Florence Witkop's Blog, page 33

Why are short stories interesting to readers?

A confession: I love short stories! I love them because they are short. I suspect that’s why many — maybe most — people like them. Because they are short. That said, they are not simple. Many people think a short story is an easy thing to write. A piece of fluff. A lazy person’s output. …

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What are your advices on writing a story?

The answer to this question — without meaning to sound snide — is to learn the craft of writing fiction. Note that I said the craft, not the art, because they are two different things and — good news — a craft can be learned. There are workshops, books, online courses, free information everywhere that… Continue reading What are your advices on writing a story?

Are first person novels more personal?

This is a personal answer. How it seems to me. Other writers may see things differently. I believe first person novels are more personal, not because of anything intrinsic about the writing itself but, rather, because the act of writing in the first person takes the author deeply into the view-point character’s mind, thoughts, feelings,… Continue reading Are first person novels more personal?

What are some good writing exercises? I stopped writing a few years back and would like to start again.

If you haven’t written for a while, the first thing to do is consider your life today. How much time do you have for writing and when during the day or night would be the best time to write? This can be important because if you don’t schedule writing for when you have the time,… Continue reading What are some good writing exercises? I stopped writing a few years back and would like to start again.

What are some good tips for writing a fantasy novel?

The fantasy genre is huge and varied. So first you should figure out which sub-genre you will choose. There’s High Fantasy, with speech and word patterns that somewhat resemble old English and usually involve royalty and royal magic. There’s Urban Fantasy that’s contemporary, though it may or may not take place in a city. There’s… Continue reading What are some good tips for writing a fantasy novel?

How do you stay organized when conveying your thoughts in writing, and is it really that important to the reader?

Absolutely, it’s important to the reader! If your mind is messy, your writing will also be messy. But whether you organize consciously or unconsciously isn’t important. All that matters is that you know what you wish to say and that you say it competently and succinctly so your reader will know exactly what’s in your… Continue reading How do you stay organized when conveying your thoughts in writing, and is it really that important to the reader?

What is you least favorite part of writing?

I think my answer is the same you’ll get from many, many other writers. My least favorite part of writing is marketing! It’s a truism that a writer must spend as much time marketing as writing and that’s a huge time suck and it’s something they may — or may not — be good at.

How should I write a dream of one of the characters in my narrative?

The usual way to make sure the reader knows they are reading a dream sequence is to make the physical look of the passage different from what goes before and afterwards. This can be done by writing the dream sequence in italics or by marking the beginning and end in some way, such as whatever… Continue reading How should I write a dream of one of the characters in my narrative?

The Christmas House

More than anything, Abby Carr wants to own the house in the forest where she spent many happy, childhood summers and she can have it if she follows the rules her grandmother laid out for owning it. Having quit her job and moved to the north woods of Minnesota to live there and eventually own… Continue reading The Christmas House

THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE

Wow. I sent in the manuscript on September first and it was on Amazon the same day. How’s that for efficiency? And the cover is wonderful. So here it is, people, the book, the cover, and the link to see it on Amazon: http://www.Amazon.com/dp/B07H1ZYMSP Hint, hint, hint. Reviews are okay, they are appreciated, and they… Continue reading THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE