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 chambe

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Episode 75: A Writers Guide to Prison Life with James L’Etoile Join DP Lyle for an informative chat with James L’Etoile, an Outlier instructor, best-selling author, and former Associate Warden, Hostage Negotiator, and Director of California’s State Parole System. Learn what really goes on inside prison walls. WATCH: Outliers YouTube Channel: CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLia8l2DJ_EnXVBBYu0gtb1Ijjwkf0f6dn LISTEN: Outliers Podcast

A SPECIAL OFFER for the PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT for the WRITER in your life: The one thing they want more than anything: The chance to finish the book they’ve dreamed of writing.  Join and Save 30%: www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/holiday-offer-ongoing    Outliers Writing University is offering a yearlong membership discount — up to 30% off the annual price — so writers can learn directly from bestselling authors, write with more confidence, and build the skills to break thr

Q:     My story is set in 1898, near the end of Queen Victoria’s reign. How would a British sailor who had been shipwrecked in a jungle treat himself for malaria? My research tells me quinine was first developed in 1820, but would it have been commonly available in 1898? How likely is it that my sailor would have had quinine in his survival equipment? If the sailor did not have quinine, how else might he have treated himself? (Quinine is extracted from the cinchona tree and u

OUTLIERS MEDICAL-FORENSIC FILES: Effects of Smoke Inhalation by DP Lyle, MD   How Would Smoke Inhalation Affect My Police Officer?   Q:        In my story, a police officer suffers smoke inhalation while trying to extinguish a barn fire before fire fighters arrive. What injuries would he have that would hospitalize him for a few hours to a day, but wouldn't result in enough long-term damage to end his career as an active police officer?   A:        The major effect of smoke a

ONE MORE THING But It Really Happened By DP Lyle But it really happened. I swear. This is the defense fiction writers offer when someone says their story isn’t believable. “That could never happen,” they say. But, it could. It did. Still, their disbelief lingers. I write both fiction and non-fiction. When people inquire about the difference between creating the two, my response is, “They are exactly the same, only different.” With NF, the research comes first. It must be gath

OUTLIERS WRITING UNIVERSITY Black Friday Sale Ready to elevate your writing to the next level? Or maybe looking for the perfect Christmas gift for those writers among your family and friends—-or those wishing to learn the craft of storytelling? Stop wondering “what if” and start building the writing life you’ve dreamed of. Check Out Outliers Writing University’s Black Friday Sale https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/2025-black-friday-offer For a limited time only, our Ye

A fascinating chat with IT Expert Robert T Kelley on the developmental history of IT as we know it today. WATCH: Outliers YouTube Channel: CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-UZ48ILPXLvlfs0u8Baew LISTEN: Outliers Podcast Series On Your Favorite Outlet: https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/shows Robert T. Kelley spent 30 years in the technology industry, building multiple companies before turning to writing and working with startups. Formerly the publis

What's It Like To Be an Executive Producer for a Limited Series?   I pitched a show called "Murder House Flip" to an associate at Sony, based on a cross between my forensic experience and my love of home renovation. I helped to create it and we sold it, which made me an executive producer. I briefly describe my experience for those writers who are curious about working with Hollywood.  CRIMINAL MISCHIEF On Outliers YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLia8l

Announcing a New Outliers Writing University and MWA Partnership   Big news! We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Mystery Writers of America, the premier organization for crime and mystery writers. This partnership brings together two powerhouses of the writing community, and we’re just getting started. MWA is the premier organization for mystery and crime writers, and together, we’ll be working on shared events, resources, and educational access to strengthen

Outliers Writing University will be at Author Nation Outliers Writing University will be at Author Nation, on Monday, November 3, in the Vendor Rooms area, where writers, authors, and publishing pros come together to learn, connect, and grow.Are you going to be there? If so, stop by our table and say hello! Learn about OutliersU, get a discount on our yearlong membership, and let’s talk stories, creativity, and turning your writing and bestselling dreams into reality.See you

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

Join Terry Shepherd and Jennifer Dornbush in the Outliers Studio at Bouchercon 2025 in New Orleans for a chat with best-selling author and Outlier Boyd Morrison https://boydmorrison.com 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

Best-selling Author Lisa Jewell Best-selling Author Lisa Jewell sat down with Terry Shepherd and Jennifer Dornbush in the Outliers Studio...

Best-selling Author Brad Thor Best-selling Author Brad Thor sat down with Terry Shepherd and Jennifer Dornbush in the Outliers Studio at...

Best-selling Author Michael Connelly sat down with Terry Shepherd and Jennifer Dornbush in the Outliers Studio at Bouchercon 2025 in New...

Best-selling Author Jeffrey Archer Join DP Lyle and Kathleen Antrim for a live chat with International Best-selling author Jeffrey...

How many times have you said—or heard someone else say—I want to write a book? It’s a common desire, almost universal, and a lofty, but...

Author Hank Phillippi Ryan Join Kathleen Antrim and DP Lyle for a conversation with best-selling author and Outlier Hank Phillippi Ryan...

Outliers Novel Writing for Medical and Legal Professionals Three Weekly two-hour ZOOM classes October 15, October 22, and October 29,...