Florence Witkop's Blog, page 38

Solstice and Sunflowers

A short time ago was the Summer Solstice (the first official day of summer and the longest day of the year) and I’m channeling sunflowers. Sunflowers are so inspiring. I love the fact that their heads move throughout the day to follow the path of the sun, so their faces always follow the light. They… Continue reading Solstice and Sunflowers

How does one express oneself in writing a science fiction novel with an original idea so that it can impact people and never leave their minds? Take the writing style of, The Martian, for example.

You write without considering that you’re writing for people to read what you write. That way you’re more concerned with what you write than you are with how you write and your writing will flow more naturally. You also write without considering that you’re really writing, not for your reader, but rather for the editor or publisher (bricks and mortar or… Continue reading How does one express oneself in writing a science fiction novel with an original idea so that it can impact people and never leave their minds? Take the writing style of, The Martian, for example.

Does being social help with writing dialogue for your stories? If not, what do you think helps with writing good dialogue?

To be honest, your question stumped me for a moment. I doubt that being social helps because people in books don’t speak the same way that they do in real life. Not even close. Nor can you just pull sentences out of thin air. But I suspect that reading books that have the kind of… Continue reading Does being social help with writing dialogue for your stories? If not, what do you think helps with writing good dialogue?

Selling New Zealand

In 2006 someone tried to sell New Zealand on eBay. The price got up to $3,000 before eBay shut it down. (thanks, livin3 Fun Facts)

What is the best point of view to use when writing a multi-character novel?

There’s a process by which you figure that out. First, what’s the genre of the novel? Some novels are so often done in one view-point or another that stories written in any other viewpoint will be ignored. Not read. IF you have a choice because such novels can use any of a number of viewpoints,… Continue reading What is the best point of view to use when writing a multi-character novel?

When starting a novel, is it good to create an outline of ideas or just to write the ideas into the story and hash it out later?

Either way works fine. It’s a personality thing. Are you the type who jumps into everything you do feet first? Or the type who researches everything before making a move? Which type you are tells you which way you should approach the craft of writing a story. Personally, I started out by jumping in feet… Continue reading When starting a novel, is it good to create an outline of ideas or just to write the ideas into the story and hash it out later?

Can I write a love story if I’ve never been in love?

Of course you can. If science fiction writers can write about worlds and times that don’t exist, then you can write about love. All it takes is a well-honed —- and well-trained —- imagination. Because describing something you don’t personally know without thinking through how you want to do it, is an exercise in futility… Continue reading Can I write a love story if I’ve never been in love?

What are female character cliches to avoid?

There are no cliches to avoid, male or female. None. Cliches exist because they clue the reader into the character being described quickly and easily. That can be a good thing because it saves time and effort that can be put to better use telling the story. The thing is, do a good job of… Continue reading What are female character cliches to avoid?

Human Octopus

How many times have you thought in exasperation “I only have two hands.” Take heart, those of you who truly need more than those two hands because your time has come. T he YouBionic company now makes a pair of two prosthetic hands that you operate with one hand, so with two prosthetics you could… Continue reading Human Octopus

I’m writing a novel and I’m finding it hard to make my chapters long enough, I’m currently on a 2 page long fight scene to start my book and I want to to at least break 4 pages, any ideas?

Common problem. Trust me on that. Take a walk. Get away from your computer and stop staring at that dratted screen. While walking and enjoying the weather and the trees and the beautiful birds overhead, think about your story. Dig deeper. Get inside the head of each and every protagonist in that fight scene. What… Continue reading I’m writing a novel and I’m finding it hard to make my chapters long enough, I’m currently on a 2 page long fight scene to start my book and I want to to at least break 4 pages, any ideas?