On a recent podcast of A Way with Words, I heard about a contest that I’m pretty sure I don’t want to win: The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. This year’s winner is If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs. I like one of the runners-up: IContinue reading “Maybe “Heartwood of Darkness” isn’t the best title”
Author Archives: Norm Benson
(Jumping the) Query Shark
Jumping the shark nowadays meaning doing something so outside of what a character/TV series what do that the storyline moves in a bizarre direction. However writing to the Query Shark is a good thing. She’s an agent who receives query letters and critiques the letter. Here’s a perfect one in her opinion.
Okay, But How Do the Lesser Ones Fare?
It seems “[at] least one of Britain’s birds appears to be coping well as climate change alters the availability of a key food.” I am relieved. Read the BBC story, “Great tits cope well with warming.”
The First Sixteen Lines
Sixteen. That’s the number of lines of text appearing on the first page of a book. After the book jacket blurbs, it’s that first page that must compel the reader onward or the book is put back on the shelf. There is a site that critiques those first lines; it’s called Flogging the Quill andContinue reading “The First Sixteen Lines”
What’s for Lunch
My wife and a neighbor walked the dogs this morning. Neighbors stopped them on three separate occasions to warn them of a mountain lion sighting. It seems that a cougar killed a deer yesterday in a neighbor’s yard and then sat with his lunch all day in the shade of a oak. Who knew thatContinue reading “What’s for Lunch”
What's for Lunch
My wife and a neighbor walked the dogs this morning. Neighbors stopped them on three separate occasions to warn them of a mountain lion sighting. It seems that a cougar killed a deer yesterday in a neighbor’s yard and then sat with his lunch all day in the shade of a oak. Who knew thatContinue reading “What's for Lunch”
Save the Rainforest-Use a Condom
Yup, according to the BBC, “The Brazilian government has begun producing condoms using rubber from trees in the Amazon.” Read about it here. Why do I try to write fiction? You can’t make this stuff up.
Back in the USA (MIA to SFO)
Monday March 18, 2008 Miami International Airport We passengers got off the plane (deplane sounds so Fantasy Island, doesn’t it?) and zombied forward, toward the bureaucramaze, which is like a maize maze but not nearly as much fun. Sergio had warned us about Miami International Airport. He was too kind. The show run by CustomsContinue reading “Back in the USA (MIA to SFO)”
Brasil – Rio de Janeiro Aeroporto
Segunda-Feira 18 Março 2008 The ride from Buzios to Rio de Janeiro airport is just as easy due to Mario’s excellent driving. After an hour on highway BR-101, we come upon the Rio harbor and can see the now-familiar landmarks of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) and, Corcovado mountain on which Christ the Redeemer stands. MarioContinue reading “Brasil – Rio de Janeiro Aeroporto”
Brasil – Búzios Tchau
Segunda-Feira 17 Março 2008 Búzios We are ready to go. Packing took very little time. We decided that everything would need to be washed when we got home. Those items we had washed two days ago are still wet. Humidity is high here. At around 11:30 AM, we were enjoying one last cup of chaContinue reading “Brasil – Búzios Tchau”
Nullius in Verba 