“If you as a writer are not willing to take risks, if you’re not willing to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, if you’re not willing to write what you want—screamers be damned—then why are you writing? To please others? There are better ways to do that. Yes,...
Ciscoe’s Dance
by MHill | Nov 22, 2021 | Kammbian Characters, Kammbian Culture, Kammbian History, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing
Happy Pub Day to Ciscoe's Dance! Ciscoe's Dance is my fourth novel set in the fictional world of Kammbia and the first novel in the Dance & Listen Series. However, this novel can be read as a standalone story. There is a quote attributed to the great author Toni...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 74: Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison
by MHill | Feb 18, 2021 | 2021 Book Reviews, Toni Morrison, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing
I still consider realistic fiction the standard for American Literature. However, imaginative fiction has made significant strides in the past two decades to create its own place in American Literature. As one who prefers imaginative fiction over realistic fiction,...
Gabo: The Creation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez
by MHill | Nov 28, 2020 | Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing
Gabo: The Creation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the second documentary about a writer I have watched in the past few days. This 2015 documentary chronicles the author's rise from a small Colombian town to becoming one of the world's greatest and beloved writers. We...
Marion’s 25 April Fools Day Sale!
by MHill | Mar 31, 2020 | Marion's Favorites, Writing
Happy April Fool's Day! However, this is no joke. I know that a lot of people are stuck at home due to the COVID-19 (AKA Coronavirus) Pandemic. First of all, I hope everybody that reads this post remains safe,...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 8: Fantasy’s Othering Fetish by P. Djeli Clark
by MHill | Mar 24, 2019 | 2019 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, P. Djeli Clark, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing
Fantasy's Othering Fetish by P. Djeli Clark came onto my radar recently and after reading the comments in Goodreads about this book made me want to read it. Actually, it is more of a long-form essay than a full-length book, Clark makes the argument about how the...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 6: The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
by MHill | Mar 20, 2019 | 2019 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing, Writing and Publishing Resources
There are a lot of writing craft books out there for writers. I'm sure many of them are useful for fledging writers to get better at their craft of writing fiction. However, I realize that a certain writing craft book comes into a writer's life at the right time....
Book Review 145: Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
by MHill | Oct 20, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Nonfiction, Writing
It has always fascinated me on what makes art sells over the long term. Whether Star Wars from Film, Harry Potter from Books, Michael Jackson's Thriller from Music, or Seinfeld from TV, it's been interesting to see what makes the public connect with certain artistic...
Wisdom From Kammbia 4.8: What Running My 1st 10k Has Shown Me About Writing and Running
by MHill | Feb 27, 2017 | Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing
I ran my first 10k race yesterday as of this blog post and I felt I have become a runner officially. I have spent the past couple of years of running as a way to have another point of connection with my wife. My wife began running a few years ago and at first I...
Wisdom From Kammbia 4.4: Why Do I Write?
by MHill | Dec 22, 2016 | Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Writing
I was asked a couple of days ago, "Why do you write?" I have developed a standard answer over the past year. But, I have decided that standard answer has been more on a surface response than going deep. I have told others on several occasions in recent months to find...