Aaron N. Hall's Blog, page 6

5 life lessons I’ve learned from writing books

It’s not uncommon to take life lessons from a hobby that you greatly enjoy. Writing is no different. I’m currently working on my fourth book, and along the way, I’ve learned a lot of great things that have translated into the rest of my life. Some of it might surprise you.

Don’t be afraid to tear things down

This is a big one. Personally and professionally, I’ve seen people who work so hard on a project and grow attached to every aspect of it. They’re afraid to change anything just because...

Yes, superhero movies are absolutely art cinema

Crash! Bang! Zap! Thwup!

Superhero movies. We’ve seen a slew of them over the past few years. Ever since Marvel Studios released Iron Man in 2008, we’ve seen at least two or three superhero movies annually. And usually, they top the box office charts. Generally, people love them.

However, a lot of Hollywood’s royalty have turned their noses at superhero movies: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Ridley Scott to name a few. What did they have to say?

Martin Scorsese says superher...

An Apology Letter to Anime

Dear Anime,

Hey. It’s your boy. I know our relationship started out way back when, but I allowed it to fall off to early and it’s only been the last year or two that we’ve reconnected. That time has really opened my eyes, and it makes me regret the last twenty years.

It started at about age seven for me, remember? It was all about Pokemon back then. I had the Game Boy games, the trading cards, a Pikachu coin bank, even a Charizard shirt. Jeez, everybody at school told me how cool that Char...

Why I chose indie publishing over traditional

This is a question that every writer eventually deals with if they’re considering publishing their work: indie or traditional. There are a lot of pros and cons to each, and every writer needs to look into both options and decide for themselves before they make a decision. As for me, I went with independent publishing. At the time, it just felt like the right decision, but in the years since, I’ve become more grateful that I took that path.

Here’s why.

You keep all the rights

This is a b...

Undeniable proof that New Balance sneakers are cool

Your dad already knows. It’s time to get with the program.

I got on the New Balance wagon a few years ago because of an Instagram ad. They got me. They freaking got me. I was merrily scrolling, minding my own business, when I saw an ad for a pair of sneakers with big N’s on the side. I had known of New Balance as kind of a joke before that, but honestly, I thought this particular pair in the ad was kind of cool. So I clicked it. The the rest is history.

Joe’s New Balance Outlet has to be t...

My free speech was attacked in second grade

I was censored for the first time when I was eight years old.

It was the first time my writing broke boundaries. Pushed limits. Made someone uncomfortable. And for it, I was scolded and disciplined. Has my soul ever recovered? Well, if it had, I wouldn’t really be writing about it at age twenty-nine, would I?

Mrs. Talbot was my grade school teacher down in sunny St. George, Utah. If you haven’t thought about visiting St. George, your grandparents probably have. It’s a huge retirement commu...

My Writing Process

When people discover I’m an author, a common question I get asked is, “What is your process?” Purged, my third book, just got published this week. So in honor of this milestone, why not share my writing process? If you’re thinking about writing a book yourself, maybe this will be beneficial.

The beautiful thing about someone’s writing process is that it’s unique to them. You can read a dozen books from different bestselling writers and they would all present different methods in which they ap...

Here’s your free sample of Purged

It’s been years of work. I hacked away at it a piece by piece ever since I finished Foreordained back in 2014, and now it’s almost here. Purged will be available for ebook pre-order on February 22nd, and the paperback and ebook will be available for purchase on March 1st.

I’m so hyped right now.

I wanted to give you guys a little sample of the book before you decide to drop a few dollars on it. This is only the first few pages, though. If you want to read the first five chapters, sign up f...

I went to Orlando during the pandemic. Here’s how it went.

I don’t travel a lot–hardly at all, honestly. Some friends and I planned this trip to Orlando last summer when we thought all the COVID-19 stuff would be under control by now.

Nope. It’s not.

Alas, we discussed it and decided to go anyway. We had heard things about how the airlines and theme parks were taking strong precautions against the virus while still allowing people a solid experience. I was nervous about it at first, but after spending a week in Orlando, I can say that the people a...

My friend, Russ.

Let me tell you about Russ. He’s a kind soul, a hard worker, a Phoenix Suns fan, and one of my good friends. We both met when we were serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Boston. We connected because we had a mutual love for nerdy things and writing stories. And honestly, I also thought he was pretty cool because his Australian accent is dope. We saw each other around at missionary gatherings and it was always a pleasure to hang out and talk to him.

Right be...