MOSQUITOES ARE ATTRACTED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY EATEN BANANAS
That’s what a recent email told me. So if I’ll stay away from their banana-ey goodness, can I expect to be welt-free all summer? I suspect this propaganda was started by the apple or kiwi industry.
Scientist have proven the family of plantains have little effect on attracting or repelling insect suckers. (Nor do dryer sheets, Lemon Joy, and Skin-so-Soft.)
My in-box is full of helpful, stupid advice which is much like fiction writing in its most basic form: simple, believable lies.
There are video instructions on how to lie (isn’t the internet amazing??? Who needs college or relationships?) I’ll summarize to save the dent on your soul for reading it:
1. Get your events straight
2. Include details
3. Combine the lie with the truth.
4. Make your lies believable
Sounds like the makings of a novel or at least flash fiction. Probably the best piece of advice was to get a book on How To Spot A Liar. It’s an encyclopedia of fidgety finger movements, eye focus, and never showing your palms. Perfect gestures for a story’s slippery characters.
Our reader’s brain takes in all the cues we insert and comes to a conclusion to believe or not. Hopefully, we’ve built a world they believe in…even the lies.
So…of course our mosquito would like bananas. It’s believable because we LOVE the yellow fruit. They’re good for everything from PMS to constipation…unfortunately they’re also slightly radioactive. Believe me.
Or is it a lie?
(I’ll tell you tomorrow.)
Before Morning Breaks 
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I used to watch that show about the guy who could spot liars (can’t remember the name now) but it got boring. Still, the concept intrigues me. I’d love to take a class in body language. It would be great info for a writer.
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I think so too Lisa. I’m gotten stuck using shrugs, sighs, smiles and scowls. Let’s look for a workshop.
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Sure, you eat a banana, the mosquito can smell that banana-ana on you and wham! They attack. In my case, they don’t care what I’ve eaten or if there is some kind of scent, they zero in on me…they like me, I guess.
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Moma, I think if you’d drink more alcohol, it would thin your blood like antifreeze. It may not stop them from biting you, but at least you’d get a kick out of watching them fly funny.
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Like breaking your arm skateboarding? Sure, I’ll believe six impossible things before breakfast, if told with authority and details. Which is why Fantasy works. Or Sci Fi. Or adventure/romance/mysteries. All lies, but we love them, and while in that world believe every word.
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Yeah, Beth. I read somewhere that the most effective politicians include the truth, but simply tweak it in the direction they need for it to twist.
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Forget the bananas–Skin-So-Soft doesn’t work to repell mosquitoes?! Oh those tricksy Avon representatives!
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LOL Well, I will continue to eat my bananas, radioactive or not! I need the potassium!
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Rose, I always thought you had a nice glow about you. Now I know it’s from the bananas.
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Well, if you can’t trust a banana, who can you trust? Wait a minute. That’s not the question, is it? I’m guessing we tend to trust the lies we want to hear.
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Speaking of lies. One of the top 10 lies is:…. I have read the terms and conditions and accept them (on a download page).
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The most important part of telling a believable lie is to believe it yourself. If you believe it, so will I.
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Really???? Roxie?? Spoken like a professional. Obviously some of your claims need closer examination.
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