Jillian L
- Research Program Mentor
MFA candidate at Northwestern University
Expertise
English, Journalism, Creative Writing, Personal Essays, Memoir, YA Fiction
Bio
I graduated from Madonna University with a Bachelor of Arts in English & Journalism/Public Relations. I am currently pursuing my MFA in Poetry & Prose at Northwestern University. I have worked as a writing tutor, freelance book reviewer, blogger, and social media strategist. I also volunteer as a reader for TriQuarterly, Northwestern's literary publication, and for CLMP Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature. In my free time, I can be found reading, writing, or hanging out with my cat Mason. I absolutely love going to the movies. I also love to travel and am planning my first solo trip to Greece next summer. I would love to learn another language; I took French in high school and want to try learning Dutch next.Project ideas
Short Story Writing
In helping a student write a short story, we will explore the key elements of what differentiates a short story from a longer piece of work. As a writer myself, I have experience in both long and short form projects and will walk my student through how to approach the short story as a form. My student will learn how to utilize plot, scenery, dialogue, and sensory details in order to explore the focus of their short story. Unlike a novel, a short story should be self-contained. The reader may be left with questions, but it should be complete in having a narrative or character arc that comes full circle. As part of our short story project, I would ask my student to read a few examples of short stories to get an idea of what kind of structure and craft can be utilized in the form. We will then work on a first draft followed by revisions and another draft. By the end of this project, my student will be able to brainstorm and craft their own short story.