Florence Witkop's Blog, page 43

How do I identify whether an article has or lacks depth?

Not the usual type of question that I answer because it has nothing to do with the craft of writing fiction. But it’s something that I feel passionately about. So here goes — There is no definitive way to know if an article has depth unless you are an expert on the subject of the… Continue reading How do I identify whether an article has or lacks depth?

The Boy Who Cried Wolf Rewritten: How to Lose Your Kingdom

I know this story sounds like a fairy tale, but I swear, it’s real history! King You of Zhou ruled China in 780 BC. Everything was fine until he met a girl. King You was already married, but he fell head over heels for Bao Si, and he brought her into the palace and kicked… Continue reading The Boy Who Cried Wolf Rewritten: How to Lose Your Kingdom

How can I write the opening of my novel without it seeming cliche?

There are cliches and there are archetypes.   Cliches are bad. Archetypes are good. Both are the same thing. They are characters, subjects, places, or whatever you are writing about, that are familiar enough to your readers that they recognize them easily as people, things, places or whatever that they already know. The difference between… Continue reading How can I write the opening of my novel without it seeming cliche?

Camping versus Glamping: Pros, Cons

My husband liked to camp. The real hardcore kind where you carry everything in a pack and hike into the wilderness for days at a time or at the very least, the kind that only involves a tent and a campfire for cooking. In either situation, you quickly realize what things are essential and what… Continue reading Camping versus Glamping: Pros, Cons

Windy Chicago

The city of Chicago has been known by many nicknames, but it is most widely recognized as the “Windy City.” The earliest known reference to the “Windy City” was actually to Green Bay in 1856 but in 1876 repeated efforts to label Chicago with this nickname involved Chicago’s rivalry with Cincinnati. The term “Windy City” was… Continue reading Windy Chicago

How can I write the first chapter of my fantasy novel as a scene that happened 8 years previously?

 There are two ways and either way works well: Write the scene as a prologue instead of as a chapter. It’s done all the time and it works great. The only thing to remember if you use this technique is not to make the prologue too long because, for some reason, readers are turned off… Continue reading How can I write the first chapter of my fantasy novel as a scene that happened 8 years previously?

Red Carpet Dreaming

Have you ever daydreamed about what you would do if you were invited to a glamorous red carpet event or something as publicized as the Royal Wedding? Because a lot of people were invited and not all were royalty either. So why not me? Anyway, just in case. I’ll be prepared because I’ve thought about… Continue reading Red Carpet Dreaming

Forever Trees

I love the Sequoia, the enormous redwood trees of California. I knew they were big, I knew they were old, but when I actually looked into it, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Three thousand five-hundred years! That’s how old they think the oldest of the sequoia is. That tree has seen an awful lot. It… Continue reading Forever Trees

How do I get a first novel published?

This question opens up a can of worms! Writing is the easy part, getting published is waaaaay more difficult! But there are some steps to follow that will get you there. 1. But there are books and blogs and articles out there telling you what to do. I’m not sure how helpful they are but… Continue reading How do I get a first novel published?

Tea Bag Anyone?

The tea bag is rooted in the belief that the leaves ought to removed from the hot water at the end of a specific brewing period. At first, there were infusers — perforated metal containers which were filled with loose leaves and immersed in boiling water, and then removed using an attached chain. They are… Continue reading Tea Bag Anyone?