Jill Sayre is a middle school English teacher – but not just any middle school teacher. She is also an author, artist, mother of three, and past actor and model. She grew up in a small town outside Los Angeles where she was inspired by the beauty of flowers and all the beauty in nature. She received her degree in Art from UCLA and her teaching credentials in elementary education. She followed her husband’s career to Dallas, back to California and back to Dallas, to a neighborhood full of nature’s wonders.
This was her inspiration – nature and the walks with her children – to write the book, The Fairies of Turtle Creek, a magical novel for readers age 9 and up. In the book, fantasy and history come together in a story about a grandmother and her granddaughter. One reviewer of the book commented, “A beautifully written book about the belief in fairies and whether or not one young girl will believe her dying grandmother. It’s a must-read for granddaughters and grandmothers everywhere.” Her research showed that the time in history when teens and adults really believed in fairies was during the 1920s.
Jill’s tips for writing a book:
- Write every day, even if it’s drivel. Re-read later and edit then. Sometimes there are gems buried in that the drivel!
- It is really important to get feedback on your work. To me, being able to write well without a critique group is nearly impossible.
- Go to writers’ conferences to learn about publishing, get constructive critiques and learn what other successful writers are doing.
- To deal with writer’s block, go to the internet and search images from the story you are working on – print them, cut them out and glue them to your “writer’s journal.” Details and ideas emerge that you would have never expected.
Prime Women asked Jill the following:
What is your elevator speech introduction of yourself?
Describe your morning routine.
In the summer, I get lazier, so I sleep in, get my coffee and write.
Did you have a mentor or person who influenced you early in your career?
When have you been most satisfied in your life?
What do you not like doing?
What’s on your nightstand/Iphone/Kindle?
Name a product you can’t live without?
Do you have a quote, mantra or meditation that inspires you?
