Ask the Author: Jill Williamson
Answered Questions (33)
Jill Williamson
Absolutely! The more friends on Goodreads, the more book recommendations! :-)
Jill Williamson
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Jill Williamson
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Jill Williamson
I had a lot of fun writing that scene. My favorite parts of writing the Blood of Kings trilogy was the banter between Achan and Vrell. It just makes me smile. Thanks for reading the series! :-)
Jill Williamson
Hi, Jalyssa. That's so cool that you're working on a dystopian novel. That is such a fun genre to write. First, you need to ask yourself if you want to be traditionally published, in which a publishing house pays you an advance and publishes your book. Or if you would rather indie publish, in which you publish the book yourself.
Either way, the first thing you need to do is finish the book all the way to the end. Once you do that, revise and edit it. Then give it to some readers to get feedback on the full story. Going to a writers conference to meet other writers is a great way to get readers who know what to look for. Once you feel the book is as ready as it can be, then you're ready to try and sell it to a publisher or indie publish it yourself.
My friend Stephanie and I wrote an entire book on how to get your book ready to be published, so I can't write a short and sweet answer. You need to start researching publishers. Grab a copy of the Writers Market Guide. You can usually find it in the reference section of your public library. Look up publishers you think would be a good fit. Go to a bookstore or the library and see what companies published the books you feel yours would sit beside on the shelf. Look up those publishers online and read their submission guidelines. Odds are, you'll need an agent to submit to most of them. You can research agents in that Writers Market book as well. The best thing to do is find a good writers conference where you can learn and network and meet agents and editors face-to-face.
I highly recommend www.GoTeenWriters.com as a free resource that has over 12 years of posts on all subjects related to writing fiction. Hope this helps!
Either way, the first thing you need to do is finish the book all the way to the end. Once you do that, revise and edit it. Then give it to some readers to get feedback on the full story. Going to a writers conference to meet other writers is a great way to get readers who know what to look for. Once you feel the book is as ready as it can be, then you're ready to try and sell it to a publisher or indie publish it yourself.
My friend Stephanie and I wrote an entire book on how to get your book ready to be published, so I can't write a short and sweet answer. You need to start researching publishers. Grab a copy of the Writers Market Guide. You can usually find it in the reference section of your public library. Look up publishers you think would be a good fit. Go to a bookstore or the library and see what companies published the books you feel yours would sit beside on the shelf. Look up those publishers online and read their submission guidelines. Odds are, you'll need an agent to submit to most of them. You can research agents in that Writers Market book as well. The best thing to do is find a good writers conference where you can learn and network and meet agents and editors face-to-face.
I highly recommend www.GoTeenWriters.com as a free resource that has over 12 years of posts on all subjects related to writing fiction. Hope this helps!
Jill Williamson
I do like some classic books. My favorite it Pride and Prejudice. I also adore Sense and Sensibility and A Christmas Carol.
Jill Williamson
Hi, Riley! I empathize with most of my characters, which is important. If you empathize with them, then hopefully your readers will too. I think I likely empathize most with Omar from my Safe Lands books. Omar is technically to blame for his entire village getting attacked, many of their elders executed, and the rest of them taken captive into the Safe Lands. He naively thought he was doing a good thing, but the Safe Lands officials were not honest with him, so everything went sideways. Because of this, Omar loses himself for a long time and must find a way to try and make amends to himself, to his brothers, and to everyone else. He sinks into a depression, gets himself addicted to all sorts of troublesome things in hopes of numbing his pain, but eventually tries to become a vigilante "super hero" in order to try and reverse the trouble he has caused. Because I wrote him, I know his heart, and I've always felt badly for him and his circumstances, even though he brought them upon himself.
Jill Williamson
I chose the name Er'Rets from my Hebrew dictionary. Er'Rets is the word for "earth" as used in the Bible where it says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
Jill Williamson
A character arc is all about the character growing in one area. Their personality can stay the same. You just need to think of what lie they believe (or perhaps it is a bad habit), then help them overcome it by the end of the story. I have used what I call "character growth words" as a way to show this. For example, in my book King's Folly, Wilek's character growth progression can be shown in three words: conflicted, certain, humble.
My first word for him is “conflicted.” He knows what is right and he wants to do it, but he doesn’t know how. He makes small steps forward only to get knocked back time and again. But he eventually rises up and finds his way, which gives him so much confidence that his second word is “certain.” This new certainty that he knows exactly what to do permeates everything he does to the point of legalism. And that will lead him to his third word, “humbled.” By the end of the story he has more grace for himself and others and realizes that there isn't only one right way to live life. His personality doesn't really change overall, yet as he is growing, his behavior does change here and there.
