Literary Birthday – 9 August – Jill McGown

Jill McGown was born on 9 August 1947 and died on 6 April 2007.

Jill McGown Quotes

1. I believe that plots arise out of characters, and that if you think about these characters long enough for them to become people, then the plot will evolve, but a lot of writers can’t wing it, don’t want to begin without an outline of a plot, sometimes a very detailed outline.
2. Ideas come from news stories, or an overheard remark, or a moment of misunderstanding that could be developed into a full-blown fiction. They come from memories, from wishful thinking – from dreams, even.
3. Plunge in. Start writing anything you can, any way you can. Even if you’ve got the storyline mapped out, don’t feel obliged to begin at the beginning – lots of writers begin with whatever scene is strongest in their minds. It might be a significant turning point, it might be the very end. It doesn’t matter.
4. Before you turn that draft into your final manuscript – that’s when you make sure that the opening is as good, as arresting as you can make it; that’s when you lop off the first chapter, or write the one you need to insert before what you’ve written; that’s when you move all that background detail to a little later on, so that the story begins with significant action, rather than exposition, or take a step back and set the scene.
5. Steal personalities, play around with them, and see what you come up with. Because once you start writing, it won’t matter what method you’ve used to help you create the characters. As they begin to interact with one another and react to the situations in the story, their own personalities will emerge. Believe me.
6. A well constructed story has no element out of place, no unnecessary material left over at the end. And, viewed from any angle, at any distance, it is a story. Not an anecdote, not an account, not a series of loosely connected incidents, but a story.
7. The short story is to the novel what brandy is to wine; they are both made from the same raw material, but brandy offers a quite different, more intense experience, and the short story is a literary form that demands the art of distillation.

Source for quotes: Author’s Writing Advice

Jill McGown was a British writer best known for her mystery novels and police procedurals. Her popular Lloyd and Hill series featured Inspector Lloyd and Sergeant Judy Hill and began with A Perfect Match, ending with Unlucky For Some. The series combines intricate mysteries with themes such as relationships, environmental issues, and the challenges faced by working mothers. As Lloyd and Hill investigate their cases, their personal and professional lives develop alongside the mysteries. McGown also wrote several standalone mysteries, including The Stalking Horse and Murder Movie.

Source for photograph: Fantastic Fiction

by Amanda Patterson
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