by Jill Williamson | Jan 20, 2021 | Creativity, Editing, First Drafts, Getting Feedback On Your Writing, Learning from Other Authors, Plot, Writing
Last fall, my husband stumbled upon a YouTuber that he greatly enjoys. His name is Ryan George, and he makes short Pitch Meeting videos for the Screen Rant YouTube channel that make fun of the plots of popular movies. You should check them out sometime. You’ll...
by Jill Williamson | Nov 18, 2020 | Author Life, Discovery Writing, Encouragement, First Drafts, Learning from Other Authors, NaNoWriMo, Story Beginnings, Writing
(First, did you see I posted a giveaway blog post on Monday? If you missed it, go and enter!) Now… anyone doing National Novel Writing Month this year? I was. My goal was not so much to win (reach 50,000 words) as it was to write something totally fun—just for...
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 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 Jill Williamson | Sep 9, 2020 | Author Life, Creativity, Encouragement, Learning from Other Authors, The Craft of Writing, Writing, Writing Life
My first year working in a public school brought to light many differences in how authors write fiction compared to how students write for school assignments. I asked my fourth graders, “How many sentences does a paragraph have?” They were quick to answer: “Five!”...
by Jill Williamson | Aug 19, 2020 | Creativity, Encouragement, Guest Posts, Learning from Other Authors, Story Beginnings, Story Ideas, Writing
Do you worry that your stories might not be original enough to stand out to agents and editors? Are you afraid to retell that fairy tale you love so much, or to write about a certain setting, time period or type of character, because it feels like too many authors...
