Skip to content

JMJ Williamson

Writer of Speculative Fiction

  • Welcome
  • The Healer
  • Collision
  • Alien Hothouse
  • AndroDigm Park 2067
  • Writers’ Blog
  • Movies
  • Contact

Tag: story

The Writer’s Toolbox (ii)

On July 25, 2020 By JohnIn For newbie authors1 Comment

In last month's blog, I looked at Scrivener, the primary tool I use for writing and publishing. This month I want to look at another tool, which is relatively new-- Plottr. Plottr, is essentially a time line planning tool. It allows you to quickly map out a story's timeline with scene cards. It also allows …

Continue reading The Writer’s Toolbox (ii)

Daydeam Believer

On March 13, 2020March 12, 2020 By JohnIn For newbie authors2 Comments

Not many people are old enough to remember Daydream Believer. It was a single released by the Monkees in 1968 with lead singer Davy Jones and headed the US charts for four weeks. It's a catchy tune, with cryptic lyrics about a daydream believer and his homecoming queen. But I can still remember the chorus. …

Continue reading Daydeam Believer

Save the cat writes a novel

On January 25, 2019January 25, 2019 By JohnIn For newbie authorsLeave a comment

One of the first books I read on screenwriting was the late Blake Synder's Save the Cat. I liked it so much I also bought and read Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies and Save the Cat Strikes Back, both of which are great books on story and genre structure. I therefore wondered what more I …

Continue reading Save the cat writes a novel

Reading as a writer reads

On November 26, 2018November 27, 2018 By JohnIn For newbie authors, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I sometimes wonder why we get so excited about holidays.  For me holidays are not about lying in the sun or sun tans. It's about reconnecting with family, getting away from the pressures of current day life, dining out, some healthy walking and ... catching up on my reading. So on my recent holiday to …

Continue reading Reading as a writer reads

Story Drivers

On May 19, 2018 By JohnIn For newbie authorsLeave a comment

Last month I published my third novel, AndroDigm Park 2067. Much of my time since has been taken up with marketing with little time left for writing. But now it's time to start thinking again about the next novel. I have two very different ideas I am currently exploring and it's difficult to choose which. …

Continue reading Story Drivers

AndroDigm Park 2067 – published!

On April 23, 2018April 25, 2018 By JohnIn For newbie authorsLeave a comment

It's a great feeling to publish a new novel -- somewhere between nirvana and just plain relief that it's finally out. AndroDigm Park 2067 is a project I started over two years ago. The title changed from that original title several times, but the story remains the same. So let me explain the strange title. …

Continue reading AndroDigm Park 2067 – published!

The importance of the B Story

On November 4, 2017November 12, 2017 By JohnIn For newbie authors2 Comments

Recently  I was going through some of my old books on screenwriting and story telling and I picked up the 'Save the Cat Goes to the Movies' by the late Blake Snyder. I found the book inspiring the first time I read it some years ago, and as I started to read it again I found …

Continue reading The importance of the B Story

Mythic Metaphors

On February 11, 2017February 12, 2017 By JohnIn For newbie authors4 Comments

Recently, I finished the first draft of my third book. It takes time to distance yourself from a manuscript before you can objectively edit it, so I picked up a project that had been working on for some time. The idea behind the project is to create a high-level story blueprint to see if a …

Continue reading Mythic Metaphors

Endings

On October 20, 2016October 20, 2016 By JohnIn For newbie authorsLeave a comment

Dan Wells is famous for his seven point system for structuring stories. The approach is set out in a series of five videos that are still available on you-tube. Just search for 'Dan Wells'. The Well's system is not vastly different from a number of other systems based around a three-act structure, with major plot …

Continue reading Endings

Theme – the magic ingredient within a story

On August 12, 2014 By JohnIn For newbie authorsLeave a comment

In my last blog, I tried to define story as: “ …a tale about a character or characters, set in a particular environment or time, who struggle to deal with an important problem or opportunity that comes into their live(s) and which sets in motion a sequence of events and actions that logically lead to …

Continue reading Theme – the magic ingredient within a story

Posts navigation

Older posts

Recent Posts

  • The Healer
  • Story by Numbers
  • Plausibility – the biggest plot hole of all.
  • Connecting with the reader
  • The Heroine’s journey
  • Alien Hothouse
  • The protagonist’s world view
  • Story Structure — Character Arc
  • Story structure simplified
  • Writing Character
  • Story types — Tragedies and the dark side
  • Taking inspiration from the movies
  • Genre — reader expectations
  • Beginnings and Endings
  • A Decade of Writing
  • Story Themes
  • Simple story patterns
  • Story design and readers’ expectations
  • The writer’s toolbox (iii)
  • The Writer’s Toolbox (ii)

Archives

  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
Blog at WordPress.com.
JMJ Williamson
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • JMJ Williamson
    • Join 1,111 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • JMJ Williamson
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...