“This strangely still pause between summer and autumn, greenery and gold, and the heat and rising wind that is once again readying itself to rush it all away in a climactic symphony of colour and scent is – in my opinion, one of the best parts of living on Earth.” – Victoria Erickson
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category
Location, location, location!
As a follow-up to the workshop I taught last weekend at the Willamette Writers Conference, here are tips and hacks for creating a fictional world that resonates and causes things to happen: The spirit and traditions of a place are not just inert background or the canvas to showcase emotions; it is part of the […]
Read the rest of this entry »First Plot Point is a Humdinger
Plot Points are your linchpin scenes and there is no story without them.A plot point is a fulcrum and here it shifts the story from one act to the next. They’re planted periodically in a novel or screen play and push the story forward. Act 1 sets up the story then closes with a plot […]
Read the rest of this entry »Act 2: without the sagging, dead ends, and wrong kind of disaster (as in boring)
I’m teaching at 10:30 this morning at the Willamette Writers Conference. For today’s schedule check here. For more information on the workshops I taught this weekend, please check back. Oh, and if attended my workshops, do drop me a line. Would love to hear from you. The conference, as always, was high-energy and brimming with […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Writer as Prop Master
I will be teaching a workshop Prop Master Extraordinaire at the Willamette Writers Conference today (8/13) at 3.30. You can find the complete schedule here. Today’s stories are visual and props help bring them to life. A prop is any object that can be moved and includes clothing, furniture, cars, and guns. Personal props are […]
Read the rest of this entry »Location, Location, Location
I’ll be teaching a workshop on Location, Location, Location at 10:30 today at the Willamette Writer’s Conference, in Portland, Oregon. You can find the whole schedule here. Please check back for the handout for this session. Meanwhile to get you started: Where will key scenes take place? Have you visited your settings if they take […]
Read the rest of this entry »26 Writing Contests & Grants Poets & Writers
Deadlines are coming up! Find the details at Poets & Writers here.
Read the rest of this entry »Deep PoV is like Method Acting
As a writer it’s your job to curate and guide your readers scene by scene through your story. Your narrator or viewpoint character is the conduit or lens through which the reader ‘sees’ the story. Scene building begins with defining the conflict and action of each scene and understanding your viewpoint character’s main feelings/emotions, how these […]
Read the rest of this entry »“To open our eyes, to see with our inner fire and light, is what saves us. Even if it makes us vulnerable. Opening the eyes is the job of storytellers, witnesses, and the keepers of accounts. The stories we know and tell are reservoirs of light and fire that brighten and illuminate the darkness of […]
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