Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Hilton.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My awakening as a writer occurred in 1997 when the film title “Star Wars” blared onto my hometown cinema screen. The thrill of those big, bold letters and their accompanying triumphant fanfare promised an exciting adventure to follow, and sure enough, for the next two and a half hours, my six year-old self fell into a completely different world. Something had stirred deep within my soul by the time the credits finally rolled and the theater lights came up, and I knew I just HAD to take others on a journey like the one I’d just experienced. Of course, I didn’t have access to a multimillion dollar film studio, so I turned to the next best thing: our family computer and a blank Word document. Sometimes I wish I could say a less mainstream, more complex work inspired me, but on reflection, my first encounter with the Hero’s Journey left a deep impression, albeit one I couldn’t yet articulate. Now I realize the film taught me a lesson about the power of stories and our collective imagination, something I think about every time I sit down to write. Good stories stick with us, reveal our nature, draw our gaze to a higher ideal, or prompt us to reflect on some aspect of life. But the best stories accomplish this through a compelling narrative. You may walk away from a film or a book with the impression that it was fun or entertaining, but if the writer did their job, the story is now in your subconscious, working away, shaping you from the inside out. So when I think about leaving the theater that night, I’m actually quite glad that arguably the most mainstream pop culture phenomenon ever inspired me to write. A coming of age story about good vs. evil in the trappings of action, romance, and mystery proved a great insight into how the power of story moves the masses. Over the years, I think I’ve gotten better at drawing this power out of the blank page. Though that’s ultimately for you, the reader, to decide. I sincerely hope my work takes you on a journey just as profound as the one I experienced in that darkened cinema the night I became a writer.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s a craft, right? Lots of rejection in trying to get published. But you get better at it. Figure out what’s worth writing. What resonates with you will resonate with others. Then it’s about chipping away at everything the story is not. Eventually, you get to a point where someone with some publishing influence is like, “Hey, this is interesting. I want to read more.” Then you just keep going. Get published. Write. Do it again.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m the author of the Bobby Robot series, a YA Sci-Fi about a teenage boy who grows up on an AI-controlled planet and thinks he’s the last in a long line of experiments to restart the human race by passing his Programming, his training to think and act without emotion. As he repeatedly fails, he considers uploading his consciousness into the Tether, a robotic shell, giving up his humanity and wiping out the last hope for reviving his species. But when a beautiful girl crash lands on his planet, she makes him question everything the bots have told him, including what it means to be human.
I love science fiction because I think it’s one of the best mediums for telling human stories. But be on the lookout for my next novel, a literary adult fiction about a tragedy that polarizes a community along idealogical fault lines until a scandal unearths the truth behind the incident makes everyone question what they believe.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I feel so honored by your interest in my books. Bobby Robot is available on Amazon and online through all major book retailers!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @michaelhiltoniswriting
