Mary Frances Hill’s Blog

I am currently writing a magic realism novel about an elderly woman, a bottle collector, who believes that the souls of the town’s flood victims are trapped inside her bottles. The premise is definitely out there, but the story itself was inspired by a real person. I’m not talking about...

Today is Valentine’s Day. That being the case, I feel as if I ought to be praising romance novels. The Notebook. Gone with the Wind. Pride and Prejudice. Jane Eyre. But the truth is, although I liked Twilight and theBridgerton books, and I recently watched a romantic film on Netflix...

I often listen to writing podcasts while walking and getting my steps in. Last week, I stumbled upon an episode about pacing that featured a TV producer-turned-military-romance writer who used two pen names. One for clean romances that she wrote in twenty-one days, using a formula that...

Right now, I am prepping to sell my house. Granted, I’ve moved a lot due to corporate relocations. That said, I’m no stranger to the whole packing up and decluttering process.  But as you can imagine, I haven’t had much time to write lately. This has been rough. For me, writing is a...

I’m currently reading a novel called THE CARRINGTON AFFAIRS. This Indie book by Susan Gooch tells the story of an Arkansas politician’s affair from three different perspectives: his wife’s, his mistress’s, and his love child’s. If you like dramas about wealthy families that give 1980’s...

Truth be told, I’ve avoided writing about this topic because I haven’t wanted to come across as petty or whiny in my blog. But I’m taking a cue from Sarah Werner, whose honest podcast, WRITE NOW, has resonated with me immensely, and I’m coming clean.  I am sometimes jealous of other...

Last week, someone asked if I could teach them how to write a novel. I hesitated, not because I don’t love talking about craft, but because novel writing is slippery by nature, especially in the beginning. That uncertainty is part of what keeps me coming back. A first draft is an act of...

Every writer hears it sooner or later. “Why this book?” “Why that genre?” “Why not write something lighter…or more marketable…or more useful?” Sometimes the questions come from well-meaning readers. Sometimes from fellow writers. Sometimes from people who haven’t read a single page but...

Over the holidays, my husband and I went to see Marty Supreme. I loved it. He did not. The movie’s frantic pacing left him overwhelmed, while I was thrilled from start to finish. That difference got me thinking about how pacing can make or completely derail a story. In writing, pacing...

Most indie authors, including me, obsess over reviews. We stress about getting them fast. We worry that without them, our book will disappear into the Amazon void. We read advice claiming we need 20-30 reviews for trust, 50 for viability, 100+ for sales. Then other experts say numbers...