Florence Witkop's Blog, page 42

As someone born in 1996 how do I write a story set in the late 1970s?

You do a lot of research and then you use your imagination. The 1970s is a recent enough period that many people from that time are still around and in sound mental health. And most of them would love to sit around and talk your ear off about their lives. Which is wonderful because you’ll… Continue reading As someone born in 1996 how do I write a story set in the late 1970s?

Dark Sky Above

The International Dark Sky Association seeks and encourages darkness. Loves the dark. Believes in night. They encourage communities to turn out more lights at night. Cities that meet their standards for darkness are certified as Dark Sky Places. The whole point is to make viewing the night sky easier and better. Light makes viewing harder.… Continue reading Dark Sky Above

What is the worst fiction writing advice you’ve heard?

The worst fiction writing advice I’ve ever heard —- and the best fiction writing advice I’ve ever heard — is to write about what you love. It’s very easy to get so caught up in the enjoyment of writing about something you love that you can go on forever and bore your reader to death.… Continue reading What is the worst fiction writing advice you’ve heard?

Is it possible to write a novel or short story that doesn’t perpetuate stereotypes?

 It’s not a matter of stereotypes. It’s a matter of whether the characters are described well or not so well. Good writing will turn them into archetypes and become the best and most representative of the group they belong to, whatever that group may be. Poor writing will make them stereotypes worthy of laughter and… Continue reading Is it possible to write a novel or short story that doesn’t perpetuate stereotypes?

Why is it so hard to write a novel, and especially hard to sit down and write your first novel?

The answer to this particular question is easy: Because you’ve never done it before. Any endeavor can be extremely difficult for a beginner. But the more you do — or even the more you sit at your computer and think about writing even if you don’t do any actual work — the easier the process… Continue reading Why is it so hard to write a novel, and especially hard to sit down and write your first novel?

Is editing the most time-consuming part of fiction writing?

Answer 1 Notifications 24 Depends. Issac Azimov once said that he learned to write when writers were paid pennies a page, so he learned to write the finished product as his first draft as a way to same time and earn more money. I do the same thing but it took a long time to… Continue reading Is editing the most time-consuming part of fiction writing?

What makes dialogues attention-grabbing?

 Dialogue is often boring. Very often! If you don’t want that to happen, make it short and sweet and to the point. Write your dialogue and then go back over it and see how many words you can cut. When you have pared it to the fewest possible words to get the message across, then… Continue reading What makes dialogues attention-grabbing?

Some people get stung, others get honey.

Some years ago, we raised bees. It didn’t become a permanent thing because it turned out to be way more complex than we’d imagined. But that very complexity — and the fascinating bees themselves — made a lasting imprint on me. For instance, I learned that some people can naturally handle bees without getting stung.… Continue reading Some people get stung, others get honey.

What’s the importance of making story writing a hobby?

My answer is a bit round-about, but stick with me, there’s a point at the end. When I first started writing as a career, I found that I ‘wrote out’ a lot of things from my past. Okay, I’ve had an easy, comfortable life but, like with everyone, there were a few things that were… Continue reading What’s the importance of making story writing a hobby?

Why don’t we write “I am going” instead of “I go?”

Most writers do write ‘I am going’ and for a very good reason.   Workshops always tell writers and would-be writers to use the active voice and that means writing ‘I go.’ But they also tell writers and would-be writers to write the way people actually speak and since most people say, ‘I am going’… Continue reading Why don’t we write “I am going” instead of “I go?”