7 Indispensable Tricks for Writing Comic Books

7 Indispensable Tricks for Writing Comic Books As the longtime creative director of Marvel Comics and one of the most iconic comic book creators of all time, Stan Lee (1922 – 2018) was the mastermind of a Marvel Universe full of timeless characters and stories that continue to capture the imagination of new generations of comic book fans.At first, however, Lee lacked confidence in his writing. As he would later explain in his autobiography, he felt that comic books (and therefore, comic book writers) had a low status in the literary world. As a result, he used a pseudonym for some of his earliest comic book work. He writes, I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in peoples lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if youre able to entertain people, youre doing a good thing.As we all know, Stan Lees comic books not only brought h im (and the Marvel company) massive success- they also played a large role in elevating comics to a genre that is well-respected and continuing to grow in popularity. If you have been thinking about writing a comic book and are unsure of how to go about it, here are seven little tricks to keep in mind as you write.Photo by Lena Rose on UnsplashTip #1- Focus on story first, then layout secondEven though comic books are often best known for their imagery, as a rule of thumb, when writing a comic book, you should first focus on the story. Stan Lee puts it simply: Comics are stories; theyre like novels or anything else. So the first thing you have to do is become a good storyteller.While were on the topic of storytelling, if you are unsure which story you want to tell, consider the fact that many comic books and graphic novels published in todays market are retellings of older stories. This graphic novel retelling of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and this comic book-inspired ver sion of Victor Hugos Les Misà ©rables are great examples. Even Stan Lee borrowed much of his storytelling from classic Greek and Roman myths, so dont be afraid to put a new spin on an old tale if you are stuck on the story part.Tip #2- Know the end and work backwardsThis same piece of advice holds true for writing any type of story, whether it be a short story, novel or comic book. When you know your ending first- before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) for the first draft- youll be able to write a more succinct storyline with fewer holes in the plot.This doesnt mean that you need to know every detail about how your story will end. It only means that you should have a general idea of the major events that will take place at the end. You should know which character will be involved and the overall character arcs for your major characters (particularly the protagonist).This is especially important if you plan to write a series of comics. Knowing what happens at the end w ill help you divide the story correctly into segments and end each book on the right kind of cliffhanger (which well discuss more in tip #4).Tip #3- Outline completely before writingHeres another tip you should follow in the writing process, regardless of what type of fiction you are writing. Having an outline is one of the most important things (if not THE most important thing) you can do before sitting down to write your comic book. You dont need to know every detail at the beginning, but you should have a general idea of your setting, plot structure, major characters, their motivations, and their character arcs as the plot progresses.If youre stuck at this part, I recommend reading Blake Snyders Save the Cat! series. While he initially focuses on writing a screenplay, he offers invaluable advice on two different facets of outlining a story for any media. First, he provides a beat sheet focusing on the 15 major beats that occur within all great movies/screenplays. You can essentia lly take these beats and fill them in with your storys unique details to have a well-rounded plot outlined quickly. Second, he reviews the essential ten types of stories that encompass most plots. For example, he breaks down the most popular types of stories into easily digestible, overarching themes. A few examples are:Monster in the House (Alien, The Ring, etc.)Dude with a Problem (Die Hard, Open Water, etc.)Rites of Passage (Napoleon Dynamite, Kramer vs. Kramer, etc.)Buddy Love (When Harry Met Sally, Brokeback Mountain, etc.)Fool Triumphant (Forrest Gump, Legally Blond, etc.)Tip #4- For multiple issues, end on a cliffhangerI touched on this briefly above, but this is especially important during the outlining process if you are creating a series of comic books. As with any series- and particularly in comic books- ending each issue on a cliffhanger is essential if you want to keep your audience engaged in the overall story youre writing.In writing comics, its important to keep this in mind as you outline each issue. If you are creating a series, you should outline the entire series before writing the first comic book, and the outline should be completed before any artwork is begun. Pay special attention to page numbering as you outline and determine cliffhanger cut-off points for each issue, as this will determine the level of interest you are able to maintain with your audience and whether theyll want to purchase following issues (after reading the first).Photo by Andreas Fidler on UnsplashThere are also software programs available such as Celtx, which includes a comic book option for its script writing features. Using software to assist with layout and page numbering during the outlining and writing processes helps extensively with this cliffhanger strategy.Tip #5- Make sure your setting and characters are memorableSince comic books have limited room for extended