On Humanity

We live in a world of contrasts, where the media we consume is constantly making attempts to emphasize the differences between us as people. We're placed in generational stereotypes, groups based upon our hobbies, assumptions because of nationality or preconceptions that root from our mental or physical state. Even simple things like an opinion on a movie or preference between coffee and tea has created divides on social media. This habit of highlighting what makes us different has an enormous effect on not just individual relationships, but we've been feeling the aftermath even more acutely on a global scale.

Once we realize this and it's profound effect, we would so well to find in each instance of dissonance a call to action. We must cherish our differences and learn how they make us require one another, ultimate bringing us closer. No one person can fulfill all of life's requirements. I, for instance, am not an exceptional person when it comes to the culinary arts, so for me to truly enjoy the fruits of the earth I gladly rely on those who do. In another way, I have had many people's whose kindness and advice have guided me along paths I might not have otherwise traveled. I may not have agreed with them in those moments but their vital contribution to my life is clear now and I believe will be clearer still in the future.

So then, we can say to ourselves, what contribution do we make and what contribution have others made to us? Where do people fill my gaps and where can I fit into those empty spaces that need filling?

We also need to understand that on a deeper level we're all human, which means we're in this together.

Humanity is strength in weakness, it's seeing ourselves for exactly what we are; no more, no less. It's finding the freedom to accept one another in our weaknesses and celebrate our collective strengths. Because as a collective, one person's failure is all people's failure, just as one person's success belongs to us all. This thought recalls to me the immortal words of John Donne, who with his meditation on such thoughts has inspired generations.

"No man is an island, entire of itself;

every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: 

any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.-"

- Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, "Meditation XVII"

Of course, these are simple musings. A thought that doesn't nearly scratch the surface of such a meaningful bond between us all. But I hope, in sharing my thoughts with you, that you are inspired to ponderings of your own that can bring you closer to your own personality definition of humanity.

5 Books for the Young in Heart

I don't know about you, but my favorite genre of books is considered a little offbeat for my age. I absolutely adore middle-grade fiction (which should come as no surprise, considering that's primarily what I write.) These books, often overlooked by adults offer a depth, wisdom and joy that is often overlooked by adults. They have the power to remind us not to take life too seriously, how to deal with our emotions and most importantly what it feels like to believe in the magic of fiction.

New or classic, middle-grade books will forever serve as a link between who we were, who we are and the person in between that we likely should be. So here I offer some of my favorite novels, some will doubtlessly be familiar and others may be a discovery, either way...enjoy!

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

One of my all-time favorite novels. Skillfully penned by one of Britain's greatest writers of magic, this is a story I cherish. My paperback copy has been everywhere I've been and serves as an inexhaustible source of humor and joy. A quirky story with laughs around every corner, it amazes me how many people in North America are unaware of this fantastic novel.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

It's impossible not to be endeared to Matilda, Roald Dahl's little genius is a delightful reminder of the extraordinary intelligence of children, if we only allow them to cultivate their minds. Heartwarming, hilarious, irreverent and brave, Matilda easily earns her place on every bookshelf and in each heart.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

A novel that is built on the foundation of timeless classic children's stories. The beginning to a clever and heart-touching trilogy filled with engaging characters and original twists on familiar tales, Cornelia Funke's story is one that can be appreciated by readers of all ages.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Not only a classic and a massive part of the public consciousness, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, at its' core is a magical story that pulls you in from the very first pages. Especially for my generation, it brings us back to days where we too were young, pouring over Harry's story and growing with him. Sentimental, engaging, timeless. What more can you ask for?

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The wisdom and simplicity of youth all wrapped up into a slim story that is overflowing with charm and significance. The Little Prince should absolutely be read by every human being, for the beauty and thoughtfulness that it imparts is something we require at all stages of our life, especially as grown-ups.

You Should be Listening to Your Next Read

There's a type of book that you ought to meet, if you're not already acquainted with it. It's been around for a long time but is just beginning to hit its' stride in popularity, largely thanks to the constant rise in digital media's popularity.

