Florence Witkop's Blog, page 35

Bella Means Beautiful

Bella means beautiful. I’m obsessed with all things beautiful. City skylines at night. Wedding cakes. Prom dresses. But in real life, sometimes the flashy and colorful can distract us from the simple and natural. When I think of natural beauty, I think of a child’s face as they sleep, my grandma’s hands as they kneaded… Continue reading Bella Means Beautiful

The Devil and Details

As you may  have noticed, I love surfing for interesting tidbits to pass along. Today’s is almost prescient so I had to mention it! Here it is, as I read it: Isn’t it weird that there is an old adage that says “The devil’s in the details” AND one that says “God is in the… Continue reading The Devil and Details

The Christmas House

When I hear the word ‘parchment’ I think of those very official scrolls containing royal pronouncements. You know, the kind that start with “Hear ye, hear ye” followed by all kinds of important announcements like:  “The prince is throwing a ball!”  So this seems like the time to announce that soon my next book will be… Continue reading The Christmas House

French Vanilla and other French stuff.

The French are good at a lot of things, you know? Bread, chocolate, art and literature, the Statue of Liberty (thanks, guys!), science (way to go Marie Curie!), the list goes on and on. Where would we be without our French brothers and sisters? Not drinking pasteurized milk, watching movies, scuba diving, driving around on… Continue reading French Vanilla and other French stuff.

What is some advice that you can give regarding plot development in writing?

1. Plot is story. So start with that. What story do you want to tell? Write it down in a sentence or two on a slip of paper. 2. All good stories have beginnings, middles and endings. Write down the beginning and the ending on separate slips of paper. Again, a sentence or two will… Continue reading What is some advice that you can give regarding plot development in writing?

Game shows aren’t rigged because they don’t have to be.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could win a game-show just by walking up the stairs? Japanese game shows have a reputation for being a little on the bizarre side, and recently one came out with just that premise: just get up the stairs and you win. There’s just one catch: the stairs are coated… Continue reading Game shows aren’t rigged because they don’t have to be.

Where was ‘Leave it to Beaver’s’ hometown?

Do you remember Leave it to Beaver? The old classic television show featuring Theodore “the Beaver” Cleaver and his apparently perfect family? The show took place in Mayfield, though it was never revealed which state. In fact, there are at least 27 towns named ‘Mayfield’ across the U.S. But Jerry Mathers, the actor who played the Beav,… Continue reading Where was ‘Leave it to Beaver’s’ hometown?

The Color Blue — Who Knew?

An enormous portion of the world we see is blue, between the sky above us and the oceans and lakes that cover the earth. It’s no wonder that most people love blue. But the thing about the ocean and sky is that the color can’t be bottled up—unlike flowers, rocks, and all the other things… Continue reading The Color Blue — Who Knew?

Flower Petals

Lovers scatter them and flower girls line wedding aisles with them, but beware, a stray flower petal could get you in big trouble. One flower shop in England found themselves in court after a passerby slipped on a single fallen flower petal and sued for 1.5 million pounds! Maybe you should think twice before scattering… Continue reading Flower Petals

Poor Grant!

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” —Benjamin Franklin I love a good sale, and it makes my day when I come across one I didn’t expect. But some sales aren’t good news for everyone. Like recently at a grocery store in Canada, there was a sale on frozen french fries, with bags of… Continue reading Poor Grant!