My first word for him is “conflicted.” He knows what is right and he wants to do it, but he doesn’t know how. He makes small steps forward only to get knocked back time and again. But he eventually rises up and finds his way, which gives him so much confidence that his second word is “certain.” This new certainty that he knows exactly what to do permeates everything he does to the point of legalism. And that will lead him to his third word, “humbled.” By the end of the story he has more grace for himself and others and realizes that there isn't only one right way to live life. His personality doesn't really change overall, yet as he is growing, his behavior does change here and there.
Jill Williamson
Hi, Sydney! Ack! It's so hard to pick a favorite of my books. They each have a special place in my heart for different reasons. I have the exact same problem choosing a favorite book. I just can't. There are too many amazing ones, but they are also so different. To compare Pride and Prejudice to a Brandon Sanderson novel just doesn't work. They're both amazing in different ways. I will say that I love Achan's courage and determination to try and always do the right thing to help others. I love that Vrell wants to know that love is real before she commits herself to anyone. I love Spencer's sarcasm. I love Martyr's innocence. I love Mason's wisdom and determination and how clueless he is in social situations. I love Hinck's loyalty. (It looks like I'm answering based on characters, not books, which is kind of funny... I just refuse to flat out answer this question, huh? LOL)
Jill Williamson
I never really felt called to be a writer in the way pastor and missionaries feel called. I just discovered how much I enjoyed it and that I was able to, over time, develop my skill and see that I was good at it too.
Jill Williamson
Anna, if you finished your manuscript, congratulations! That's an awesome achievement. Sometimes after you've worked so hard, your brain needs a break. It needs time to rest and refuel. So, don't beat yourself for missing writing days, especially in the aftermath of having completed a draft. Perhaps, instead of writing new fiction, you could simply journal each day. Write down these thoughts that you're feeling. You could easily get your 100 words in that way, and journaling can be a great way to help you discover what you want to write next. Also, if you've have even a wisp of a new idea or character in your head, you can using journaling to get to know them better. Ask them questions like "Who are you?" "Where are you from?" "What matters to you in life?" "What do you hate and why?" Exercises like these count toward your daily writing goals and they can help your brain rest from the pressure of writing something that means sometime as well. They can simply help you narrow in on a new idea that you like. Eventually, a new idea will grip you and then you'll be on your way again. Hope that helps!
Jill Williamson
Yes, some men do enjoy my books. They have very little sex and/or nudity. I do have a few fade-to-black scenes that imply sex happened, but I never show it.
Jill Williamson
Sorry I missed seeing this question until now, Cara. I used to say "Yes!" because I was planning to write a new Achan and Vrell story. But I've never found the time, and as the years have passed, I'm not sure it is such a good idea. People (fans, especially) are often frustrated with new additions to beloved series. I'm afraid I would disappoint more people than I would please. I'm not completely set against the idea, but right now I'm enjoying writing new stories and just don't have the time. I'm glad you love Vrell, though. Thank you for reading my books! <3 ~Jill
Jill Williamson
Yes! The paperback took a few more weeks to appear in online stores, but it's available now. You'll find links here: http://jillwilliamson.com/books/the-n...
Jill Williamson
That depends on your goals. You can either attend writers' conferences and try to sell your book to a publisher, or you can try to self publish. Both are good ways to get your writing out there. Both are very competitive. And the best way to ensure that your stories rise to the top of all the books out there is to learn to write great stories. The best way to do that is to write. A lot. Write one book. Rewrite it. Edit it until you feel it's the best it can be, then write another one. Repeat and repeat and just keep on repeating.
Jill Williamson
Yes! There will be six RoboTales books total. The Tiny Cyborg is written and needs to go through edits. It will release this year. The other three haven't been written yet. I'd love to get to them this year. We will see if I can find the time. I hope so! Tell your brother thanks for his patience. I really want to finish them, and make audio books too. :-)
Jill Williamson
I decided to combine Lockstep and The Profile Match into one book so that I can actually finish that last story. I've plotted it out and started working on it, but life is super busy and I'm struggling to squeeze it in. I'm hoping to release it in February or March of 2018. Thanks for your patience! I really want to finish Spencer's story. :-)
Jill Williamson
I decided to combine Lockstep and The Profile Match into one book so that I can actually fit in that last story. I've plotted it out and started working on it, but life is super busy and I'm struggling to squeeze it in. I'm hoping to release it in February or March of 2018. Thanks for your patience! I really want to finish Spencer's story. :-)
Jill Williamson
I was riding in a car through upstate New York. We were going to a place to pick apples. We passed endless amounts of ranches, orchards, and farms. It got me thinking. What if there was a farm where they grew people? Clones. It could be called Jason Farms! And I was hooked.
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