The Phantom is a fascinating character with a rich history in comic book lore. Here are some fun facts about “The Ghost Who Walks”:

1. First Costumed Superhero: The Phantom, created by Lee Falk, made his debut on February 17, 1936. He is widely regarded as the first superhero to wear a skin-tight costume, setting the template for many superheroes that followed, including Superman.
2. Generational Legacy: The Phantom’s identity is passed down from father to son, creating the illusion of an immortal hero who has been fighting evil for over 400 years. The current Phantom is the 21st in the line.
3. Origin Story: The first Phantom, Christopher Walker, was the lone survivor of a pirate attack in 1536. After washing ashore on the fictional Bangalla coast (initially located in Asia and later Africa), he swore an oath on the skull of his father’s murderer to fight evil, thus beginning the legacy.
4. The Skull Ring: The Phantom wears two distinctive rings. One of them, the Skull Ring, leaves a mark of a skull when he punches someone, symbolizing the person has been judged by the Phantom. The other ring, known as the Good Mark, is given to those who have helped or allied with the Phantom.
5. Secret Lair: The Phantom lives in the Skull Cave, hidden deep in the Bangalla jungle. This cave, shaped like a human skull, serves as his headquarters and holds a treasure room containing centuries of Phantom artifacts.
6. Never Shows His Face: In the world of the comics, the Phantom’s face is never shown to the public. Even his close allies and friends refer to him only by his title and not by his real name.
7. The Phantom’s Belt: The Phantom wears a utility belt with a skull buckle. This belt contains various tools and weapons, including his signature .45 caliber pistols.
8. Cultural Impact: The Phantom has a massive following, particularly in countries like Australia, Sweden, and India. He has been featured in various media, including television shows, movies, and even his own postage stamps in some countries.
9. Animal Companions: The Phantom is often accompanied by his faithful wolf, Devil, and his horse, Hero. These animals are not only his companions but also symbols of his connection with nature and his prowess as a jungle hero.
10. Not a Superhuman: Unlike many superheroes, the Phantom does not have superhuman powers. His strength, intelligence, and combat skills come from intense training and his vast knowledge passed down through generations.

The Phantom remains a beloved and enduring character, representing justice, legacy, and the idea that anyone can be a hero.

Mills & Boon is a famous British publisher known for its romance novels.  The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. I remember reading a couple of them back when I was teenager. Here are some key facts about the company:

1. Founding: Mills & Boon was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon. Initially, the company published a wide range of books, including educational texts and general fiction.
2. Specialization in Romance: By the 1930s, Mills & Boon began to focus primarily on romance novels. This specialization became the cornerstone of their success, particularly in the post-World War II era.
3. Prolific Output: Mills & Boon has published thousands of romance novels over the decades, often releasing new titles every month. At their peak, they were producing around 150 titles per month.
4. Global Reach: Mills & Boon novels are sold worldwide, and the brand has become synonymous with romantic fiction in many countries. They are particularly popular in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
5. Harlequin Acquisition: In 1971, Mills & Boon was acquired by the Canadian publisher Harlequin Enterprises, which expanded the brand’s global reach even further.
6. Diverse Sub-genres: Mills & Boon publishes various sub-genres of romance, including historical romance, contemporary romance, medical romance, and more. This diversification helps cater to different reader preferences.
7. Iconic Cover Art: The cover art of Mills & Boon novels is iconic, often featuring passionate embraces and idyllic romantic scenes. The covers have evolved over time but remain a distinctive aspect of the brand.
8. Cultural Impact: Mills & Boon novels have had a significant cultural impact, shaping perceptions of romance and relationships for generations of readers. They are often seen as a guilty pleasure and have been both criticized and celebrated for their portrayal of love and relationships.
9. Popularity and Criticism: While Mills & Boon novels are beloved by many, they have also faced criticism for perpetuating certain stereotypes and for their formulaic plots. Despite this, their popularity endures.
10. Adaptations: Some Mills & Boon novels have been adapted into television movies and series, further extending the brand’s influence beyond the printed page.

Mills & Boon continues to be a dominant force in the romance publishing industry, with a loyal readership that spans the globe.

If you have an interesting narrative idea and want to translate it into the best story possible, you must be mindful of a few key elements that appear throughout the best fiction and nonfiction writing. Whether you’re writing a novel or a short story, these common elements recommended by Masterclass are:

1. A natural arc from the beginning to the end of the story: From inciting action and rising action to climax and denouement, a good plot has defined story structure and maintains steady momentum.
2. A clear narrative voice: Whether you write in first person or third person, a story’s overall tone has a lot to do with the voice of its narrator.
3. A sense of genre: You could be writing a thriller, a satire, a romance, or a sci-fi epic, but they’re all united by clear genre elements. Choosing a genre can also help make a book marketable to audiences who may not know you, and this can really help if you end up pursuing self-publishing.
4. Compelling characters: Strong characters keep your audience invested. Imbue your main character with an internal conflict that drives their external struggle.
5. A structured storyline: Keeping your narrative organized and logically flowing will help you hold onto readers through all parts of your story. In this sense, fiction writing can borrow elements of journalism.
6. An insightful theme: Consider what ideas you want your reader to keep thinking about long after they’ve forgotten the specific plot of your book.

