Monday, November 24, 2008

Germs

Well, I've had my cold/flu germ now for over a week. I could have predicted it would happen, because fate is like that. Now my husband says he's caught my germ. That's right, the last person who has a germ is the one who owns it, that is until it's passed on. If he truly has the germ, which he probably does, and we'll find out soon, then it will be his germ to pass on to someone else.

You can have lots of fun with germs in books. Some ways are to be mean to your characters and give them germs, then let their significant others coddle them. Or, you can let your characters be alone with no one to care for them. Or, why not have a cad in the house who diregards an ill person.

Then, again, you can create characters who are germ-a-holics, kind of like me. They dislike shaking people's hands. They don't like touching faucets in public places without using a tissue as a barrier. They even hate touching bathroom doorknobs.

Some of these seemingly harmful germs can turn into deadly ones, like pneumonia. What an opportunity to create suspense! Will your character pull through?

Can you think of instances in either your book or someone else's where germs play a role? I invite you to leave a comment.

4 comments:

  1. If I leave a comment will I get a computer germ? ;)
    Hope everyone feels better for the holiday!

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  2. "Typhoid Mary" comes to mind but I can't remember the book from wince she came. :)

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  3. Haven't ever used a germ in a book. But there are lots of germ-o-phobics in real life (Howie Mandel) and on TV (Monk).

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  4. The most memorable experience of germs playing a role in a book for me is "The Stand" by Stephen King.

    The government was experimenting with biological warfare and the germ is accidentally released, killing the majority of the population.

    Those who survive end up being called to one of two places and a battle of the Ultimate Good versus the Ultimate Evil ensues.

    Even though it's 1183 pages, it's worth the read.

    Cheryl

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