Map to Success as an Author!
Becoming a successful author requires more than just writing—it demands a strategic, business-minded approach. This article explores how to define personal and professional goals, understand the publishing industry, and avoid the trap of believing there’s only one right path to success.
Overcoming Blinking Cursor Syndrome
USA Today bestselling author Lois Winston explores the reality of writer’s block—aka Blinking Cursor Syndrome—and offers practical, experience-backed advice to overcome it. From news-inspired story prompts to the fine art of eavesdropping and setting boundaries, this article delivers insightful tips to reignite your creativity and get your writing flowing again.
Between Pen and Paper: Flaneuring Through a Writer’s Mind – The Quiet Power of a Daffodil
April blooms in Nashville with daffodils and poetry, reminding us of the quiet power verse holds to inspire, comfort, and even ignite revolution. From Warsaw to Budapest, from Cairo to Nashville, poetry is more than art—it’s resistance, renewal, and radical presence.
Healthy Living Practices for Writers #3: Lower Cross Syndrome
Writers, beware! Lower Cross Syndrome is a hidden enemy caused by prolonged sitting. Learn what it is, how it impacts your body, and what steps to take to stay strong, mobile, and pain-free.
Drop the Pen! What Every Writer Should Know About Real Police Work: You Have the Right to Learn About the Miranda Warning
Writers, stop winging police dialogue. If your cop character is cuffing suspects, they’d better know when (and how) to use the Miranda Warning. Here’s what every writer needs to get right about real-world police procedure—and why it matters.
This Crazy Writing Life: Amazon Ads Part Three–Don't Forget to Press the Clutch...
In this third installment on Amazon advertising, Steven Womack dives into manual ad targeting, explains the difference between keyword match types, and explores how to avoid getting lost in Amazon's massive category maze. If you're an indie author who wants to take the wheel, this is the roadmap.
The Myth of the Untraceable Poison
Is there such a thing as an untraceable poison? DP Lyle unpacks the medical myths and forensic realities behind poison detection in dead bodies. From screening tests to cunning killers, learn how the science of toxicology shapes great crime fiction.
Whose Head Are You In?
Point of View is one of the trickiest but most vital elements of fiction. In this insightful guide, bestselling author Lois Winston demystifies POV with clarity, examples, and practical advice for writers of all genres.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: Effective Use of Weather to Create Tension and Introduce an Atmosphere of Menace
Weather can do more than set the scene—it can create tension, foreshadow violence, and immerse readers in menace. This post explores how psychological thrillers use weather and atmosphere to amplify suspense and deepen characterization.
Between Pen and Paper: Flaneuring Through a Writer’s Mind – Writing on My Own Spectrum
Spring offers more than renewal—it’s a reminder that creativity, like nature, follows its own rhythm. In this post, I explore the writer's path as a spectrum of styles, from planners to pantsers and everything in between, and encourage you to honor your unique creative process.
Drop the Pen! What Every Writer Should Know About Real Police Work
Writers often bend the rules of law enforcement for the sake of storytelling—but understanding real-world search warrants can help you break the rules with purpose. In this post, we take a deep dive into how search warrants actually work, so your mystery or thriller stays legally sound (or knowingly rebellious).
Formatting
Formatting can make or break your book. Whether you’re prepping for Kindle or print, this guide covers the essentials of book layout, fonts, file types, and tools—so your work looks clean, professional, and ready to sell.
Healthy Living Practices for Writers – Silent Killer: Imposter Syndrome
Imposter Syndrome is the silent killer of the writing life—crippling creativity, feeding doubt, and masking your success. Learn how to identify its symptoms, break its grip, and reclaim your confidence with these proven strategies for writers.
This Crazy Writing Life: Dipping Our Toes In The Amazon Part Two — On Swimming Upstream...
In part two of our Amazon advertising deep dive, we unpack campaign architecture, custom vs. standard ads, bidding strategies, and the role of metadata in targeting. If you're ready to move beyond the basics and get serious about promoting your book, this is where the learning curve begins.
Five Key Elements in a Psychological Thriller
Psychological thrillers thrive on fear, suspense, and distorted realities. This post explores five essential elements—menace, tension, mind games, twists, and unreliable narrators—that define the genre and keep readers turning the page.
Name that Song…Just Don’t Use the Lyrics
Quoting song lyrics in your novel? Think again. This blog post explores the legal risks and creative alternatives for referencing music in fiction, including fair use exceptions and ways to work around copyright law without crossing any lines.
The Importance of Honest Feedback
Writers can’t improve in isolation. This blog explores the importance of honest feedback—critiques, alpha and beta readers, and professional editing—offering a roadmap for refining your manuscript and growing as an author.
Between Pen and Paper: Flaneuring Through a Writer’s Mind – Maintaining Resolutions
In this February edition of "Between Pen and Paper," we flaneur through the messy corners of broken New Year’s resolutions—both ours and our characters’. Learn how SMARTI goals can transform your writing habits (and even your serial killer's ambitions) from vague intentions into sustainable habits. Fun included.
Drop the Pen! What Every Writer Should Know About Real Police Work
A retired detective turned writer reveals the most common mistakes authors make when writing cops—and how to avoid them. From evidence mishandling to Hollywood tropes, here’s how to get it right and honor the real work behind the badge.
How to be Funny in a Murder Mystery
Can a murder mystery be funny and suspenseful? This post explores how writers can balance humor and horror, offering five strategies for injecting comedy into crime fiction—without undermining tension.
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