Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

Chris Matthews closes his Sunday Political news show each week by challenging his panel of political reporters to tell him something he doesn’t know. It is my favorite part of the show. It is appealing to be educated and ahead of the crowd with a particular piece of information. It works on Mathews’ show and it works in books as well – even fiction books. Or perhaps I should say, especially fiction books.

This week I did some bird watching. We’re fortunate here in the Olympic Peninsula to have a large population of Bald Eagles. There is a nesting pair near our home. The weather is starting to warm up and so are the bugs. While taking photographs, I noticed that the bugs were ‘bugging’ me – and the eagles. Periodically, one would fly off its perch to stretch its wings and avoid its tiny tormentors. Before flying from the branches, the soon-to-depart eagle would call to its mate who would join in the bugling. Not once did one of the eagles depart without letting its mate know it was about to leave.


We also live near the Olympic Game Farm where you can get up close and personal with all sorts of critters. My wife and I took a ride out the other day and were treated to some magnificent displays by peacocks. The males we would display their beautiful plumage before passing female peacocks. This was not unexpected. What was unexpected, at least to me, was the fact that the male peacocks also set their tail feathers ‘abuzz’ by vibrating them at a very high rate, thus providing both an auditory and a quality to their mating dance.

Adding little tidbits of information such as these can liven up your writing and make it more enjoyable. So, go ahead. Tell your readers something they don’t know.


Happy Writing!

Bob

Sometimes Characters Introduce Themselves

Elizabeth, not Liz, not Lizzy, not Beth, but Elizabeth introduced herself in a soft, but self-assured voice. “Im the docent here,” she said with a noticeable air of pride. When I say noticeable, I do mean noticeable. We’re talking Getty Museum level pride, or perhaps the New York Museum of Art – notwithstanding the fact that we’re in a small town museum with a city population of less than 1,000. That’s OK, ‘cause I’m paying rapt attention to ‘Lizzy.’ Sorry, anyone that it is this serious needs to relax.

“This our natural materials exhibit,” Lizzy tells us. “Did you see vase cover over there?” I nod. “Do you recognize the material,” Lizzy asks. “Chicken feet skin,” I offer.

Lizzy is impressed, both with the vase and the fact that I know my chicken feet. Even after being raised on a farm, I had no idea one could skin a chicken’s foot – or that an artist would even want to do so. That said, the vase looked very, uh… uh… distinctive. Artsy and distinctive. Moving right along.

“Did you see the vase decorated with salmon tails?” Of course we did. Actually, there are several vases covered with various fish parts and Liz is just getting warmed up. As for me, I’m starting to panic. I love museums; I love art – even ‘novel’ art which this exhibit certainly is. I know Liz just wants (and I mean, really, really, really wants) us to enjoy the exhibit, but my polite smile is starting to fracture into an amused grin and I do not want to hurt Elizabeth’s feelings. She might, after all, end up serving as the basis for a character in a future work.

Happy Writing!

Bob