The Pasta You Don't Eat

Once Upon a time back in the day, I wrote a children’s book. It was about a skunk, an armadillo and bullies. If you look hard enough, you may find a copy or two floating around. Along with a children’s book, there lives the start of my great American novel. Unfortunately, it’s on a word processor, in a land where aged technology goes to die. I thought writing blog posts would be just as simple. NOT at all. Blogs have to be amusing, informative and slightly egocentric. Books are from the imagination and I could write one hell of a creepypasta.

As the shorter days propel us into winter, I’ve been considering writing an antique reference book. Not necessarily with prices, but informational. Like the Joy of Sex but Antiques. What makes a good reference book? With the internet at our fingertips at all times do we even need them any more? And finally how do we know the information is factual and that it comes from an expert in the field?

A good reference book has a specific ideal in mind. It explains the concept simply and in depth. Go to the index page and see how much information it contains on your desired topic. Use the book to answer questions you already know the answer too. Then decide for yourself if the book answers what you need to know on a topic. Now take out the word “book” in the last several sentences and insert website. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet so be careful what references you use. It is important to check multiple sources.

Which leads me to the question what makes an expert? Collectors clubs seem to be the best sources of information. Try to avoid pages that are connected to sales of the goods, they usually claim rarity and inflated values.

Does the world need a hard copy reference book? A glossy, sexy Joy of Antiques coffee table book? I say yes. You can also use it for the kids or grandkids to sit on to help reach the table, balance it on your head as you walk, to promote proper posture or re-gift it during the holidays at a white elephant exchange. No give backs! Or perhaps the world just needs more creepypastas!

Just in case you are still stuck on creepypasta…

“Creepypastas are essentially internet horror stories, passed around on forums and other sites to disturb and frighten readers. The name Creepypasta comes from the word “copypasta”, an internet slang term for a block of text that gets copied and pasted over and over again from website to website.“

The End.