by Jill Williamson | Oct 21, 2020 | Characters, First Drafts, Learning from Other Authors, Story Structure
Jill here. I took a screenwriting workshop a few weeks back and learned something new and fascinating. At least I thought it was fascinating. Before we dive in, I want to remind you all that THIS Saturday, October 24 at 5:00 p,m. Pacific, Stephanie, Shannon, and I are...
by Jill Williamson | Sep 30, 2020 | Characters, First Drafts, Writing
Have you ever noticed how there are many side characters who are cooler than the hero? I don’t know why this is. Perhaps it’s because the hero is meant to portray the “everyday man,” and we’re all flawed. Let me give you some examples....
by Jill Williamson | Sep 24, 2020 | Brainstorming, Discovery Writing, First Drafts, Go Teen Writers Books, Story Beginnings, Story Endings, Story Ideas, Story Middles, The Craft of Writing, Writing Life
Today is the day! We are revealing the book cover for Go Teen Writers: Write Your Novel. This is a book that Stephanie, Shannon, and I wrote for beginning writers. We know it’s hard to finish a first draft. We know it’s hard to stay motivated to write ONE...
by Jill Williamson | Sep 23, 2020 | Brainstorming, First Drafts, Scenes and Scene Structure, Story Structure, Writing
An outline is a general plan. For a novel, that can be as simple or as in-depth as you want. Some writers outline every single scene of their novel before they write. Some only outline a little bit. Some write a synopsis as an overview of the story they’re planning to...
by Jill Williamson | Sep 18, 2020 | Brainstorming, Characters, First Drafts, Learning from Other Authors, Plot, Story Beginnings, Story Ideas, Story Structure
Brainstorming: Idea and Genre My stories always begin with a kernel of an idea. Something I’m intrigued by or curious about. When I’m in that early brainstorming phase, I tend to carry a notebook around with me everywhere. I try to come up with an original premise,...
by Shannon Dittemore | Sep 11, 2020 | Characters, First Drafts, Writing
Side characters are a staple in stories of every kind, but some side characters are asked to be a little more involved in the protagonist’s journey. In order to reach the end goal, sometimes a hero needs a crew. A team. A squad. A company. A troop. Tolkien’s...