exposition, having a memorable setting and unforgettable characters is important. Stan Lee puts it like this: To my way of thinking, whether its a superhero movie or a romance or a comedy or whatever, the most important thing is youve got to care about the characters. Youve got to understand the characters and youve got to be interested. If the characters are interesting, youre half-way home.When you think back over some of the bestselling comic books and graphic novels (Neil Gaimans Sandman series and Robert Kirkmans The Walking Dead series come to mind), youll find that two things they all have in common are a unique, intriguing setting and fascinating characters. Both drive the story when limited exposition and dialogue are necessary (such as in comic books) and both will ensure a comics success if crafted properly.Tip #6- Notebooks and audio recorders are great for stealing dialogue you hear throughout the dayThis tip comes directly from Tony Max, indie comic book author and illustrator of The Golden Silence series. As a writer, he often catches conversations on audio rec orders (with the permission of the speakers, of course) to get a feel for the cadence and word choice of everyday conversations between people. He is then able to listen back through and recreate a realistic dialogue in his comic books.Since comic books rely heavily on dialogue to fill in details of the exposition, creating realistic dialogue should be a focus while youre writing. Often, panels dont have enough room to have a lot of dialogue either, so the dialogue you do include needs to be sharp, poignant, essential to the narrative, and realistic for the genre. Think of it as the bones that hold the narrative framework together.Tip #7- Phrase books help to find the right wordsPhrase books are great resources for writers of all genres in that they can help spark the creative Muse when writers block sets in (and lets face it, all writers experience writers block at some point or another). For example, this phrase book by USA Today bestselling author Jackson Dean Chase offers over 5 00 descriptions of weapons, wounds, wild animals, weather, emotions, dangerous places, and more, plus a combat thesaurus that covers everything, from attack to defense, ranged to melee, and from monsters to magic spells and psychic powers.Action Writers Phrase Book by Jackson Dean ChaseWhether your comic book is sci-fi, action and adventure, romance, fantasy, or somewhere in between, youll be able to find phrase books offering a plethora of information on costume, weaponry, fighting techniques, survivalist tricks, technology, period-correct verbiage, naming strategies, and more. They are really indispensable to any writers collection of source books and are especially useful in writing comics, where elements like worldbuilding and costume are essential for success.

The Business Case for Diversity Literature Review

The Business Case for Diversity - Literature review Example The different theories and approaches of diversity management have been developed to understand the concept of business diversity in a better manner. These theories and approaches have been widely appreciated and supported by academics, managers and diversity consultants. Business Diversity Defined The business case for diversity management can be better understood if it is divided in three sections (Nicholas, Sammartino & Lau, 2007): 1. The HRM Business Case for Diversity Management According to the HRM business case of diversity management, unmanaged diverse human resource only results in increasing the business costs by reducing the job satisfaction, increasing turnover and absenteeism rate and creating conflicts in team members. The sound management of diverse human resource results in creating a competitive edge for the organization. 2. The Knowledge Case for Diversity Management The knowledge case for diversity management basically takes in to account the system of information and knowledge flow. It finds ways and strategies to facilitate knowledge creation and transmission. 3. The International Business Case for Diversity Management This business case works to determine how to exploit cross cultural capabilities in favor of the organization and business success. This business case illustrates that effective management of diversity has the potential to result in positive international orientation of a firm by strengthening international networks and improving mutual business decision making. Initially the diversity management was regarded as a tool to legally safeguard an organization that it is complying with the legal requirements of equality and not discriminating against any class (Ongori & Evans, 2007). However the recent years have seen a change in the perception of diversity by managers and recruitment agencies. It has evolved to become a more proactive concept with significant bottom line advantages. Many corporation and organization are making a point to make sure that their workforce is well diversified to facilitate unique, innovative and creative ideas for problem solving which translate in better overall performance of the organization (Allen et al., 2004). A case study of Botswana emphasized the need of business diversity. The society of Botswana is multicultural with a large number of immigrants coming from all across the world. It means that the organizations operating in Botswana does not have choice but to be work force diversified. Their competitiveness, level of innovations, profits and business success are all dependent on how well it manages its diverse workforce both within and across the organizational boundaries (Barker and Hartel, 2004). The issue of business diversity is gaining more interest of the researchers and politics because of the slow shifting of trend of economies from manufacturing to services. There is a greater need in the services market to communicate and network with different organization and people which have further emphasized the need of today to manage business diversity well (Wentling and Palma-Rivas, 2000). Advantages of Business Case of Diversity The business case for diversity works to provide a competitive edge for any organization (Karsten, 2006). The question that might be raised now is

