Month: August 2022

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The Personality Of Pets

Sleeping Beauty, Shyla the Puggle

I was delighted to spend some time with my brother’s family’s dog this past weekend. Shyla is a sweet, little puggle. Even though she has aged (you can see the white fur on her face), she still chases the tennis ball with the vigour of a dog half her age and no obvious regard for her own wellbeing (her little legs careened around corners, and her face came too close to hitting objects for my liking). 

Within hours of her arrival, my mom and I were creating cheeky dialogue for the dog who is beloved by many. Others would’ve gladly cared for her, so we joked about her inner monologue.

What you’re cooking better be for me.

I thought my dad told you I preferred beef over chicken. 

Yes, cheese is a food group.

I will be reporting back to my family. Be warned that all I have to do is act listless and feign throwing up once, and you’re done for. 

We enjoyed this ridiculous banter and it was made all the better when she whined for an endless array of snacks.

Character Development 

Though we were playing around, I couldn’t help but think of the process of creating fictional characters as we guessed what Shyla was thinking.

In one of my favourite interviews with Dan Levy, co-creator of Schitt’s Creek, he said that they workshopped their characters for many weeks before they started writing the pilot of what would become their award-winning, internationally acclaimed show. Celebrated Canadian film star, his father and co-creator, Eugene Levy, insisted that they needed to make sure they knew how their characters would react in every situation. 

While it’s easy to ad-lib lines for a beloved pet, as a writer, I’ve taken Eugene Levy’s advice to heart. I am sure that my writing (and more importantly, my readers’ experience) will be greatly enriched because of it.  

*If you’re a dog-lover too, issue 7 of Second Draft Journals: Love Notes & Paw Prints is the perfect journal for you.

This post also appears on The Write Results. 

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Sharing Stories On Social (RIP Aunt Pat)

I shared a few memories about my Aunt Pat on social media last week because she passed away less than two weeks ago. Her passing came as a shock. My family (& everyone who knew her) will miss her.

I was hesitant to share memories about her because I am not used to being vulnerable online (I’ve only been sharing videos of myself for about two months). I didn’t know if those memories really belonged on social media, nor if I should share as many videos as I did (are there rules for grieving on social platforms?). 

Most of the memories that I shared about Aunt Pat revolved around books, and people were surprisingly kind. I was touched that anyone would watch my videos let alone pass on their condolences. A mother even reached out to me after I posted a video where I talked about a conversation Aunt Pat and I had about a poem titled, Somebody Should Have Taught Him by Jane Watkins, which is about drunk driving featured in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul (I erroneously thought this poem was published in the original Chicken Soup for the Soul, which is the image I used as the cover for this video). This lady wrote that her daughter was going to get her learner’s permit, and she planned to share that poem with her to further caution her about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. It’s a poem that really resonated with Aunt Pat and me, and it means a lot that social media allowed me to share such an important piece with others. 

Photo by Jarl Schmidt on Unsplash

Obituaries: A Subjective and Incomplete Narrative

When my mom and I read Aunt Pat’s obituary, my mom told me that death announcements used to be purely factual. Because they were printed in a newspaper, they had to fit on one page, so it simply listed the name of the deceased, dates of birth and death, their spouse’s name, their parents’ names, and survivors. Of course, now that almost everything is online, an obituary for the deceased can be submitted and made available to the general public. 

Though writing your own obit is a common journaling exercise in order to get life back on track, when the time comes, our lives will be summarized by surviving loved ones. Even if it’s beautifully written, experiences and preferences may be misrepresented and people who were important to the deceased may be left out. Since obituaries are subjective, everyone who admired the deceased would likely write an obituary that mentions different things because we affect each other in nuanced ways. Instead of focusing on what you’re going to accomplish, perhaps we should focus on impacting the people around us. Every memory will be a little different, but if people remember you fondly (as we all will Aunt Pat), that’s a life well lived. Perhaps that should be the goal. 

Rest in peace, Aunt Pat. We love you.

*This post also appears on The Write Results.

**The photo of the candle used on this post by Jarl Schmidt on Unsplash

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Social Media: Connections From Near & Far

Though I find it odd to speak to a camera and release the recording for anyone who happens to come across it, I have been posting two videos per day on Instagram and TikTok since July 1st, 2022 (@author.afsgreen). 

This photo was graciously provided by dole777 on Unsplash

I post one video about my existing publications — including seven issues of Second Draft Journals — and one video that serves as a book recommendation every day. Much to my surprise, I’ve received a few comments from bestselling authors! Lisa Genova (author of Still Alice and Every Note Played), Michelle Good (author of Five Little Indians), Alka Joshi (author of The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper Of Jaipur), and Cheryl Diamond (author of Nowhere Girl), liked and commented on my reels (I post the videos on both platforms, but I received their comments on Instagram). How extraordinary that accomplished women listened to my comments and reached out to me from near and far! 

A Shift In Social

I’m enjoying connecting with people online, but it’s strange to think about how things have changed. There was a time when no one would use their real name or show their face, and now, it seems to be the thing to do.

I wonder what our ancestors would think about such connectivity? Even those who worked in publishing pre-internet or in the Golden Age of Hollywood would be blown away by the fact that we can reach out to those who inspire us and whom we admire around the clock. It really is extraordinary. 

For all the negativity that surrounds social media (yes, there is a lot of it) and our reliance on technology, instant connectivity is the obvious silver lining.

What is your favourite social media platform?

*The image used in this blog post was generously provided by dole777 on Unsplash.

**This blog post also appears on The Write Results.

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The Worth Of Water

I’ve always had easy access to water. I don’t think it’s something I take for granted, but since I’ve never done without, there’s no way I can truly appreciate how difficult it would be to live without it. I became convinced of this after reading The Worth Of Water by Gary White and Matt Damon. Though I’ve read about issues surrounding water accessibility and the effects of climate change, I learned a lot by reading this book. (I have never been truly thirsty [the 3 stages of dehydration are described on page 20. I’ve only ever experienced stage 1]). I knew that, in certain countries/cultures, it’s primarily “women’s work” to gather water, but I didn’t know about “water wives.” As discussed in The Worth of Water, there are areas that have so little access to water that men marry multiple women and those women are responsible for collecting water for the family. They spend their days hauling water, which of course, leads to injuries and steals the time that they could spend working. The Worth Of Water points out that when these areas receive the necessary infrastructure for easier access to water, water remains “women’s work,” so women make up the boards that operate and tend to these pumps, automatically making them extremely valuable in their community. 

This beautiful image belongs to — and is courtesy of — mrjn Photography on Unsplash.

Microloans versus Charitable Giving

Before reading this book, I presumed that charity would be the only way to fix this issue, but this book makes a compelling case that — except for the most desperate of the destitute — the Water Credit initiative is a much more viable option because microloans that charge a fair interest rate allows capital to flow much like water, as that same sum can be borrowed and repaid again and again, instead of money that is given once through charitable giving. 

This cause is extremely important, and though I am not a scientist, the series that I am writing features scarcity of water as one of the major themes. Though it is a work of fiction, I envision a future where I can offer my volunteer efforts and financial donations to this pressing issue, so I need to learn more about this topic. I’ve added The Big Thirst (a book recommended in The Worth Of Water) to my TBR list, but that’s just the beginning. Please recommend your favourite books about water, water infrastructure, and books about policies surrounding natural resources because I’d like to learn more about this urgent issue. Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

*The beautiful photo used in this post belongs to — and is courtesy of — mrjn Photography on Unsplash.

**This post also appears on The Write Results.