Category Archives: Thoughts

My favourite first sentences – in no particular order. Jonathan K Benton

Without a great book to support them, the following sentences might not have been so great. Each sentence appeals to me in a different way. For example: Douglas Adams’s unique voice exudes personality. Dickens’s words are profound, and who knew …
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The issue I have … Pet peeves. We all have them

The issue I have with … Daylight vampires. Vampires are creatures of the night. That explains why the balance of power is not heavily in their favour. Daylight vampires are not vampires at all. Let’s call them something else. The …
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A bit of fun – A Wicked Kind of Dark

If A Wicked Kind of Dark was a movie, who would play the leads? The cast I came up with would cost a fortune! Every author, in fact everyone, is allowed to dream … I think Julia Roberts would be …
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A wonderful, thought-provoking guest blog by Joelene Pynnonen

When Jonathan kindly (and perhaps a little too trustingly) invited me to do a guest blog, I was befittingly flattered. When he came up with the topic for me, I was delighted. He’d unwittingly done all of the hard work …
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A moment that changed my life – a tragedy that should never have happened.

I never thought I’d write about this – some things are too personal. But recently someone brought to my attention an article published this year concerning a tragedy that happened a long time ago, something that changed me, and the …
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Six quotes to help you get through the day – Jonathan K Benton

1) If you’re going through hell, keep going – Winston Churchill Thank goodness for Winston. This quote has inspired me through some tough times. 2) I can resist everything but temptation – Oscar Wilde I love this quote. I thank …
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If I were a vampire, where would I live?

If I were a vampire, I would feed exclusively on the worst criminals society vomited up. Food supply is essential. I’ve never been to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, but Wikipedia says that there were 3164 murders there in 2011. …
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Show don’t tell – it’s true of life too!

Authors know this rule well: show, don’t tell. It’s an important rule, possibly the most important. Readers don’t appreciate being told what to think; they like to experience the novel through a series of vividly drawn scenes, scenarios and settings. …
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Love, crushes and getting over a broken heart – Jonathan K Benton

When I was at primary school I started to notice that girls were much prettier than boys. I even had a few crushes, but I didn’t make it to the Wendy House for my first kiss until intermediate. Crushes prepared …
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Education – Jonathan K Benton

It seems logical that if a country with a population of 5.4 million circa can create a highly successful publicly funded school system that provides quality education to every member of its society, regardless of background, then this model should …
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