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Research Proposal - Essay Example asingly information driven lives have further fueled a surge in the use of photography so much so that it is required to obtain professional training in order to pursue it as a career or as a serious hobby. As such, assuming that one has the required professional capabilities, establishing a business based on photography raises yet another important question with regards to starting and sustaining the business. The proposed project, whose purpose shall be further explained as part of this research proposal, is aimed at conceiving and developing a framework that will be assessed based on the intention of setting up a proposed photo studio as a feasible business option. The study conducted as part of the effort involved in setting up this photo studio in my town, to be known as â€Å"Brand Image†, will concentrate on identifying key areas such as potential sales opportunities, identification of industry competitors and general market averages, which will also be utilized as benchmarks for evaluating the worthiness of the proposed business. The proposed research aims to study ways in which the new studio will be able to exploit the visible market comprising of photographic artists, individual artists as well as those belonging to large studios as sources for producing photographic material. The business plan shall be developed keeping in mind the potential client base comprising divers e clients such as advertising agencies, public relations agencies and designers. Key services offered by the studio will cover many areas of the business such as Wedding / Portrait photography, Commercial / Industrial photography, Advertising / Fashion photography, and supplementary photographic services such as retouching & CGI. In brief, the proposed studio will work towards providing core services in the areas of Commercial, and Advertising photography. (1) Development of the business idea for the photo studio: wherein the effort will be focused on identifying the main consumer

Identifying and Meeting the Needs of an Individual Client

Identifying and Meeting the Needs of an Individual Client Olufunmilayo Adegbore Am study this course healthcare support to help me gain a better and clear understanding of the best provision require to meet the needs of my clients and to become a healthcare assistant. In this assignment I will be discussing about three clients and will change their names for security purpose. I will be identifying and meeting the needs of my individual clients. Firstly I will discuss about my first client who is suffering from memory loss due to dementia, physical disability and social isolation a little background of my client. Julia a seventy-six years old woman, a lovely wife and mother with grandchildren. Her mother is a registered supervisor that supervised the little kids. Julia has always been very family oriented because she knows her family members are the people who will always be there to support her. Julia love travels a lot she been to Rome and she have a good time when she is in Rome and she have the opportunity to meet the pope in Rome. Julia family member took her to the GP because she was suffering from cough and Julia was transferred to the hospital because Julia has developed infection through the cough and she admitted in the hospital. Memory loss which can make it difficult to carry on a long and thoughtful conversation for example Julia thinking that her mother is still alive and she very distress because of the noisy environment and become confused and upset of the disoriented ward she been put in. this can be easily distracted. By maintaining a safe environment is everyone responsibility in Julia case she needs to be supervises to prevent her wandering the corridors or she may walk out front door. Julia supposed to be in a separate room that have much space to walk around because of slips trips falls or trying a barrier like a curtain to mask the door. Julia be very able to walk, stand and strong enough to pack her things by giving Julia a job such as folding laundry might help her to make her feel needed and useful and to support her independence and ability to care for herself. Showing Julia a family picture so that she can remember things and to make time for a regular exercise and GP appointment. By maintaining a safe environment locks high or low on the door has to be installing. To give Julia ability to maintain connectedness, social relationships and networks within and outside and also Julia should be engage in meaningful activities. To enable Julia to maintain contact link to the priest and family. And a meaningful relationships with those around her. Try distracting with a snack and cup of tea Meaningful and respectful engagement with Julia has to be encouraged. Julia should be treated with kindness, respect and consideration. To communicate with Julia and to make some connection with her through touch, sound or visual stimulation that can enhance her personhood and bring out the best in her. My personal learning is to make sure I look for her responses through her facial expression, the opening of the eyes and other eye contact, body or hand movement and her strong hand-grasp to observe a smile or giggle, to see her head turn in the direction of my sound to