In my last post, I examined fact versus fiction, ending by supporting the belief that fiction writers, justifiably, can be termed liars. But if you give the human brain a little time to mull over things, it can frequently find a way to wiggle out of what it deems uncomfortable. So, our words for today are magic and (just for the fun of it) prestidigitation.

Magic originated in Middle English, drifting over from Old French, magique, which in turn borrowed it from late Latin, magica, (noun) and further from the Greek, magike (There should be a line above the e in that word, but alas, I can't get it there with this writing program). 

Interestingly, in Greek, magike "is the art of magus," with the further notation that "magi" were regarded as magicians. However, I have no thoughts to offer on that. I'm simply as flummoxed by that statement as possibly you are.

However, part of magic's meaning is to influence the course of events to achieve a desired outcome or to make things disappear or reappear for entertainment--all through mysterious or supernatural forces.

Aha, back to writing. As writers, we don't manipulate objects through air, but we do use words to draw pictures in readers' minds and to shape the course of events in our stories to a desired outcome. As to our techniques to do so, they seem fairly mysterious or possibly supernatural to me. Few writers, I believe, can tell you, with certainty, just how they accomplish their feats of, dast I say it, prestidigitation--a word which means, as everyone knows, magic tricks performed for entertainment.

Best wishes,

Anna Drake