by Stephanie Morrill | Mar 23, 2020 | Writing Life
Writers, it’s only been a week since my last post, but I feel like I’m writing to you from a different planet. Or like I got plopped down in an apocalyptic novel of Jill Williamson’s, and I don’t like it that much in here. (Love you AND your...
by Shannon Dittemore | Mar 20, 2020 | Writing Exercise
In the spirit of trying-new-things-while-in-isolation, I decided to put together a video for you all! It’s eight minutes long, tells a fun CS Lewis story, and leaves you with one of my favorite writing exercises. Enjoy! And please play along. I’ll feel...
by Jill Williamson | Mar 18, 2020 | Antagonists, Book Club Posts, Characters, Go Teen Writers Book Club
Today on the Go Teen Writers Book Club, we’re discussing “Status,” chapter twenty-one of Story Trumps Structure by Steven James. Chapter Recap: The subtitle of this chapter is: “What no one is teaching you about characterization” and it’s so true! I never, ever...
by Stephanie Morrill | Mar 16, 2020 | Beginning Writer's Guide To Finishing A Novel, Story Middles
Last week, I shared the analogy of your story being like a canoe ride down a river. In the opening of your story, your character is paddling down a river they’ve traveled for a long time. This is their normal world. Out of the blue, they’re surprised by a...
by Shannon Dittemore | Mar 13, 2020 | Writing, Writing Exercise
It’s been forever since we’ve done a writing exercise here, but I’m guessing some of you are home from school unexpectedly and might be on the look out for activities to keep you occupied. I like to think I give the people what they want! So, today I...
by Jill Williamson | Mar 11, 2020 | Book Club Posts, Go Teen Writers Book Club, Theme
Today on the Go Teen Writers Book Club, we’re discussing “Meaning,” chapter twenty of Story Trumps Structure by Steven James. Chapter Recap: If you write a story with the purpose of teaching a lesson or moral, recognize that your story will always come second on your...
by Stephanie Morrill | Mar 9, 2020 | Beginning Writer's Guide To Finishing A Novel, Story Middles
Let’s imagine your story is like a river, and your main character is traveling down it in a canoe. When we meet your character on page one, they’ve been paddling the same way for a long time. Maybe they don’t like it, but it’s comfortable and seems safe. It’s gotten...
by Shannon Dittemore | Mar 6, 2020 | The Craft of Writing, Writing
Like every being of light, Canaan hates fear. It has little effect on him, but humans can’t make such a claim. Only Celestial eyes can see it for what it is. Black and thick. Like tar, but icy and alive. It clings and oozes. It weighs down its victims until they are...
by Jill Williamson | Mar 4, 2020 | Book Club Posts, Characters, Go Teen Writers Book Club
Today on the Go Teen Writers Book Club, we’re discussing “Dilemmas,” chapter nineteen of Story Trumps Structure by Steven James. Chapter Recap:This chapter is all about creating moral quandaries for your character. I call this clashing internal motivations. For...
by Stephanie Morrill | Mar 2, 2020 | Beginning Writer's Guide To Finishing A Novel
I had an email a few weeks ago from a writer named Taylor asking: “I am writing a story that I love, but I keep going off track and getting stuck at points . . . I don’t want to give up on my story. Do you have any advice to make the story more fun and...
