by Ellen Buikema

Magical Realism portrays the real world with a hint of fantasy. By not recognizing the magical aspects as supernatural, these elements become normal. For the characters, there’s nothing surprising about it.

The Beginnings of Magical Realism

Some say that the genre began in 1920s Germany in painting such as Beach of Dangast with Flying Boat by artist Franz Radziwill.… Read the post

by Ellen Buikema

If you want your readers to keep turning the pages, answering some vital questions early on will help them commit to your story. While developing questions for your readers piques their curiosity, you’ll lose them if you don’t provide them answers.… Read the post

by Ellen Buikema

How do I start to write a story? Does it have start at the beginning? Should I have a separate writing space? If I stare at the cursor blinking at the screen long enough, will ideas magically pop into my mind?

by Ellen Buikema

Good stories have a cast of characters who each play a specific role. Minor characters, although not indispensable to the plot, matter.

Minor characters are not afterthoughts to the protagonists.

These characters can make or break a story.… Read the post

Every so often, we open the doors of WITS to our readers. It's our version of Open Mic Night. We like hearing what you're up to in your writing and back-to-school time, with Fall around the corner, is a great time for this.… Read the post