Friday, March 8, 2024

A New Short Story of Dark Fantasy

I'm getting ready to post a short story to SubStack. And when I say short story, I mean a LONG short story. About 10k words. I've been sitting on this story for years. If I had the time and interest I could keep sending out queries, but I'd rather just get it in front of readers. And I like the option to monetize Substack in the future and put it behind a Paywall instead of eternally for free on my blog.

mysterious pathway through forest
Travel a new path with me soon.

Check out https://cliftonH.Substack.com to find the story soon - Child of Iron. And read it while it is still free. It is dark fantasy, a little bit of grim dark with a splash of the epic fantasy. The question of the story is what happens when a young boy is pushed to his utter limit. How will he respond when a newfound power manifests within? Will he rise to the occasion? Stand strong against evil? Or will he succumb to the dark fascination of power?

All of this is leading up to posting a Kip the Quick short story that takes place between book 1 and the upcoming sequel, Kip's Return. And yes, I've been quiet on the blog for a very long time. Well, it's because I've been hard at work. And the fruit of that work will finally be revealed.

I'd be lying if I wasn't nervous to share. It's an old story. I wrote it back in 2010. If you've been a long time follower, you may have even read the first part ages back. Well, the full short story will finally be revealed. Stay tuned...

*Image Credit: jplenio on Pixabay

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Plotting Purgatory. I'm Stuck - Just Write - 012 Brainstorm Podcast

In episode 12, I analyze why I got stuck writing my newest project (codename: Dragons, for now...) I violated some of my inner understanding of my own writing process, and though I've stubbornly tried to push through anyway, I'm finally taking a step back to reevaluate. Little surprise, I'm spending too much time trying to Outline/Plot the project, when I don't even sufficiently "know" my characters yet.

Other Links: Youtube, Bitchute, Odysee

So, I'll analyze what works for me and what doesn't and hopefully this will help you in your own writing pursuits.

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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill

Monday, June 7, 2021

Gripey Rant. I'm a Picky Reader - 011 Brainstorm Podcast

In episode 11, it's time for a good ole-fashioned rant about being a picky reader, and why I stop reading a lot of books. 

Other Links: Youtube, Bitchute, Odysee

I get stuck on this need for the right balance of character and plot. We always need strong characters. That's largely how we connect with a book through our shared human experience. It's also why series do so well, when they follow some of the same characters around that we have gotten to know so well. But for me, I don't want my story to become subsumed by this wandering experience in the life of a character with little appearance of plot giving structure. I certainly don't want the character to change who they are because of plot restrictions, create awkward illogical rationale for why someone is doing something...just because the plot dictates. And a major fantasy novel by an indie writer did just that for me. Let's examine.

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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill

Monday, May 24, 2021

Infinity War Review, Comic Nerd & Kip 2 Progress - 010 Brainstorm Podcast

In episode 10, we discuss my thoughts on Marvel's Infinity War, and why it had a major story flaw. I was invested as a kid in the Marvel universe, by collecting multiple comic book series that still sit in boxes stored away growing dust to this day. I also lament the slow progression of Kip the Quick book 2.

Other Links: Youtube, Rumble, Bitchute

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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill

Monday, May 17, 2021

Fantasy Novel Reading: Kip the Quick - 009 Brainstorm Podcast

 In Episode 9, I read a chapter of my fantasy adventure novel, Kip the Quick, as Kip does research and sets out to pull together his team for the heist that started it all. And I tell of how the idea for Kip the Quick came in Texas: the crazy storms there inspiring me to a fantasy world where the orphan and rascal, Kip, was a witty thief that talked nearly as fast as he stole.

 Book 2 is coming soon, and the books are part of a planned trilogy.



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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill

Monday, May 10, 2021

Writer's Analysis: Stephen King's Dark Tower - 008 Brainstorm Podcast

In Episode 8, we do an anaylsis of Stephen King's Drawing of the Three, Book 2 of the Dark Tower series.

Other Links: Youtube, Bitchute, Odysee

Epic and Fantasy, but not Epic Fantasy, King's series is an intriguing divergence from many others. I very much enjoyed this unconventional fantasy novel, and the audio book version was superb.

A question for the writer's and super readers: King leaves many questions unanswered. How does he get away with it? I have my thoughts, but I want to hear yours.

