Hello, all:
Fun fact: I have a liking for the number 17. I have ever since I read one of my favorite all-time books, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, which includes a character called the Humbug. a large insect given to being first with the wrong answer, which a lot of the time for him is seventeen.
Anyway, maybe because I liked the book, maybe other reasons, it’s not exactly my lucky number, but it’s one of my favorites. Also, once I had a political science professor who chose term paper topics for us by number (you pick X number, you get to write on the political philosophy of Y American, etc.). Some people got relatively obscure theorists; I, being me, picked 17, and was assigned to write a term paper on…John F. Kennedy. I feel I owe a little debt to Norton Juster, in a way.
Do you have a lucky number, or a number you’re just fond of for some reason? Are you as much a fan of The Phantom Tollbooth as I am? If so, leave a comment and let me know!
Writing Update
I could actually use some reader suggestions on this one: I currently have a character, Eulalie of House Turtledove, who for reasons of plot is sailing north. She’s in coastal waters, but all the same, she’s by herself, on a ship with a single sail. We’re in typical fantasy, sword-and-sorcery times, so no steamships, no radio, nothing fun like that. I’ve stuck on a vexing issue: what do you call the ship?
I don’t mean the name of the craft at issue: it’s tentatively known as the Sparrow, but that could change. I mean the type of craft. I assume for argument’s sake it is a ship and not a boat (I gather there’s a difference in naval parlance); is it a dinghy? A skiff? A cutter, maybe? What? I researched naval crafts for my pirate novel (in drafting and review status, currently), but I didn’t get into small vessels, so I’m at a loss. Ideas, thoughts, suggestions, anyone?
Closing Time
To illustrate how wonderful The Phantom Tollbooth is, here’s a short passage that occurs when the main character, a boy named Milo, has gotten into a wagon.
“How are you going to make it move? It doesn’t have a–”
“Be very quiet,” advised the duke, “for it goes without saying.”
And, sure enough, as soon as they were all quite still, it began to move quickly through the streets, and in a very short time they arrived at the royal palace.
Oh, I laughed. Still do, actually, because that’s just funny.
Until next time,
Michael