know that Julia is listening to the story or looking through the picture album showing to her then I know I make a difference and contributed to Julia quality of life. Mr jones is a 67 years old India man, who had lived long in Ireland with his family members, his family members was the one taking care of him, until they decide to take him to care home. Mr Jones was suffering from stroke, and he was stroke on the right side of his body. I will be using (Gibbs reflective cycle Gibbs, 1998.) to explain my points. Stroke is a disease that mostly affects people in the later part of their lives. Stroke attacks peoples brain either because of their life style or what they eat or as a result of some dysfunctional aspect of the body. In this regard American Heart association (2015) Said that A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carriers oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by clot or burst (raptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die. Mr Jones like i said, has stroke on one side of his body, he cannot bath himself and feed himself because he is on a wheel chair and a little difficulty in his speech. Mr jones has difficulty in swallowing and this can cause fits of choking and coughing when he try to drink liquids and his loss of intellectual and thinking ability has a difficulty with his attention, concentration, and working out problem and his emotional distress. Mr Jones can still make use of his other hands, by holding the shower hand to run the water to his body, use the hand to brush his teeth, to comb his hair. By doing this I have to give Mr Jones independence by asking him if he can do any aspect of the bathing by using the other hands. By providing Mr jones wheel chair and took him for a walk to a nearby shopping mall for fresh air and to have a good communication and interaction with Mr jones and to arrange a GP visit for therapy for a day care basis and occupational therapist (OT) to assess Mr jones activities of daily living (washing, dressing etc.) physical abilities and to get Mr jones practising the techniques and to carry out daily living activities at weekends and in evenings. Maintaining safe environment special equipment such as hoist to make sure Mr Jones is moved safety. A special mattress designed to prevent pressure sores and by getting Mr Jones position is important in lying and sitting to support the weak side and to reduce muscle caused by inactivity and altered muscle tone. By adjusting the height of the armchairs and providing a handrail beside the toilet or bath and shower. Being easily distracted by noise, and other peoples conversation and showing responses and taking time to process what is be heard. My personal learning outcomes is to reduce as far as possible, background noise such as TV or radio and by keeping my sentences short and uncomplicated. By allowing Mr Jones to do things for himself it may take longer but I have to require a lot of patience. However it is well spent as it will help Mr Jones to rebuild his self-confidence. Currently m randy is 81 years old, and he reaching the end of his life, and his self-imposed isolation is being encroached upon by the forces of government. Mr Andy has lived all alone after his wife passing away 25 years ago, he lived on the shores Lake OHiggins in a house built from the remains of a shipwrecked fishing vessels. Mr Andy is a pastoralist in a small community of several hundred people, 25 miles away horseback ride through rugged mountain. One day Mr Andy makes this ride to sell his cattle in town when he had a fall and he was rush to the hospital, m randy doesnt like going to the hospital or a nursing home because he taught going to a nursing home makes someone useless. While Mr Andy he still in the hospital the social worker get involve in his case and he was being transfer to a nursing home for proper care. Mr Andy having problem with his health problem and disability to walk and to stand for a long period because Mr Andy is very old and his sensory impairment such as hearing loss. Based on Mr Andy lack of social relationships his strong risk factor for his mortality as physical activity makes him depress. Mr Andy can still maintain a balanced healthy and notorious diet because m randy is very fit and can walk and still able to do thing on his own. Social isolation has shown in Mr Andy and it has effect his health and well-being, by helping Mr Andy is by offering a counselling and support bereavement, local groups, offer a drop in centre and telephone advisory line for Mr Andy. To improve Mr Andy situation because he is very old man and not that strong anymore is to gather a smaller group of people who can share an interest for example bible study, gardening or sport and local activities that for an elderly people like Mr Andy and a daily activities like exercise and reading newspaper. Lonely people like Mr Andy need encouragement and guidance on how to be creative and to make a positive approach in meeting others, they should be allow to reaches others so that m randy retain active involve in his pattern of his own lives, rather than sitting and waiting for a doorbell to ring. My personal learning is to being nice to Mr Andy and taking trouble to find out his hopes and fears. Because m randy doesnt have anybody around him to visit him or call him on phone, I have to organise a visitors like priest, counselling or going on outings. Finally alternative therapies (e.g. massage and aromatherapy) can relieve Mr Andy. Looking at the challenges, the measures and the competences of my three clients makes me have a lot of knowledge to encourage them in their effort as to maintain independence that can provide them with sense of accomplishment in what they do and the ability to maintain independence always.