1. EARNS YOU GOOD MONEY

You can absolutely earn good money from blogging. Bloggers monetize their blogs in a multitude of different ways – typically a combination of advertising, affiliate links, sponsored posts, products and services. Bloggers who work hard and focus on monetizing their blogs often earn much more money from blogging than they could ever hope to earn in traditional jobs.

2. OPENS THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY

Becoming known as an expert and an authority in your niche can open all sorts of doors for you – for example: media opportunities, brand partnerships, sponsored posts, book deals, money-can’t-buy this type experiences and more.

3. DEVELOPS YOUR EXPERTISE

The beautiful thing about blogging is that you don’t have to start off being an expert – many very popular blogs were started by people who did not have any expertise, but went on to develop their expertise in the course of their blogging journey. For example, weight loss bloggers who started their blogs to document the steps they were taking to lose weight and who now use their blogs to teach others how to lose weight. Or finance bloggers who started their blogs to share how they were trying to pay off their mortgage early and now teach others how to manage their finances.

4. GIVES YOU A CREATIVE OUTLET

It’s a bit of a cliché, I’ll grant you – but it still holds true. Blogging gives you a creative outlet to share your thoughts, ideas and passions. It’s rather like having your own magazine, where you are both the writer and the editor. You get to decide what goes into your online magazine AND you get to write all the articles too. Your creativity and personality are not curbed by a boss or an editor – you have the creative freedom to write what you like.

5. ATTRACTS AN AUDIENCE

Whether you have a business, a charity or a cause you feel passionate about, you need an audience. By writing regular high-quality blog content and growing your search engine traffic and authority you will begin to attract the right people to your website – people who are interested in what you have to say, people who might be interested in buying your products or services, supporting your charity or joining you in your cause. A blog gives you a forum to share your ideas, market your business and establish your credibility.

That is a tough question. I love the books that I have and would love to get more. If only I can find the time to read them. I never seem to read books anymore. But I love seeing them on my shelf and looking at the covers now, most of which I have read over & over again. I’d like to add more – hard covers & paperbacks. But to reduce them to an ebook format?

I agree that they are a space saver. You can have a huge library of books at your fingertips on just one device. It is very convenient but it loses the feeling. Print books have the feel of a book that many readers love. You can hold it, turn the pages, and feel the paper. Ofcourse they also do tear easily and get smudges on them – from your drink or your food. You don’t have to worry about that on your device that you read the ebook on.

llustrations on paper are generally higher quality than even high-end e-readers can reproduce. But e-books come with font style and size flexibility. E-readers can store thousands of books on a single device. It is so confusing. I think I would still go with books. If nothing else than just to hold it and feel it in my hands over the digital one.

Prompt from Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students at The New York Times Learning Network

I am not sure. I seem to like the feel of the physical paper back or hard back book which I used to collect a lot and read and reread. I was the bookworm of the extended family. Well so was my sister but as the years went on by me more so than her. In the last several years, e-books have become a mainstay of the publishing industry. However, the demise of printed books as a result of the introduction of e-books has not materialized as predicted.

According to the Association of American Publishers, e-book sales in the U.S. declined slightly to $983 million in 2019 from a year earlier. The lower growth rate followed several years of double-digit declines in e-book sales. Hardcover and paperback books still rule the market, with approximately $3 billion and 2.5 billion in sales in 2019, respectively.

I do have some ebooks but I mostly prefer to read the traditional method. A book just feels more personal and cozy and I have spent many, many hours during my years reading books and enjoying the stories way too much to ever not have books with me.

Prompt from Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students at The New York Times Learning Network

Though ebooks have become more and more popular over the last several it hasn’t meant the demise of the printed book. Far from it. Though the sales of ebooks went over 1000 million USD by 2019, hardcover and paperback books still rule the market, with approximately $3 billion and 2.5 billion in sales in 2019, respectively.

Many studies confirm that reading comprehension is better with physical books than with eBooks. Although young people may read more quickly on an eReader, the speed and potential distractions of links, scrolling, and advertisements usually mean people remember and retain what they are reading better in physical books.

Print books are still a little more expensive than e-books, but not all that much. Books on paper are difficult to carry around, especially hardcovers. If you’re an avid reader and you’re going on a trip, or if you’re just stepping out to a coffee shop, an e-reader or iPad is a far lighter burden than a book or a stack of them. There’s also the satisfaction of having an entire library at your fingertips, not to mention an infinite supply just a click away, ready to download instantly. In addition, e-book buyers have the advantage that the internet gives consumers of any products: No space constraints. Just about everything ever published is available, all the time.

The drawback is that you must recharge your device regularly while some screens may not be the best for reading conditions in bright sunlight. Also if you work primarily in front of a computer screen, relaxing with an ebook may not be all that appealing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Print books have the feel of a book that many readers love. You can hold it, turn the pages, and feel the paper.
• Illustrations on paper are generally higher quality than even high-end e-readers can reproduce.
• E-books come with font style and size flexibility.
• E-readers can store thousands of books on a single device.