A Map of Days

by Ransom Riggs

in Audible

It's the audiobook. Now, maybe you've already experienced what this format has to offer and are enjoying the company of narrators on your morning walk or during mundane daily tasks… But if not, allow me to persuade you to at least give them a try (and fall in love).

The biggest draw for me towards audiobooks is the ability to multitask. I'm the type of person who's forever doing more than one thing at a time (I may be listening to a book as I write this). So, it comes to pass that audiobooks became a very convenient way for me to fill in those blank spaces where multitasking can be difficult. In coffee shops, on daily walks, while dabbling in art and out doing the groceries, I'm able to read, to further push my obsession to consume as much literature as possible. It's absolutely a convenient way to bend our society's drive to do more faster and re-center the somewhat disordered approach into something that will expand the mind and relax it.

On the emotional side of things, another incredible way to make use of audiobooks is to create with them an experience of bonding. I've had the pleasure of listening with a friend, elevating the solitude that typically characterizes reading and transforming it into a memory-making, growing-closer, understanding-you-deeper event. Books make us think and recall things, oftentimes which are kept to the confines of the mind, but when you share an audiobook these intimate thoughts have a way of blossoming into conversation and delight. You learn and grow together, and even if you're far apart you can still partake in a book together making handy use of text messages.

Along those lines too, who doesn't like to be read to? We might not exactly be listening to Goodnight Moon, but as an adult I'm a big fan of having Jim Dale read me to sleep with a favorite chapter from Harry Potter.

And on the topic of narrators, there is a whole world of talent that you open yourself up to when you begin to listen to books. Whether it's Kate Winslet's animated retelling of Roald Dahl's Matilda or Ralph Cosham's disturbingly childlike rendition of the song "Beasts of England" from George Orwell's Animal Farm, you gain a new depth in the skilled retellings of these stories. You're pulled into a new layer of the story by these women and men who draw out another level of emotion all based in the written word.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

By J.K. Rowling

on Google Play Books

As a side note, one of my favorite audiobooks is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, by J.K. Rowling and narrated by Eddie Redmayne. It's a short listen that features entries which are easy to pick up and listen to in any order. Also, since Eddie Redmayne happens to act the fictional author of the book itself in films, you're doubly immersed into how it expands on Rowling's Wizarding World. You can feel even better about the purchase, knowing that a portion of the sales is made available to both Comic Relief and Lumos Foundation, which means you're doing good at the same time! All these things makes it a perfect introduction into the world of audiobooks, or that could just be my personal opinion since it happened to by my first listen.

Whatever the reason, whether it's one I was able to mention here or some other undoubtedly valuable facet of audiobooks, why not enjoy listening to your next read?

My Love Affair with Coffee

I feel like in between talking about writing and my own writing process it would be fair for me to add in a few snippets about myself personally. These sorts of things may tend towards writing and books, because hey, what part of my life doesn't? We're irrevocably tied together. I'll try my best to keep them separate though; no promises.

So hopefully this falls under the category of things “you can relate to” I mentioned in my first post to this blog. This I'm grateful for, because being able to share my love of coffee has brought many wonderful people into my life. I've made unexpected friendships, learned new things, got life changing news, received wisdom, shared advice and heard some stories I'm not sure I was prepared for, over a cup (or five) of coffee. Tables, benches, couches, on my feet, lying in bed, with a book in my hand, eating homemade cake. All with coffee.

In a way, coffee is the catalyst for so many things that have happened to me. The variety of memories that come with that first deep breath of coffee can take me to a hundred places and revisiting a thousand memories. Forgive me for sounding sappy, but I quite literally have a love affair with coffee. Dark, spicy Sumatran coffees, to be rather specific.

I get some of my best ideas when I'm relaxed, breathing in the warmth of a cup of coffee, it does something to me and whatever that is, I like it. I don't feel at liberty to say it now, but in coming years I'm positive there will be times that I'll betray the confidence that coffee and I share to explain at least a few of the different secrets of my work that's hidden at the bottom of my cup.

