Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I'm Kit Campbell! My fourth novel, Hallowed Hill, is coming out on October 1, 2022. I also have two short story collections available, and have had stories published in various magazines and anthologies.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Hallowed Hill is a Gothic horror story, originally inspired by a trip I took to eastern Canada in 2013. We stopped in a town and climbed to the top of Gallow's Hill, where we found an elementary school immediately next to a graveyard. The elementary school was an older building too, a late 1800s architectural style known as Second Empire. As I said to my spouse at the time, if there were ever a setting for a horror story, it was that school.
In Hallowed Hill the hill isn't called Gallow's Hill, and it's a high school-level boarding school instead, but that school was definitely the original inspiration.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh, probably not. I've trained myself over the years to be able to write just about anywhere, whether there's noise in the background or not. Ideally, I like to have a nice warm drink and my laptop somewhere free of distractions–my breakfast nook table works well, as do some local coffee shops–but I'm not terribly picky.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Perhaps my biggest influence is/was Terry Brooks. I found the Sword of Shannara in my elementary school library when I was 12 or so, and it was highly influential. Horror is actually a relatively new genre for me. Prior to this, I'd only done a few shorts, a handful of ghost stories, and a novella that has been well received by my critique group but needs some edits. I've traditionally written fantasy, with the occasional science fiction thrown in.
What are you working on now?
Once Hallowed Hill is out, I'm going to go back to working on the revision of the first book of a high fantasy trilogy. I've been working on this trilogy for years and years and years, and I think it's finally about done. Fingers crossed that I get the revision done by the end of the year.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Nothing really beats word of mouth. I've also had good results with Goodreads. And making sure I'm targeting readers I think will like my specific book, as opposed to just trying to throw it at everyone, tends to be more effective.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just get things done. It's always easier to fix something that's complete than to just keep hacking at the same problem. Besides, it's easier to see the overall picture once a project has a definite shape, and it's easier to see what's actually a problem and what's not. Remember: all a first draft has to do is exist. (paraphrased from Jane Smiley)
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I'm a firm believer of the "don't edit while you're writing" maxim. Everyone is different, of course, but being able to see the entire story, at least for me, makes fixing said story manageable. Working through arcs and plotlines on their own during the revision, as well, has been something that has been hugely useful for me.
What are you reading now?
I just finished A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, and I'm starting Recursion by Blake Crouch. I try not to read the same genre as I'm currently working in, because it throws off my writing voice.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned previously, I'm going to go back to, and hopefully finish, my high fantasy revision. I hope to get that one out on submission soon-ish, and then I'm going to revise my scifi horror novella. And then yet more revision on a paranormal cozy mystery that will be submitted under a pen name. A LOT of revision in the near future.
What is your favorite book of all time?
My top three are The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. Lord of the Rings also has a special place in my heart, as does the Sword of Shannara.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kit Campbell Website
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