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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill

The Brainstorm Podcast with fantasy author Clifton Hill is about writing, genre fiction and moral quandries.

Monday, May 3, 2021

Of Lords and Ladies. Peerage Titles for Fantasy Writers - 007 Brainstorm Podcast

In Episode 7, join me as I ponder how to choose a system of peerage for the world of Kip the Quick. While you can take example from the real world, maybe you don't want a Duke, Baron, Count, Viscount, and so on. Maybe you want it a little more simple...like Game of Thrones. 


 Other Links: Rumble, Bitchute, Odysee

That's right. Ole Georgie kept it simple in Westeros: outside of the "Warden" title and that of the King, he spent his time on complexity on pretty much everything else.

As an aside: You'll once again hear me reference Kip's Return, and how great the progress was going at 99k words. Well that was 2016, and while it is finally done and in the hands of my copyeditor, the book ended up a LOT bigger.

So, what peerage system did you pick for your fantasy story and why?

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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill
 

Monday, April 26, 2021

JK Rowling Tricks and Writing POV explained - 006 Brainstorm Podcast

The Brainstorm Podcast with fantasy author Clifton Hill is about writing, genre fiction and moral quandries. 

Other Links: Youtube, Bitchute, Odysee

In Episode 6, it's time to dive into a Writer's Analysis of the different types of Point of View, called POV, and how I use 2 different types in Kip's Return, the sequel to Kip the Quick, when most books only use one.

I also disect a literary tool that JK Rowling uses fabulously well in the Harry Potter books, it keeps her books "relatively" lean, keeps the story moving and is something I really want to incorporate more for my own books. I don't know what you would call it in writing, perhaps "Tell" not "Show", but there's more to it than just using the "Tell Technique", and for that reason we'll simply call it the Hollywood Montage. (Until someone tells me I'm stupid.)

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Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill
 

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Game of Thrones Review: Nudity, Gay Renly, and the Hound is a Pretty Boy - #005 Brainstorm Podcast

The Brainstorm Podcast with fantasy author Clifton Hill is about writing, genre fiction and moral quandries.

Other Links: Youtube, Bitchute, Odysee 

In Episode 5, I'm returning to review more of the HBO series Game of Thrones, listen to the first part in Episode 4.

It's been years since I read the Song of Ice and Fire series, and a couple years at least since I read A Dance with Dragons. Intriguing to see the differences between book and TV series, that or I remember the books differently. While this might have been a bad thing with some book adaptations, the characters, the story, the acting is all so well done that instead it is just a fascinating comparison of what they chose to do differently.

The show absolutely rips through book 1, there's more nudity and sex in the show than I would have anticipated, and Renly is gay? Either I really missed this in the books, or Martin was very, very subtle with his hints. And the Hound is a pretty boy?

Quick Note: When I watched the series it was 2016 and there was a special on Hulu to add HBO for $5/mo. I think the price is now something like $15.
 
Sorry, more Roadnoise on this episode, and for the near future. Eventually I'll get to recording new content, and I'll do that (or at least try to do so) from home.

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Monday, April 12, 2021

Game of Thrones, I Started Watching...Finally - #004 Brainstorm Podcast

The Brainstorm Podcast with fantasy author Clifton Hill is about writing, genre fiction and moral quandries.

Other Links: Youtube, Bitchute, Odysee

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In Episode 4 I talk about FINALLY starting to watching the Game of Thrones. After being a fan of the books for years, anxiously checking Martin's blog on a weekly basis for months and then years looking for that fateful update on the next book, I was pleased to seethat the HBO series is not just well done, but off to an excellent start.

Also, some brief fun talking about another sci-fi, fantasy, genre fiction podcast called Functional Nerds, run by Patrick Hester and John Anealio...or at least it was. I've been a bit out of touch of late and it looks like John Anealio had to step away. I'll miss you John. Hope you're well.

Fun mentioned links:
- George R.R. Martin is not your bitch: https://johnanealio.bandcamp.com/track/george-r-r-martin-is-not-your-bitch Song inspired by Neil Gaiman's infamous quote.
- Functional Nerds podcast: www.functionalnerds.com

Learn more about Clifton's Fantasy Novels: www.CliftonH.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cliftonhill