Imagine the above image is your story. The number of triangles represent the number of possible solutions for a problem in the story. Now imagine that you have to search through every triangle to find the precise one that fixes that aspect of your story. That's what writing feels like. At least to me. Most … Continue reading Looking at a story from every angle: And why writing can be so frustrating
Writing can be a slow process. And it can feel like the day-to-day progress is... well, not exactly much progress. But here we are, at the end of 2021. And I hope you can take a moment to reflect on your writing of the past year and find that progress has been made. Sometimes it's … Continue reading Happy New Year of Writing
by Ann Marie Williams © 2021 It's not uncommon to see depictions of writers furiously typing away at their computer, pummeling out line after line of their story as inspiration and genius flows from their thoughts to their fingers. But the reality is, that only happens about 10% of the time (and that's being generous). … Continue reading Don’t Wait for Genius to Burn
© 2021 by Ann Marie Williams Concept gets them in the door... Story gets them to stay... Characters get them to come back... Yes, it's a super broad generalization. But I think this general idea is worth considering... Concept Gets Them in the Door A potential audience will be drawn to a project (a book, … Continue reading Concept. Story. Character.
by Ann Marie Williams © 2021 Writing takes time. Simple, I know. But I didn't realize I hadn't fully accepted this until last year when I quit agonizing over how long it was taking to fix aspects of my story. Once I accepted that it would take a while, I started making breakthroughs far quicker … Continue reading Writing Takes Time
After finishing another season of screenplay competition judging (something I always enjoy, and always learn from) I thought I’d focus my next posts on some of the more common issues I see among submitted scripts. First up: Script versus Story Something that stood out to me this past year was that nearly every script I … Continue reading Common Script Concerns: Script vs Story
Two "Simple" Questions to Ask Yourself by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 Some problems a story faces are easy to fix. But, sometimes I'll find myself deep into my work in progress, struggling to fix a fairly massive issue (or, at least, it sure feels massive when I can't find the solution). I don't mind … Continue reading When You’re Stuck on a Problem in Your Story…
by Ann Marie Williams, © 2020 One of the biggest roadblocks to my writing doesn’t stem from plot holes, character arcs, or finding ways to hide exposition. It’s that little voice that whispers, “There might not be a solution to this.” I firmly believe there is a solution for every problem a story encounters. That … Continue reading A Solution Exists
by Ann Marie Williams There comes a time in (I'm guessing) every writer's journey, where they simply hate the story they are working on. Everything about it seems terrible. And the "I've never been any good at writing" monster of doubt creeps in. However, just because you're at a point where you hate your writing, … Continue reading Hating your writing…
by Ann Marie Williams, © 2020 It's rarely easy to sit down and put thought to paper. But when the world is screaming for your attention, that challenge is amplified even further. So, I thought I would take today to share some of my tips for “getting back into writing.” And, if you’ve got … Continue reading 7 Tips to Help You Focus on Your Writing in a Hectic World
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 When the answer to a mystery is finally revealed, I think the audience's reaction should be: "Oh my gosh, WHAT!?" followed by, "Oh wait... of course!" In other words, a story should be laid out so that audiences can try to solve the mystery, don't, but after the reveal … Continue reading Quick Tip: Writing Mysteries
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 Today’s writing tip is something we probably all (subconsciously) understand. But as the writer, being consciously aware of it can enhance the impact and clarity of the story you’re crafting, help tighten your story's pacing, and provide a new tool to direct your audience's understanding of the plot. I’m … Continue reading Writing Tip: The Power of the Last Word
Writing is 5% typing and 95% staring off into space.
The great thing about writing: you don’t have to be at your computer to be making progress.
by Ann Marie Williams In Nancy Meyers’ movie The Holiday, Eli Wallach’s character, Arthur Abbott, tells Kate Winslet’s character: “Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.” If this line weren’t … Continue reading The Importance of Supporting Characters: Creating a Dynamic Cast of Characters that Support the Protagonist
Screenplay Competitions 