Florence Witkop's Blog, page 19
November 29, 2019
Pies and other good things
The church I attend serves a community Thanksgiving meal to hundreds of people. And we deliver meals to those who can’t make it in person. This requires huge effort on the part of the congregation. My part this Thanksgiving was pies. I promised two pies. Then, when I heard they might run short, I increased …
November 27, 2019
Working at home
Since I work at home it doesn’t matter what it’s like outside because everyone knows that overcast weather is depressing and sunny weather makes people smile and stormy weather is energizing. So when the blue sky disappears and the sun can’t be found, I look out the window and am tempted to be a bit …
November 25, 2019
Question and answer: Is it normal to write in non-chronological order?
Is non-chronological order writing normal? It may or may not be ‘normal’ but it’s done a lot. I personally don’t care for it, but I’m okay with it if that’s the way the writer chooses to tell his/her story because if I don’t like it, I can simply change the order in which I read …
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November 23, 2019
Non-human characters
Some of the best characters in stories aren’t human or even alive. One of the most important characters in Earnest Hemmingway’s The Old Man And The Sea was the ocean itself in all its moods and glory and simply its overwhelming presence. I think I understand how he felt writing about the sea because I …
November 21, 2019
Turkeys or change of season?
When I glanced out the window, I saw a flock of twelve wild turkeys at the edge of the yard. Quick as a wink, I grabbed my cell phone and took a picture. Not a good picture because they were so far away. But a picture. When I checked out the picture, I wasn’t sure …
November 18, 2019
Question and answer: how easy or difficult do you find it to write a fictional story?
I can only answer for myself. I believe every author’s answer would differ. When I first became a professional writer I wrote non-fiction because that’s what pays the best. However, I lived in the middle of the forest at a time when there was no internet to use for research and I quickly discovered that …
November 15, 2019
Rapid release is not for me
There’s something floating around the writing community called ‘rapid release.’ It’s a way to write and publish a new book every month. A book a month. Yikes! I don’t plan on doing rapid release. Ever. But I must admit that when I learned how it’s done I realized that I use the techniques it espouses, …
November 13, 2019
What’s a yard for, anyway?
Last year sometime near the end of the summer, I came home late pulling a trailer behind me because I’d been selling fudge and fudge-filled banana bread somewhere far enough away to not get home during daylight. Let me state right here that I’m not the best at backing up a trailer. In fact, I …
November 11, 2019
Reader question: What techniques can give a feel for a genre before writing in it?
There are a few things that are recommended to get a feel for a genre before writing in it: Read, read, read in that genre. More than just reading, make sure the books you read are as close as possible to ones you are considering writing. This matters because even within genres, there may be …
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November 9, 2019
Readers are wonderful people
Back when I became a professional writer, I thought that one of the best things about this life would be the solitude. That I could be by myself day after day and do my thing in my office with the huge window overlooking the north woods and enjoy not having to talk to anyone. (You …
