Hello Inklings!

This month’s Ink Splat Author Interview features author/illustrator, Lily Williams. She is the force behind the nonfiction picture book series If Animals Disappeared, and graphic novels Go With The Flow and Look On The Bright Side.

Lily shared with us about where she discovers inspiration, what important detail she wishes she had known as a younger writer, and why – despite the topics of some of her books – she doesn’t actually consider herself an activist.

Learn more about Lily and her writing journey at www.lilywilliamsart.com

Writing Challenge

“A Message for Justice”

Step 1. I want you to think about something in your life that makes you feel helpless. It can be a “smaller” thing like a difficult person you know, or a large scale thing like an injustice that happens to many (e.g. climate change or inequality).

Step 2. Write down why this thing upsets you. Write down why it makes you feel small or helpless.

Step 3. Now I want you to think about how you could take back some power by telling people.

Step 4. Try to explain this issue in a way that will get people to care like you care. You could do it by explaining the issue (nonfiction) or creating a scenario with characters to walk us through the issue (fiction)

Many of the projects that you’ve been involved with have an activist feel to them. What is important to you to communicate to your audiences through your writing and your illustrating? OR How would you describe your mission as a writer, illustrator and storyteller?

This is such a fantastic and thoughtful question. I don’t actually think of myself as an activist storyteller, but it’s something I’ve accepted I am perceived as. I understand how my work comes across like that due to the topics I cover from climate change to the trophic cascade all the way to periods and menstrual equity. I think the act of sharing stories can be radical because the communication of ideas changes minds. My personal mission as a storyteller is to seek change through education which happens to take the form of telling stories that compel me. This is why I don’t limit myself to topic, genre, or medium.

Where do you draw from for inspiration?

Honestly, most things. I find a lot of inspiration in the things that worry me, haunt me, and make me feel like I have to speak out. This is probably why my work is considered to have an activist slant and why I thought Midnights was Taylor Swift’s best album!

Lastly, what piece of guidance would you offer to your younger writing self that our own younger writers could benefit from?

I wrote my first book in 2nd grade, unpublished of course. I continued writing from then on. In high school I wrote movie treatments, screenplays, and novels. My advice to younger writers is to write without judgement! Write what you want and write like no one’s looking. Every single time you write, you’re practicing and practice makes progress. Don’t focus on publishing your work or selling it, focus on practicing. As you grow and learn about the world, then you can think about those things.

A special thank you to Lily Williams for sharing with us! 

Lily Williams is the author and illustrator of many books including the nonfiction picture book series If Animals Disappeared, and graphic novels Go With The Flow and Look On The Bright Side. She grew up in Northern California and worked in feature animation before moving to Colorado. Lily seeks to inspire change, engage audiences, and educate people of all ages with her artwork.

Visit www.lilywilliamsart.com to follow Lily’s artistic and literary journey!

Check out Lily’s book and all of our recent Ink Splat authors’ works at our Bookshop.org Store.