Imagination is but a messenger, carrying news of what you can one day become.
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Then onward we go, each step forward adding momentum to the last, pulling us further into the single-minded task of “getting those damned words down.” That glorious storm rolls over the horizon, promising chaos and energy and danger. The thrill returns, and we march forward to meet the madness with new resolve, grinning.
There is lightning to catch.
Read MoreI was reminded of something important, when it comes to the tradition of storytelling. Some stories deserve retelling, even those seemingly told to death. Some stories are so uniquely powerful, they enter the realm of what we might call myth. And myth, in the way that I have come to define it, is a story that profoundly succeeds at capturing the spirit of its time and place, so that we might later be possessed by it.
Read MoreBut there is another kind of experience inherent in storytelling, fundamental to being human.
It is the experience of imagining, of transportation into worlds of wonder, of exploration and immersion.
It is being swept of your feet, or discovering you can fly - whatever your preference.
It is the young girl who imagines a rainbow-feathered parrot on her shoulder, and a big, black captain's hat on her head, sailing towards a chest of shining gold.
And no genre can quite compete with fantasy in this regard. Ne genre is quite so inclusive.
Read MoreWhat do you think would happen in our world if a class of people rose who were literally invulnerable and almost all powerful?
It wouldn't be Marvel. It would be super hero privilege. It would be narcissism, indomitable sociopaths, and even outright psychopathy run amok!
Read MoreThe damnation story is a real one. We have done such horrible things to each other, and we are really effective at coming up with new ways to generate suffering. We fight wars over love and candy. We murder our families for a dime. We seethe at the happiness of our friends. We eat without any concern in front of the starving. We chase pleasure like predators.
What other conclusion could we come to, but that we are evil?
But this is not the case.
Not by a long shot. Not at all.
Read MoreThe key is, it’s not about arguing for one side or another. It’s not about the belief itself, but the how one arrived at that belief. It’s about getting us to think about these things, to look at our methods for forming beliefs under a microscope – it’s very meta.
Read MoreThe deliberate inclusion of morals in storytelling is a tricky task to tackle (try saying that three times). It’s a delicate balance to explore morality in a story without bias or agenda. Come on too strong and things can start to feel preachy real fast.
And no one enjoys a long, humourless sermon about how bad they are - well, I can't speak for everyone. Demons probably deliver such speeches to their children at 21st birthday parties. (I'm going to write that story!).
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The fool is incapable of taking life too seriously. The fool can laugh at themselves, and in doing so, can laugh in spite of themselves.
Read MoreI’d be lying if I told you I write for one hundred percent clarity. I try to, more and more these days. I figure, if I cannot strive for complete honesty in my writing, where can I do so? I have thoughts. I want to make them as clear as I possibly can.
But there is a sneaky devil called Ego that likes to whisper in my ear sometimes, too many times. It says, “you could make that sentence prettier, ya know,” or, “bit dry, don’t ya fink? How ‘bout makin’ em laugh, to freshen fings up a bit, aye?”
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