Keukenhof: Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Okay, I'm the first to admit that my timing on writing blog subjects isn't always the best. But in continuation of my list of recommended places to visit in The Netherlands, the now closed-for-the-season world-famous Keukenhof Gardens is in this week's spotlight. It boasts several awards for being the most valued attraction in Europe and the most-photographed place in the world. But mind you, this place is not just for flower power people.

The park is only open for a few short months during the spring and it's a safe bet that anyone you know who's been to Holland between the months of March and May has probably visited it.

If the words "horticulture exposition" don't make your motor run, don't worry--you're not alone. This is literally a place to have to see in person to believe, and is exactly what comes to mind when imagining the land of cheese, tulips and windmills.

Personally, I'm a bit prejudiced towards tulips -- they just happen to be my favorite flower (I carried white tulips down the aisle in my wedding bouquet). But I can almost guarantee you haven't seen tulips like the ones growing at the Keukenhof. The park has more than just tulips, there are several varieties of other spring bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, and other lesser-known flowers. When you visit this place, prepare to be astonished and amazed. If you can imagine almost any color of the rainbow, there is a genetically-manipulated tulip to match it. Purple tulips? Check. Green tulips? Check, check. Black tulips? Yep, they got 'em.

The creative swags of color wind their way through the park in one nonstop work of art. I have a sneaking hunch that each year the park board secretly hires a team of wannabe Disney Imagineers to come up with new ways of designing beautiful patches of color lifting the level of flower eye candy to new heights. The most amazing thing is that each year 4.5 million bulbs are planted in more than a hundred varieties.

That's a lot of dirt under the fingernails.



For more information about the park, please visit the Keukenhof's official web site: http://www.keukenhof.nl/en/

Writing a Novel: As Easy As Pie?

I am often asked if I create an outline for each book I write or if I just sit down and start typing whatever comes to me. The answer is yes! Just kidding.

While I do believe there is no single path to writing a great novel (how boring would that be?) I also believe that each writer falls into one of three categories when it comes to mapping out a story. To my non-writer friends, I use the analogy that writing a book is a lot like baking a pie.

Well -- sort of.

The first group approaches writing with a tried and true recipe in front of them, following it religiously and never deviating from it. Measuring out each of the ingredients called for in the cookbook with exact precision, they trust the pie will be perfect in the end as long as they stick to the formula. They meticulously create a well-thought, near-perfect outline before ever typing a single sentence.

The second group has clear direction in their mind and knows exactly what they need to do to make a pie. They grab all the necessary ingredients and go at it, approximating how much of each to use. With confidence they employ the method I like to call "Using The Force" which relies more on feelings, senses, or even experience. Some have done it so often they just trust and do it, confident all will turn out in the end.

Sometimes just to shake things up, these writers add a little more nutmeg or use brown sugar instead of the usual white sugar. Speaking from experience, this makes a VERY tasty pie, BTW.

The third group uses a little bit of both. Although there is a general recipe to follow, most of the dialogue, prose, and imagery is improvised during the writing process. I must admit that I belong to this third group of writers who needs something down on paper to base my story on but still likes to mostly shoot from the hip.

For my last novel, I discovered that creating a "fake" family tree at ancestry.com with all my characters' names, birthdates, marriages and death dates was a necessity just so I could keep them all straight. While not the same as having a story outline, it made it much easier to steer the plot and keep the storyline believeable -- no small thing when one is writing a three-book family saga.

Does having an outline for your story make it easier to write or make you feel constrained? That is something you need to discover for yourself. The bottom line is to find the method that works best to help you produce the story you want to convey. Continuing with the pie analogy, creating and baking a dessert of quality is very time-consuming and takes a lot of effort. Others may consume it quickly without fully appreciating it, but the end result is usually delicious and you can take pride in the fact that you created it yourself.

Bon Appétit!




Which kind of writer are you? Do you follow an outline or write whatever comes to you? I'd love to get your feedback!