Florence Witkop's Blog, page 16
February 9, 2020
Characters in fiction and real life. Not much difference.
Can a writer create a character without including the writer’s biases? Ask the question a different way: Can a person describe someone they know without including their own biases? In theory it’s possible but in both life and in writing, it’s hard because we don’t really know anyone except ourselves and others like us. Which …
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February 7, 2020
My back yard in winter
We got a bunch of snow dumped on us. It was the heavy, wet, sticky kind of snow that stays on the tree branches almost forever, turning the entire world into a fairyland of white frosting. It’s pretty. It’s also perfect for a background picture for an ad I wanted to make for my latest …
Picture Perfect
I’m trying out something new. A novella. I think of novellas as half books because they are about half as long as a normal short novel. I’ve done novellas before but this one will be different. First of all, it’ll be part of a package deal, a boxed set. I think there will be five …
February 5, 2020
Cry for happy
I just read an online article about a bunch of people saving a baby elephant that was trapped in mud. I was glad I was alone because I cried as the baby elephant was rescued safely . You see, I’m one of those people who cry. You know the type. Whenever a flag goes past, …
February 2, 2020
How to write first person and stay true to that character?
How to write first-person POV and stay true to that character’s personality? You most likely can’t, but don’t worry about it. It’s uncanny how readers know who wrote a book without being given the author’s name and it doesn’t matter what voice the book is written in and it happens because a writer’s personality comes …
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January 31, 2020
Music, poetry, and prose
I’m not trying to brag (not much, anyway), but my writing has been described as ‘poetic’ or ‘elegant’ and so on. This isn’t because I’m unusually talented. I believe it’s because I grew up with music. Classical, blues, even some rock. I also grew up with poetry, both spoken and on the written page. So …
January 27, 2020
Not all writers are diplomats, not even in their own families. Especially in their own families.
I’m a writer. Now that’s normally not too important in the grand scheme of things. But writers are communication professionals and that changes everything. A few of us have been known to use our ability to communicate for more than just writing. Like for giving political opinions whether that opinion was asked for or not. …
January 25, 2020
Evergreen boughs
I love evergreens. Good thing because I live in the north woods and am surrounded by evergreens of every shape and size. They are the stuff of home decorating and I make good use of them to make my house beautiful and aromatic, though I hate the way they scratch! Why can’t evergreen needles be soft …
January 20, 2020
BFFs drive authors crazy.
Best friends forever. Used to be simple when romances were a one-size-fits all category. The BFF was a device to get essential info into the story. You’ve read books like this. Ttwo friends talking until the reader knows something that will be important at some point, at which time the BFF discretely disappears, often never …
January 17, 2020
North woods jet noise
I live in the north woods. Lots of trees, many lakes and the peace and quiet that comes with them. Except when the noise of jet engines breaks that silence because the nearby town of Park Rapids has an airport large enough for corporate jets to use because there are corporate retreats in the …
