At one point in my writing journey I was working on a story and simply couldn't get the plot to... well, work. My Mom made the comment that I had to get to the point where I loved my characters, wanted to spend time with them, and cared about them. I knew this, of course, … Continue reading Do You Care About Your Characters?
Tag: Writing Tips
Don’t Wait for Genius to Burn
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
Concept. Story. Character.
© 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.
Writing Takes Time
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
When You’re Stuck on a Problem in Your 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…
A Solution Exists
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
Scenes are like Dominos…
by Ann Marie Williams For the majority of a story, scenes should fall into each other like dominos. In other words, each scene should be the catalyst for the next. One domino (scene) causes the next to fall — a scene unable to play out without the one before it. This applies to the story … Continue reading Scenes are like Dominos…
Hating your writing…
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…
WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS FORMAT?
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 Each day this week I'm discussing one of the following writing terms: concept, plot, structure, format, and theme. I'll give my explanation of the terms, their role in storytelling, and how they interrelate with each other since, even though each term represents a different attribute of story, they do … Continue reading WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS FORMAT?
WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS STRUCTURE?
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 If you've been reading my last few posts, you already know that each day this week I'm taking a look at one of the following terms: concept, plot, structure, format, and theme. I'll give my explanation of the terms, their role in storytelling, and how they interrelate with each … Continue reading WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS STRUCTURE?
WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS PLOT?
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 This week I'm discussing the terms concept, plot, structure, format, and theme. Each is a different attribute of story, but each also affects one another (e.g. structure affects plot, plot affects theme). So, since that can complicate how we define and understand each term, I'm going to look at … Continue reading WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS PLOT?
WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS CONCEPT?
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 In my previous post, I discussed how the terms concept, plot, structure, format, and theme are often used in the writing world, but there isn't always a universal definition for each term. Moreover, even though each term refers to a unique attribute of storytelling, those attributes affect one another … Continue reading WRITING TIPS: WHAT IS CONCEPT?
WRITING TIPS: CONCEPT, PLOT, STRUCTURE, FORMAT, THEME, part one
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 If you write, you've likely heard terms like concept, plot, structure, formatting, and theme. Each is important. Each is different from the other. But each also affects the other. The trouble is, there is little consistency in how these terms are defined. Terms like plot and structure, for example, are often … Continue reading WRITING TIPS: CONCEPT, PLOT, STRUCTURE, FORMAT, THEME, part one
7 Tips to Help You Focus on Your Writing in a Hectic World
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
Dealing with Critiques and Rewrites: The Story, The Page, The Theme
by Ann Marie Williams © 2020 When you receive a critique, it's helpful to determine which comments pertain to one or all of the following: The story (the vision you have for your story — this may or may not be accurately conveyed on the page). The page as it’s written (the story that’s on … Continue reading Dealing with Critiques and Rewrites: The Story, The Page, The Theme
Screenplay Competitions 