Though coaching, classes, and therapy have their place in society (and have never been easier to access), there’s so much that we can teach ourselves if each and every one of us listen to our own thoughts.
In a world where people seem to say what they think everyone wants to hear, I hope my journals will help you hear yourself when you choose to reflect upon your own thoughts by writing them on paper.
Issues 1-3 of Second Draft Journals
Journaling For Kids
There’s no way to stop social media’s influence, but in a quiet room, with nothing but their journal and a pen, let’s teach kids that it’s okay to sit and think. Record and re-read. Be still and ponder. With journal prompts, goal-setting pages, art, and a short story in each issue, I am excited to introduce Second Draft Journals to the classroom.
Second Draft Journals For Everyone
Journaling has many benefits for maintaining good mental health. and short stories awaken the imagination and give people a brief respite from the anxiety and monotony of day-to-day life.
Whatever your day, it all matters. It all counts, and each moment will only happen once. Write it down because you won’t be the same person tomorrow as you are today — and perhaps armed with your journal, you’ll have a clearer vision of what you want to achieve and who you want to be.
I’m calling on teachers, parents, and professionals within the fields of healthcare, mental health, and psychology to help me introduce Second Draft Journals to classrooms so that we can build a stronger, healthier, and happier future. If you’d like to get in touch, kindly email me at journals@thewriteresults.ca.
I do not play tennis; I can’t even run but Serena Williams is still an inspiration to me.
I was a teenager when a family member was SUPER excited about the new players to watch — Venus and Serena Williams. The teenage, Black sisters from Compton made the news that reverberated beyond die-hard fans of the sport. I’ve never followed tennis, but since that day, I would take note whenever I heard Venus or Serena’s names.
As time passed, Venus was the best female tennis player in the world, but I remember my family member saying, “Venus is great, but Serena is the one. She will be the greatest of all time.” The authority with which he said that made me pause. I couldn’t understand how he was so sure. The only other athletes that I’d heard referred to as The Greatest of all Time were Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky, and to me, it seemed a near-impossible task to reach such athletic excellence. Interested to see what he saw, I started seeking out interviews with the Williams’ sisters and taking note of the headlines published about Serena Williams’ ascent into greatness.
Though Venus and Serena Williams inspired countless to compete in and follow the sport, their effect on me was different — though profound.
I will never forget watching Venus and Serena in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. I wasn’t able to find the clip, but they spoke about getting their degrees and starting a fashion line in case tennis didn’t work out. What?! They were already the greatest female tennis players in the world (Serena had likely just passed Venus as number one — I can’t remember), and yet they were humble enough to talk about having a backup plan. (I can’t remember hearing another professional in any field — especially people with notoriety — talk about having a backup plan before or since.)
The other thing that struck me was the relationship Venus and Serena have as sisters. Their respect, love, and support of one another were a joy to witness. I always thought that if I ever had children, I would want to raise them to be like them (fortunately, King Richard starring Will Smith provided all of us with a glimpse into their family life and the beginnings of a blueprint that has been proven to work.)
Cheers to Serena Williams and her inspiring career. May her array of achievements continue to awe and motivate athletes, and her and her family’s barrier-breaking mindset, humble words, and humanity continue to inspire all of us.
Here are a couple of clips of Venus and Serena Williams on The Oprah Winfrey Show from OWN’s YouTube page:
Where Venus Williams Got Her Values
Serena Williams on copying her sister Venus:
It’s A Go!
Amber (A.F.S.) Green
*The image of the tennis ball on the court was graciously provided by Todd Trapani on Unsplash.
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.
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.
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.
Whether it’s Happy Valentine’s Day or Happy Galentine’s Day, love is in the air!
While people are preoccupied with love stories and Cupid’s arrow, we’d like to give a special shout-out to those who love us unconditionally year-round — our furry, four-legged family members.
Issue 7 of Second Draft Journals: Love Notes & Paw Prints is the puuurfect journal for pet lovers everywhere. Whether you journal about your day-to-day life and goals, or you keep a record about your fur baby (because there’s just too much to tell if you have to rely on someone else to care for them), we hope that you love the original works of art, the short story, Puppy Love, and the poems about self-care and our four-legged friends. With white and rose-tinted lined pages, this Second Draft Journal is meant to be soothing and sweet long after the Valentine’s Day candy is gone.
I’m sure that you’re familiar with the saying, “Hindsight is 20/20″. (It’s poetic that we are looking forward to leaving 2020 in the dust.) When we reflect on this year down the road, I wonder what the most important lessons will be when 2020 is firmly in the rearview mirror? (That includes lessons from the hard-won and heartbreaking to the industrious and adaptive lessons learned globally, within our communities, and individually.)
This year has initiated a tailspin as many of us have been forced to focus on the urgent matters and what’s before us (rather than reflecting on the past or the distant future) as we struggle to maintain our balance… but (once you’ve adjusted and attended to you and your loved ones’ immediate needs) there’s something special about taking stock in what you want from this life (if you’re able to do so) while remembering that each day is precious.
Pre-pandemic, it was my goal to be a successful author, but I thought it best to build a portfolio (including self-published short stories) slowly that would be attractive to literary agents and publishers down the line.
When COVID-19 hit and we didn’t know what was to come as industries changed quickly and businesses struggled to adapt, I focused on writing fiction that will allow readers to escape the day-to-day grind.
I am pleased to announce that I have two works (Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories and The Ties That Bind, the premiere novel in a series for mature readers, 18+) available on Amazon (and through KDP Select).
Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories
Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories; cover links to listing on amazon.ca
Female reindeer fight for equality and respect in the North Pole after a multi-generational cover-up is discovered. A masterpiece narrates its journey through time. An atheist talks to God. A premature baby decided when to be born. A mature dog finds a new life after the death of her beloved owner.
In Staycation for the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories, each story is imaginative and heartfelt. A.F.S. Green’s first collection is for anyone looking for a short break from their day-to-day life with messages of hope that are sure to reverberate long after the last page is read.
*Intended for readers who are 8-years-old and up (at the discretion of their parent or guardian).
Available on all Amazon marketplaces, including Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
The Ties That Bind
The Ties That Bind; cover links to listing on amazon.ca.
It was unfathomable that Angel would lose her twin sister, Eve, to an underground community in early 2009, but after Eve was attacked, things started to change — quickly.
The Ties that Bind is the premiere novel in a series about sisterhood and friendship, lust and affluence, and control and loss. When a seductive woman and a man with smouldering good looks present the twins with the keys to a world where lines are blurred between tradition and an alternative culture, professionalism and desire, and loyalty and a sexy, taboo lifestyle, which path will each sister choose?
*Intended for a mature audience, 18+.
Available on all Amazon marketplaces, including Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
I’ve started publishing under the pen name, A.F.S. Green (formerly, ‘Amber Green’) and I’m excited to do everything in my power to ‘make it’ as an author (because if not now, when?).
