Beware the coconut
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
In my Internet meanderings (hey, it was a holiday weekend, I'm allowed!), I came across this interesting bit of news:
You can find the rest of the article here: http://str.hsyndicate.com/news/index.html
I can just imagine it now: DH and I walking hand-in-hand along the beach, thinking that we're in paradise, when a cabana boy comes running out of the bar area screaming: "Coconuts!"
Would we run? Probably not. Knowing our luck, we'd stop in our tracks and look up. ;)
But I liked what Mr. Yeoman said about risk and perception. I think that's what gets a lot of writers (and readers) messed up when it comes to that whole goal. motivation and conflict thing.
As writers, it's our job to ensure that a reader understands that while something may not appear to be that frightening/important/challenging in the today's world, it's frightening/important/challenging for the character living in the world we created. It's about belief. Most readers are looking to be drawn into a world where things may not be as they expect them to be, but few will accept a world where they spend more time shaking their heads than rooting for your characters.
So, even though statistics claim that coconuts are more dangerous, I think I'm better off sticking to having a shark as the scary element waiting for the unaware tourists to dip their toes in the ocean.
Dah-dum-dah-dum-dah-dum...
According to Dr Dirk Glaesser, Head of Risk and Emergency Planning at the UN
World Tourism Organisation - 20 people die every year because of shark attacks.
At the same time, an unnoticed fact goes by, that 150 people die every year as a
result of coconuts falling on their head! Which one is the most dangerous?
Coconuts are the symbol of holidays whereas Sharks are the fear of every beach
holiday. Ian Yeoman, Trends Analyst writes that many destinations take sensible precautions when it comes to sharks, i.e., safety notices, patrols and bylaws, whereas no one bothers about coconuts as they are not perceived to be a danger to tourists or tourism. It’s all about risk and perception.
You can find the rest of the article here: http://str.hsyndicate.com/news/index.html
I can just imagine it now: DH and I walking hand-in-hand along the beach, thinking that we're in paradise, when a cabana boy comes running out of the bar area screaming: "Coconuts!"
Would we run? Probably not. Knowing our luck, we'd stop in our tracks and look up. ;)
But I liked what Mr. Yeoman said about risk and perception. I think that's what gets a lot of writers (and readers) messed up when it comes to that whole goal. motivation and conflict thing.
As writers, it's our job to ensure that a reader understands that while something may not appear to be that frightening/important/challenging in the today's world, it's frightening/important/challenging for the character living in the world we created. It's about belief. Most readers are looking to be drawn into a world where things may not be as they expect them to be, but few will accept a world where they spend more time shaking their heads than rooting for your characters.
So, even though statistics claim that coconuts are more dangerous, I think I'm better off sticking to having a shark as the scary element waiting for the unaware tourists to dip their toes in the ocean.
Dah-dum-dah-dum-dah-dum...
Labels: adventures, ideas, writing
posted by Bonnie Staring at 12:22 AM
5 Comments:
Very interesting, Bonnie. When I worked at the Bermuda Aquarium, I got more than a few dings on the roof of my car from the coconut trees around the perimeter of the parking lot!
In terms of perceptions, you also have to consider this: would you rather die from a quick blow to the head that you didn't see coming, or have your limbs chomped gnawed off by razor sharp teeth and drown/bleed out?
Yeah - death by Pina Colada is way more attractive ;)
I agree with Wylie if I had to chose between dying by Pina Colada or dying by a toothy shark (I don't care whether the cartilage is good for you or NOT), I'd go by PC, or maybe getting caught in the rain.
Oh no Wylie! You were living on an island filled with DANGER! Tell me, did you ever find anyone lying on the pavement, conked out by pina colada ingredients?
Wylie and Amy: I challenge both of you to write a novel where the heroine has to save the hero from falling coconuts in order to live happily ever after. Oh, and make sure it's scary.
And now you have that song in my head, Amy. "If you're not into yogurt..." or at least I think that's how the lyrics go. LOL
How about a story where the sharks emerge from the ocean and lob coconuts at the beach dwellers who think they are safe on the land. Would that count as a shark death or a coconut death, though?
Wow Mike, great idea. Now that would be a case for Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami! LOL
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