Falsely Accused :: essays research papers

Falsely Accused   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What has to happen before the media quits jumping to conclusions about news stories ? It makes you wonder about the possibility of legal restrictions on the amount of information that the media can put out before the actual case is proven and solved. I mean after all in the case of Richard Jewell , there was a definite issue of false accusations . This man was treated unfairly under the false assumption that he was guilty of a crime that he did not commit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that Jewell should defiantly be compensated for the anguish that he had to go through for over three months after that bombing. It was not bad enough that he had to see his co-workers and hundreds of innocent people endangered and injured by the terrible incident in Atlanta. He also had to go through being accused of being behind the whole thing . How much worse could it get? I mean what should people start to think ? He said that he felt like an animal being stalked , just waiting to be killed . Now who are we to listen to ? This innocent man or the media , who obviously will print what it takes true or untrue , to make a story .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that we as Americans owe the accused of there legal right of innocent until proven guilty before we can start accusing them publicly. There is no reason to believe what is being said in the media until there is some definite truth in the case . I mean just because the cops may have beliefs that there is guilt means nothing . After all the FBI gave the media information and it was plain and simply wrong . The way the FBI handled the case was atrocious and intolerable. Who can we the public trust if we can't even trust a government legal authority? Who are we to go to at that point when the government agencies are falsely accusing us ? I guess that Richard Jewell was just lucky enough to have a brave lawyer that cared and new there was nothing right about the way this man was being treated. I just think that is a serious problem , there have to be some better laws or restrictions .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So in my belief we the public have the right to not be harassed by the media any time previous to the proven guilt in the crime we are accused of .

Coyote Blue Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27 Food, Gas, Enlightenment, Next Right King's Lake, Nevada The exit sign said, King's Lake, but when they pulled off and followed the ramp around the base of a mesa, there was no lake, no life at all, just a dirt road and a strip of gray wooden buildings with faded facades. A weathered wooden sign read, Emergency, Nevada. The population had been crossed out and repainted a dozen times until, finally, someone had painted a big zero at the bottom and the words We gived up. Coyote stopped the car. â€Å"What do you want to do here?† â€Å"I don't know, but we had to get off the highway before they caught up with us.† Sam got out of the car and peered down the empty dirt street, shielding his eyes against the sun with his hand. A prairie dog scampered across the road and under the wooden sidewalk. â€Å"This road continues out of town. Maybe it joins up with another major road somewhere else. We need a map.† â€Å"No map in the car,† Coyote said. â€Å"We can ask someone.† Sam looked around at the empty buildings. â€Å"Right, let's just stop in at the chamber of commerce and ask someone that's been dead for a hundred years.† â€Å"Can we do that?† Coyote asked, with complete sincerity. â€Å"No, we can't do that! It's a ghost town. There's no one here.† â€Å"I was going to ask that prairie dog.† Coyote walked to where the prairie dog had disappeared under the walkway. â€Å"Hey, little one, come out.† Sam stood behind the trickster, shaking his head. He heard a squeak from under the walk. Coyote looked to Sam. â€Å"He doesn't trust you. He won't come out unless you go away.† â€Å"Tell him we're in a hurry.† Sam couldn't believe he was being snubbed by a rodent. â€Å"He knows that, but he says you have shifty eyes. Go over there and wait.† Coyote pointed down the sidewalk. Sam walked past a hitching post and sat on a bench in front of the abandoned saloon. He watched the road leading to the highway, waiting for the dust cloud from pursuing police cars. The road remained empty. He watched the prairie dog scamper out from under the sidewalk and stand on his hind legs as Coyote talked to him. Maybe he had been a little hasty in thinking Calliope nuts for talking to her kitchen pals. They probably thought he had shifty eyes as well. After a few moments of talking and chattering Coyote threw his head back and laughed, then left the prairie dog in the street and came to where Sam was sitting. â€Å"You've got to hear this one,† Coyote said. â€Å"This farmer has a pig with a wooden leg-â€Å" â€Å"Hey,† Sam interrupted. â€Å"Does he know where the road goes?† â€Å"Oh, yeah. But this is a really good joke. You see-â€Å" â€Å"Coyote!† Sam shouted. Coyote looked hurt. â€Å"You're nasty. No wonder he doesn't trust you. He says that he saw an orange sports car go by a while ago. He says that there's a repair place down the road.† â€Å"Tell him thanks,† Sam said. Coyote headed back toward the prairie dog. Sam dug into his windbreaker for his cigarettes and found a chocolate mint he had taken from the hotel room pillow the night before. â€Å"Wait,† Sam called. He ran to Coyote's side. The prairie dog bolted under the sidewalk. â€Å"Let me talk to him.