Marie here. When I was in boot camp back in ’03, I’ll never forget what my chief told us the day before graduation. He said he had never seen a group of people refuse to try and work together the way we did. He wasn’t wrong. When everyone wants to take charge, to be theContinue reading “#1 or Bust aka No ‘A’ For Effort”
Author Archives: Hollow Hills
Critical Reading and Watching
Aurora here. I often have authors, or people in general, ask me “Where do you get your inspiration?” Aside from the obvious fairy tales and folklore, I like to consume a lot of fiction. Sometimes, after reading all day for work, I do not want to read more. I want to stare mindlessly at Netflix.Continue reading “Critical Reading and Watching”
What Makes a Short Story?
Hello, readers and writers. Tis I, Marie, your friendly neighborhood beta reader/content editor. I wear many hats, but today I am stepping into my role as beta reader to give my fellow novice writers a few tips on writing short stories. As a reader of many genres for many decades, I can safely say thatContinue reading “What Makes a Short Story?”
Researching Your Publisher
Marie here. Hello, everyone. This week I want to talk about what to look out for when submitting to a publishing company. First off, I’ll start with formatting. Most publishing companies that are open for submissions specify what format they would like you to send them as far as the document itself and what kindContinue reading “Researching Your Publisher”
Representation
Aurora here. We’ve discussed relatable characters in previous blogs, but today I’d like to take a look into another aspect of characters being relatable: representation. A character’s anxiety, impatience, penchant for bad jokes, or strained relationship with family members can make us see parts of ourselves in the character. But what about characters who lookContinue reading “Representation”
Writing Book Reviews: An Author and Reader’s Viewpoint
Marie here. Most authors are obsessed with getting book reviews. Supposedly, getting a certain number of reviews on Amazon will give your book more exposure. This may be true, but that should not be the number one reason an author should ask a reader to review their book. First, let’s back up and talk aboutContinue reading “Writing Book Reviews: An Author and Reader’s Viewpoint”
Why Are We Ruining Relationships?
Marie here. I’m a huge movie and television buff but I am pretty picky about my drama preferences. I usually like something with a paranormal, horror, or sci-fi spin to it, but on occasion I will find a regular drama on TV that I enjoy. I say on occasion because some writer always has toContinue reading “Why Are We Ruining Relationships?”
Write What You Want
Marie here. I recently wrote a blog post about judging readers by what they read. Today I want to talk about genre stereotyping authors. Someone once said “Write the book you want to read.” Well, okay then. This is why I write various genres under two different names. I like to read many different genresContinue reading “Write What You Want”
Repression
Aurora here. Sometimes it’s difficult to write and not feel repressed. No, that’s not a typo. I meant “repression,” not “depression.” Despite it being the year 2020, America has still clung to its deeply puritanical values. Mention sex or anything related to sex, and adults gasp and giggle. How and why is this a tabooContinue reading “Repression”
Stop Judging
Marie here. This week I am trying to understand why society as a whole judges people based on the books they read. When I was a child I read fantasy and adventure stories about children who were struggling with growing up, struggling to defeat evil, or struggling with adults who didn’t understand them. These storiesContinue reading “Stop Judging”
Hollow Hills 