Be careful. People like to be told what they already know. Remember that. They get uncomfortable when you tell them new things. New things...well, new things aren't what they expect. They like to know that, say, a dog will bite a man. That is what dogs do. They don't want to know that a man bites a dog because the world is not supposed to happen like that. In short, what people think they want is news, but what they really crave is olds." But then he thought about it more seriously. “I wish I had started writing for a living earlier,” he said eventually. “I could probably have started to write full time about 10 years before I did.” A civilization runs on words, Your Reverence. Civilization is words. Which, on the whole, should not be too expensive. The world turns, Your Reverence, and we must spin with it.”

Why not? You can sell as many lies as you like if it’s advertising. That’s allowed,” said Saccharissa. “Please? We need the money!” Pratchett plays with the concept of reincarnation with the fates of Tulip and Pin. Tulip is condemned by Death to watch the deaths of his various victims for "eternity" and becomes a wood worm, one type of which is the "Death Watch beetle". Pin, who believes the "religious symbol potato" will save him from hell is reincarnated as a potato shaped like his face and is then fried. I have a favorable bias toward the story of someone stumbling into the business of printed news. This story isn't exactly analogous to my own. I decided to start a magazine when the concept of magazines already existed. William de Worde managed to invent the newspaper without even trying. Terry Pratchett does a wonderful job of showing the form evolve in fast-motion. The headline for the newspaper "The Truth Shall Make Ye Free" is from the bible - John 8:32: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Sacharissa is dismissive of the motto saying, "I think its just a quote." Later on as things get more complex a type setting error changes this line to "The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret" and still later it becomes "The Truth Shall Make Ye Fred". In caps, size to fit, 'Who Runs Ankh-Morpork?'" said William. "Now into body type, upper and lowercase, across two columns: 'Who is governing the city while Lord Vetinari is imprisoned? Asked for an opinion today, a leading legal figure said he did not know and it was no concern of his. Mr. Slant of the Lawyers' Guild went on to say—'"Goodmountain says, "...Never use spades, Farmers use spades. But I call a shovel a shovel." a reference to the old adage in regard to being plain spoken - calling a spade a spade. When William de Worde meets with the civic leaders, Mr. Slant says that "Mr. Scrope has sent a note...It appears he is ill". William's response is to say, "Was it signed by his mother." A reference to schools requiring a note for absence signed by parent or guardian so that the student couldn't just be faking it (which obviously Mr. Scrope is doing). William de Worde says "[...] lies could run round the world before the truth could get its boots on." This saying is another attributed to Mark Twain, but it has been around in various forms since the time of Jonathan Swift in 1710 and is also supposedly an old Chinese proverb. In the novel the criminal group The New Firm (Mr. Pin and Mr. Tulip) are employed by a group of so called "concerned citizens" to frame Lord Vetinari, in a conspiracy to get a new Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. Similar qualms on Terry’s part affected the price paid up front for Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman. During 1985, Neil had shown Terry a file containing 5,282 words exploring a scenario in which Richmal Crompton’s William Brown had somehow become the Antichrist. Terry loved it, and the concept stayed in his mind. A couple of years later, he rang Neil to ask him if he had done any more work on it. Neil, who had been spending that time thinking about his series The Sandman, for DC Comics, said he hadn’t really given it another thought. Terry said: “Well, I know what happens next, so either you can sell me the idea or we can write it together.” Neil knew straight away which of those options he preferred. As he said: “It was like Michelangelo ringing up and saying, ‘Do you fancy doing a ceiling?’”

And then there's that matter of William and his staff "helping" the Watch solve a mystery involving Lord Vetinari... Rhianna, Terry and Lyn Pratchett, dressed for a stage adaptation of Maskerade in 1995. Photograph: Penguin So. I have gone. There were days when I felt I had already gone and so all I wish for now is a cool, quiet room and some peace to gather my addled thoughts. I think I was good, although I could have been better, but Terry Pratchett is dead and there are no more words. Look after Lyn, please. Have those fine pieces of jewellery cast to my design and give them with my love. Choose a gift every Christmas and birthday. Send flowers. Have a big dinner each year, more if necessary or if a celebration is required, and raise a brandy to my memory and to happy days. The line, 'An' then... then I'm gonna get medieval on his arse.' is a paraphrase of a Pulp Fiction quote.At the same time, there is a plot against Lord Vetinari (again). And the conspirators are bringing in outside help (their first mistake). Soon we have a "serious" newspaper like The Times competing with a scandal rag, The Inquirer. Funny stuff.

William de Worde has somehow found himself editor of Ankh-Morpork's first newspaper. Well, with a name like that… Soon, there is a feud between Ankh-Morpork's first newspaper and the one the opposition has started while The Watch has to solve the almost-murder Veterinari is accused of. Maybe the truth can help? They are about to kill William de Worde when the Times iconographer takes a picture using "Dark Light" exposure, which causes Mr. Pin to become aware of the large number of ghosts following him, waiting for him to die. He left it a bit late, of course, and he would think about that ruefully near the end, when time was running out and we were losing him at 100mph. The Committee to Un-elect the Patrician is a clear parody of the Committee to Re-Elect the President, although Vetinari is not electedAs a last resort, we might consume some dried tropical frogs with the Bursar of the Unseen University and fly away into a better future. All we have to do is believe we can do it, work toward it, tell it true: Infinity plus described it as an "excellently plotted tale of mystery and murder" and "an hilarious take on the newspaper business", its only fault being that the book's title was "descriptive" but insufficiently "fun". [3] This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. ( May 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) An ethical journalist, de Worde has a proclivity for investigating stories—a nasty habit that soon creates powerful enemies eager to stop his presses. And what better way than to start the Inquirer, a titillating (well, what else would it be?) tabloid that conveniently interchanges what's real for what sells.