† Sam bent down and placed the mint in the dirt by the sidewalk. â€Å"Look, we really appreciate your help.† The prairie dog didn't answer. â€Å"I'm not a bad guy once you get to know me,† Sam said. He waited, wondering what exactly he was waiting for. After a minute he started feeling really stupid. â€Å"Okay then, have a nice day.† He went back to where Coyote stood looking at a sign on the saloon door. No Indians or Dogs Allowed. Coyote said, â€Å"What do they have against dogs?† â€Å"What about the Indians part?† Coyote shrugged. â€Å"It pisses me off.† Sam yanked the sign off the door and threw it into the street. â€Å"Good, you're still alive. Let's go.† Coyote turned and headed for the car. â€Å"I'll drive,† Sam said. Coyote threw the keys over his shoulder. Sam snatched them out of the air. As they pulled away the prairie dog dashed into the street and grabbed the mint thinking, That pig joke works every time. -=*=- They drove for twenty minutes, bouncing the big Lincoln over ruts and rocks, and pushing it through washed-out, wind-eroded terrain where the road was reduced to the mere suggestion of tire tracks. The cellular phone rang twice more, but they did not answer it. Sam was suspecting that, once again, Coyote was playing some sort of trick when he spotted the corrugated steel building sticking up out of the desert. The building consisted of one story, roughly the size of a two-car garage. The steel walls were striped with rust and pulling away from the frame in places. The area around the building was littered with abandoned vehicles, some dating back fifty years. Above the doorway, a ragged hole that had been cut with a torch, hung an elegantly hand-lettered sign that read, Satori Japanese Auto Repair. In the doorway stood a slightly built Oriental man in saffron robes, grinning as they pulled up. Calliope's Z was parked in front. Sam stopped the car and got out. The Oriental man folded his hands and bowed. Sam nodded in return and approached the man. â€Å"Do you know where the girl is that was driving that car?† â€Å"What is the sound of one hand clapping?† the monk said. Sam said, â€Å"Excuse me?† The monk ran to Sam and jumped up, screaming in Sam's face, â€Å"Don't think. Act!† Thinking he was being attacked, Sam raised his arms to cover his face and inadvertently hit the monk in the mouth with his elbow, knocking the little man to the ground. The monk looked up at Sam and smiled. â€Å"That was the right answer.† His teeth were red with blood. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Sam said, offering his hand to help the monk up. â€Å"I didn't know what you were doing.† The monk waved Sam away, climbed to his feet, and began to dust himself off. â€Å"The first step to knowledge is not knowing. The girl is inside with the Master.† â€Å"Thanks,† Sam said. He motioned for Coyote to follow and went into the building. It was one room, dimly lit from the doorway and by sunlight filtering through the gaps in the walls. Around the edges, workbenches were stacked with greasy car parts and tools. In the center of the room, on a grass mat, Calliope sat with another monk, this one ancient, drinking tea from tiny cups. She looked up and saw Sam, then without a word ran into his arms. â€Å"I lost him, Sam. The car started making this horrible noise and I had to pull off the highway. Lonnie took Grubb and he's gone.† Sam held her and patted her head, telling her it would be okay, not really believing it, but knowing that was what you were supposed to say. She was soft and warm against him and a musky smell of girl sweat and jasmine was coming off her hair. He felt himself getting aroused and hated himself for the inappropriateness of the feeling, thinking, You sick bastard. Almost as in answer, Calliope said, â€Å"You feel too good,† and buried her face in his chest. She was crying. Behind them, still standing in the doorway, Coyote said, â€Å"Let's go.† Calliope looked around at him, then to Sam. Sam said, â€Å"A friend. Calliope, this is Coyote. Coyote, Calliope.† â€Å"Howdy,† Coyote said. Calliope smiled. â€Å"The Master will now fix the car,† the younger monk said. Sam looked to the tatami mat; the old monk was gone. The young monk turned and went out into the sun. Outside, the Z's hood was open and the old monk was bent over the engine, running his hands over the hoses and wires, but staring off into the distance. Sam realized that he was blind, and noticed that there were fingers missing from each of his hands. â€Å"What's he doing?† Coyote asked. â€Å"Quiet,† the young monk said. â€Å"He is finding the problem.† â€Å"We really have to get going,† Sam said. â€Å"Can we leave the car here and pick it up later?† The monk said, â€Å"Does a dog have a Buddha nature?† â€Å"Does a fish have a watertight asshole?† said Coyote. The young monk turned to the trickster and bowed. â€Å"You are wise,† he said. â€Å"This is nuts,† Sam said. â€Å"We've got another car. Let's go.† â€Å"We've lost them,† Calliope said. â€Å"No, we haven't. We know where they're going, Cal.† â€Å"How do you know?† â€Å"It's a long story. Coyote helped.