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Welcome to Ink + Scalpel:
A blog for writers about the craft of writing
Write with free-flowing abandon + Edit with surgical precision


Independent Book Publishing: A Modern Author's Guide
So, you’ve got a killer thriller or a gritty procedural drama simmering in your mind. You’ve written it, polished it, and now you’re staring down the barrel of the publishing world. Traditional routes? They can feel like a maze with no exit. But here’s the thing - self-publishing success is not just a pipe dream anymore. It’s a real, tangible path that many authors are blazing today. And guess what? You can too. Let me walk you through the wild, rewarding, and sometimes bump
J.L Calder
Nov 44 min read


Navigating the Writer's Life: Challenges and Joys
One day, you’re riding high on a wave of inspiration. Thousands of words. Pages of ideas. Multiple stories. Everyone talking at once in your head. "The Flow" I call it. Then. Crickets. The page will always be blank and all those words you wrote the other day? Garbage. Your ideas are garbage. You yourself are garbage. Why would anyone read this? Time to give up. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but for those of us who live and breathe our stories, it’s the only way to live. W
J.L Calder
Oct 263 min read


Why Thrillers? Uncovering The Appeal of the Best Thriller Novels
Every page pulls you deeper into a world that’s as exciting as it is unpredictable. Every word choice, laced with a dual meaning, a clue, or a foreshadowing. We lurk, we wait, and then we get yanked along for the ride. That’s the magic of a great thriller. But what exactly makes a thriller book unforgettable? Let's journey through the elements that make the best thriller novels truly stand out. Ready? Let’s dive in. The Anatomy of the Best Thriller Novels: What Hooks You From
J.L Calder
Oct 243 min read


Unveiling the Attraction of Conspiracy Theory Thrillers in Fiction and Reality
I was 12 years old when Oliver Stone's "JFK" was released in theaters. Meaty fare for a tweener, but I was already taking college-level English courses, so my dad agreed to take me to a rainy-day matinee. Three hours later, I walked out obsessed . First, I read the book the film was based on. Then I read the source material. The opposition arguments. The Warren Commission report itself. I read everything I could. Then I read every biography on Jack Kennedy, Joe Kennedy, and
J.L Calder
Oct 203 min read
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