Jeff Hill is currently pitching a novel to agents while teaching high school English. He is a past participant of the Sarah Lawrence College Summer Seminar for Writers and the Writer’s Hotel in New York. Jeff is also the Chief Creative Officer of ComicBooked.com. He calls Nebraska and New York home and has dozens of publications to his name.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I have been writing since high school, but seriously since meeting the writer Timothy Schaffert and taking an introduction to fiction writing class in college in Nebraska.
What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
Don’t stop. Take notes. Take criticism. And above all else, improve and share your work with as many trusted friends and family members as you can, with the eventual goal of sharing with everyone.
What tips do you have for finding time to write?
The busier you are, the more you have in your daily/weekly/monthly schedule, the easier it becomes to incorporate writing time.
Do you favor the traditional route or self-publishing?
Traditional. Self-publishing is often seen as self-congratulatory and lazy, which I tend to agree with in most cases.
Are you an outliner or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?
When it comes to short stories, I am a discovery writer. But novels are outlined, written, changed, outlined again, and re-written again.
Have you attended any conferences or writing retreats? What was the experience like and do you have any to recommend?
The Writer’s Hotel and the Sarah Lawrence College Summer Seminar for Writers are absolutely life-changing. My mentors Scott Wolven, Shanna McNair, and David Hollander have truly shaped me as a writer and I feel blessed to have worked so closely with them for the last three years.
How do you deal with rejections?
Each rejection is an opportunity. You can learn from rejections and improve your craft, your communication, and work harder to publish smarter and persevere toward your writing goals.
Do you participate in any online or in-person critique or writing groups?
I am a faculty member of The Writer’s Hotel and a workshop participant of the Sarah Lawrence College Summer Seminar for Writers in New York. I also teach creative writing in Nebraska.
What are your writing goals for the next five years?
I would like to publish my first novel and continue publishing short stories while I work on building my writing career.
What book(s) are you reading right now?
Controlled Burn by Scott Wolven, L. I. E. by David Hollander, What To Do About The Solomons by Bethany Ball