† â€Å"Not enough,† Coyote said. He pointed to the police cruiser that was bouncing across the desert toward them. Sam looked to the limo and realized that they had run out of time, and, more important, places to run. The cruiser slid to a stop by the limo and they were all engulfed by a cloud of dust. When it cleared, a seven-foot black man stood beside the limo. A bald man in a sport coat was leveling a riot shotgun over the hood at them. â€Å"I'd like the keys to the limousine, please,† Minty said. Calliope looked at Sam. â€Å"Are we in trouble?† â€Å"This is not good,† Sam said. The monk said, â€Å"Life is suffering.† â€Å"You need to get laid,† Coyote said. Sam dug into his pocket for the keys. â€Å"Careful,† said the man with the gun. Minty Fresh approached Sam. â€Å"Relax, Jake,† he said. Then to Sam, â€Å"Mr. Hunter, the police are not really involved in this. I just want two things. I want the keys to the car, and I want to know what the hell is going on here.† â€Å"Quiet!† the monk said. â€Å"The Master is finished.† They looked to the Z, where the old monk was staring blankly in their direction. â€Å"Disharmony in the cam chakra,† he announced. The young monk bowed. Sam wondered about the Master's missing fingers. â€Å"Well?† Minty said. Sam said, â€Å"Do you have a little time?† -=*=- Minty Fresh sat on the tatami mat with Sam while the young monk, who they had found out was named Steve, served them tea. He'd sent Jake back to town and the others were outside fiddling with the broken sports car. Minty wanted some answers. â€Å"Mr. Hunter,† he began. â€Å"There is something very strange about your friend.† â€Å"Really? He seems fine to me. Tell me, though. Do you think I have shifty eyes?† Sam affected his best innocent look. Oh, no, two of them, Minty thought. â€Å"They look normal to me.† They didn't look normal at all – they were golden. Minty hadn't noticed before. Sam said, â€Å"I mean, do I look untrustworthy to you?† â€Å"Mr. Hunter, you stole my employer's car.† â€Å"I'm really sorry about that. Besides that, though. Do I look shifty?† Minty sighed. â€Å"No, not particularly.† â€Å"How about if you were shorter, say, eight inches tall.† â€Å"Mr. Hunter, what is this all about?† â€Å"We really needed the car. It doesn't justify taking it, but we would have brought it back.† â€Å"Look, I'm not going to involve the police in this. Just tell me.† Sam took Minty through the story of Lonnie taking Grubb and the chase, leaving out as many details about Coyote as he could, making their destination in South Dakota seem close, easy. The story was slanted, however; Sam told it with a purpose in mind, thinking as he spoke, You can't sell if you don't pitch. Sam closed, â€Å"If we don't have the limo we won't be able to find Lonnie and get Calliope's baby back. You have a mother, don't you?† Sam waited. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Hunter, I can't let you have it. It's not mine. I'd lose my job.† â€Å"We'll bring it back after we get Grubb.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Minty said. He climbed to his feet and walked to the door, then turned. â€Å"I'm really sorry.† He pushed his sunglasses up on his face and ducked through the hole in the steel. Sam followed him out. â€Å"Mr. F.,† Sam called. Minty looked up as he reached the car. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Thanks for not going to the cops. I understand your position.† Minty nodded and got in the Lincoln. Calliope came up beside Sam and stood with him watching Minty drive away. She said, â€Å"Grubb is all I have.† Sam reached out and took her hand, not knowing what to say, having failed at the only thing he was really good at, talking people into doing things they didn't want to do. The young monk came out of the door behind them. â€Å"The Master is fixing your car,† he said. He was stirring some green tea into an earthenware bowl with a bamboo whisk. â€Å"More tea?† -=*=- They stood together in the sun, watching the old man work. He fingered each bolt carefully before fitting a wrench to it, then removed the bolt so quickly that his hands blurred with the movement. Sam said, â€Å"How long†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't talk to him when he works,† Steve cautioned. â€Å"He will finish when he finishes. But don't talk to him. When you work, work. When you talk, talk.† â€Å"Do you get many customers? I mean, you are pretty far out here.† â€Å"Three,† Steve said. He was wearing a straw hat to protect his shaved head. â€Å"Three today?† â€Å"No, just three.† â€Å"Then what do you do in the meantime?† â€Å"We wait.† â€Å"That's all?† Steve said, â€Å"Is that all the patriarch Daruma did at the wall for nine years?† There was no anger in his voice. â€Å"We wait.† â€Å"But how do you pay your rent, buy food?† â€Å"There is no rent. The owner of King's Lake, Augustus Brine, brings us food. He is a fisherman.† â€Å"King's Lake is up the road, right? What is it, a resort?† â€Å"A house of pleasure.† â€Å"A whorehouse that supports Buddhist monks?† â€Å"How sweet,† Calliope said. â€Å"He's got it,† Coyote said, pointing to the Master, who was holding up a rod of polished metal. â€Å"A bent push rod,† Steve said. The master carried the push rod into the shop. They all followed and watched as the old man tightened the rod into a vise. He picked up a hammer and stood over the vise, his free hand feeling the rod. Without warning the old man screamed and delivered a clanging blow to the push rod, then bowed and set the hammer on the bench. â€Å"Fixed,† Steve said, bowing. â€Å"Is that how he lost his fingers?† â€Å"To achieve enlightenment, one must give up the things of this world.† â€Å"Like piano lessons,† Coyote said.