This leads to me to wonder, the way I do at times, what exactly triggers this sort of magic for other people. Everyone has something special to them and I'd love to hear more about that sometime, getting into what makes people tick is one thing that really interests me. Anyone who'd like to let me know, please do!

Think you're done? Go back go Chapter One.

If you've read the title of this post it probably feels like very disappointing advice to anyone who's writing anything. I understand you're wanting to stop reading in abject denial. I can wait.

You back? Good.

Because every writer needs to hear this.

One evening when I was browsing around the internet, I found a piece of advice from Neil Gaiman. I don't have the exact quote but it's safe to say the gist of it was this: after a writer has finished a project, they must go back to chapter one and reevaluate it using the knowledge they have garnered from writing the rest of their project.

I personally learned this a little later than I would have liked. As a result I ended up having a substandard first chapter on a manuscript that I had spent my whole heart and intellect working on. While it may seem like a step in reverse to go back to the beginning, once you do it it makes so much sense.

A manuscript is huge and while you may have a layout of everything that's going to happen, unexpected threads of the story always make themselves present during the writing process. That said, if you're like me there's also many things you didn't realize were going to happen when you wrote your first chapter. Now, all of these pieces of the story won't necessarily weave into the first chapter of your manuscript, but it's a safe bet that if you take the scenario there and imagine how the characters within the story would interact now that you know them on a new, more intimate level, something will definitely have changed. Allowing yourself the time to do an edit like this will add unsuspected depth to the story you've already worked so hard to create. You're not going backwards, you're really just paying proper tribute to all the effort you've already exerted.

Another aspect you really need to consider is that in the process of submitting your manuscript to publishers, you'll be only presenting that chapter or even less in most instances. Packing as much atmosphere and mood into your first chapter is important. Use it to draw readers in and introduce them to the voice your narrator has developed throughout the writing of the manuscript. This too applies to the first experience a reader has when they crack a book open in the bookstore to see whether or not it interests them. Either way, agents, publishers and readership aside, let's admit that if you love your work (and I'm sure you do) then you want to do what's best for it.

Once you're able to apply the wisdom of your whole manuscript to the first chapter, you’ll most likely find it opening new potential to what needs to be the best first impression of your life.

Readers, you and I

Writing loses its significance without readers. Sometimes it's as close as friends and family, other times it's as broad as the whole world and then there are the very intimate instances when writing and reading is a solitary art.

Regardless of how it happens, until the written word is read there's something vital lacking in its existence.

I am a reader, I've always been a reader and I will forever be a reader. What I'm trying to say is, we're in this together, you and I.

We have been since my days in first grade when I dragged my copy of the Twelve Dancing Princesses to school and asked my teacher if I could read it to the class. Back in the days when I walked into walls and doors and people because my nose was buried in Anne of Green Gables. I fondly remember sitting in the dimly lit nook of my cousin's closet devouring her long forgotten copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that I had found behind a pile of toys. Even today there's nothing like snuggling under a blanket on a rainy day with a book or tucking my head under the covers and reading by the warm glow of my e-reader.

Stories are my life and the natural course of things lead me to having worlds and minds that sprung, born like magic from my imagination. I am, like Jo from Little Women, forever scribbling. Carrying papers, binders, books, journals, napkins and whatever else I could get a pen on.

So I’m still (in a slightly more organized manner) scribbling, piecing together worlds one sentence at a time. Breathing life into friends who have been with me, journeying life’s path alongside me, in hopes that I can share these incredible characters who I owe so much of my personal happiness to, with you.

This first, short letter is to christen this blog in dedication to readers. Not just people who happen to read this, but to everyone who has ever read and will ever read. Writers need readers, readers need writers; it’s the second greatest cycle in the circle of life. I’m just amazed and grateful that I’m allowed the privilege to be both.

I cannot promise, with certainty, what you’ll always find here, but my sincere hope is that you'll find things you can relate to. The sort of things that will question the way you view ordinary life, things that will inspire you, things that will (hopefully) not bore you and above all, things you can enjoy.