Why the Pennsylvania Germans Are Often Called Dutch

First of all, we can quickly dispose of the Pennsylvania Dutch misnomer. The term is more properly Pennsylvania German because the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch have nothing to do with Holland, the Netherlands, or the Dutch language. These settlers originally came from German-speaking areas of Europe and spoke a dialect of German they refer to as Deitsch (Deutsch). It is this word Deutsch (German) that has led to the second misconception about the origin of the term Pennsylvania Dutch. Did Deutsch Become Dutch? This popular explanation of why the Pennsylvania Germans are often incorrectly called Pennsylvania Dutch fits into the plausible category of myths. At first, it seems logical that English-speaking Pennsylvanians simply confused the word Deutsch for Dutch. But then you have to ask yourself, were they really that ignorant—and wouldnt the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves have bothered to correct people constantly calling them Dutchmen? But this Deutsch/Dutch explanation further falls apart when you realize that many of the Pennsylvania Dutch actually prefer that term over Pennsylvania German! They also use the term Dutch or Dutchmen to refer to themselves. There is another explanation. Some linguists have made the case that the term Pennsylvania Dutch goes back to the original English use of the word Dutch. Although there is no definitive evidence that links it to the term Pennsylvania Dutch, it is true that in the English of the 18th and 19th centuries, the word Dutch referred to anyone from a wide range of Germanic regions, places that we now distinguish as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. At that time Dutch was a broader term that meant what we today call Flemish, Dutch or German. The terms High Dutch (German) and Low Dutch (Dutch, nether means low) were used to make a clearer distinction between what we now call German (from Latin) or Dutch (from Old High German). Not all Pennsylvania Germans are Amish. Although they are the best known group, the Amish make up only a small portion of the Pennsylvania Germans in the state. Other groups include the Mennonites, the Brethren, and sub-groups within each group, many of whom use cars and electricity. It is also easy to forget that Germany (Deutschland) did not exist as a single nation state until 1871. Prior to that time, Germany was more like a quilt-work of duchies, kingdoms, and states where various German dialects were spoken. The settlers of the Pennsylvania German region came from the Rhineland, Switzerland, Tyrol, and various other regions beginning in 1689. The Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites now located in the eastern counties of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in North America did not really come from Germany in the modern sense of the word, so it is not entirely accurate to refer to them as German either. However, they did bring their German dialects with them, and in modern English, it is best to refer to this ethnic group as Pennsylvania Germans. Calling them Pennsylvania Dutch is misleading to speakers of modern English. Despite the fact that Lancaster County and various tourism agencies keep using the quaint term Pennsylvania Dutch on their Web sites and promotional materials, and despite the fact that some Pennsylvania Germans prefer the Dutch term, why perpetuate something that contradicts the fact that the Pennsylvania Germans are linguistically German, not Dutch? Support for this opinion can be seen in the name of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. This organization, dedicated to the preservation of the Pennsylvania German language and culture, uses the word German rather than Dutch in its name. Since Dutch no longer means what it did in the 1700s and is very misleading, its more appropriate to replace it with German. Deitsch Unfortunately,  Deitsch, the language of the Pennsylvania Germans, is dying out. Learn more about  Deitsch, the Amish, other settlement areas.