The older I got, the less I read. I blamed it on working, studying, being "busy" etc. etc. excuses, excuses.

It was only when I put my foot down and told myself enough was enough: I needed to read books again. So, I found a book and read it. Except, it took me a year.

A WHOLE YEAR to read 1 book. 

I couldn't believe it. 

Why was it so difficult when it used to be so easy, fun and not a chore?

Whenever I saw someone reading a book I'd look at them like a beautiful foreign creature and think, "How are you doing that?"

I would reminisce about how much I used to read before, telling people about my Dad having to take books away from me when I was a child.

It wasn't until a couple days after Christmas 2018, bored as hell, that I decided to try writing and reading again. I started writing my book and then later visited my library--the fond memories immediately coming back to me--and signed out some books.

This is how I got back into reading:

• Start tuning into books that are being talked about. Pay attention to book mentions online and around you. I heard a lot of them on the radio 
• Ask what others are reading. If you see your friends reading a book or random strangers (for those of you who know how to be social off "social" media)
• Search the "Top 10" in Google the top 10 books in your favourite genre. Here's one for you.​

• Sign up for book sites and blogs.  Goodreads is a good one and Amazon (do I even need to link it?).
• ​Re-read your favourite book(s). It's tried and trusted and you know you'll like it. You will get a different perspective once you read it a second time.
• Don't be discouraged. It takes time, and if you read a book you don't like, don't give up, there are millions of other books to be read and you're destined to love them!

• Don't copy others. When I started out I wanted to be like all the other book YouTubers. A book haul! Read two books a week! Read all day! Yea...didn't happen. 
• Take it slow. One book a month or every two months. Scale back and move forward at your own pace. 
• Don't over absorb content. I would see one thing and then another and another and feel overwhelmed. Focus on the one book or two that you have and finish them!

• DNF (do not finish) it. If you really can't finish a book because you either don't enjoy it or for some reason or another never picked it back up, DNF it. It's time to look at something else with a pair of fresh eyes so you don't stall your progress. You can always go back to it later.
• Be patient.  It’s like a muscle you have to continue to strengthen. Keep at it!

How long did it take you to get back into reading again? What books are you currently reading?


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Deep down every author wants their novel turned into a movie. It’s a dream we all have.

To help visualize my characters and portray them well, I chose actors for who I felt they were closest too.

I recommend you do this.
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Not only does it help you shape a character, it gives you a visual image you can always refer back to.

Stephanie Meyer did this with Twilight. I still remember scrolling through her website at 13 years old with the widest grin. She showed the pictures of the actors who she thought would play Bella, Edward and Jacob. The actors weren't chosen of course, but it was fun to see who Stephanie Meyer visualized them as.

My novel has 5 main characters and these are the actors I visualize them as:

Who do you visualize your characters as or the characters in certain books?


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This is one of the best things you can do to improve you're writing.

I put it off for a long time and when I finally went to my first meeting I saw a world of a difference in my writing and of those in the group.

Top 10 benefits of joining a writer's group/guild:

1. ​Connections & Networking with fellow authors and writers
2. Increased motivation
3. Learning to listen to constructive feedback
4. Inspiration to become a better writer
5. Guidance from those who are at a higher level than you
6. Looking more professional as a writer by mentioning it in your query letter
7. It gives you something to look forward to
8. It makes you more sociable
9. Gives you more confidence to talk about your book
10. Critique others mistakes to avoid making them yourself and see different perspectives.  

And you can't make the excuse that you don't want to spend any money because if you check out your local library or community center there is bound to be one there.

So there you have it!

Are you part of a writer's group? Has this post inspired you to consider joining one?




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P.S These are the published books from the authors in my Writer's Guild that I'd like to share. I hope you'll consider reading them!

• Racing with The Rain by  Ken Puddicombe
• Junta by Ken Puddicombe
• Down Independence Boulevard And Other Stories by Ken Puddicombe
• ​The 6 Dimensions of Top Achievers by David Rogers 
• Entrepreneur X Factor by Dave Rogers  ​
• Perfect Execution & Other Stories by Michael Joll
• Our Plan to Save the World contributor: Michael Joll 
• Persons of Interest by Michael Joll 

I've heard some authors do this and I'm curious to know why.

Of course I'd understand it they were just downright mean, but if it was constructive feedback why not?

Then again, I have heard of some authors who get someone else to look at their negative reviews and summarize all the necessary feedback for them.

I know of an author (I won't say who) who doesn't leave reviews for books even though she is highly popular and her fan base would like to know. When asked if she liked a book or not, she told the individual who asked that she'd let them know in a private message.

What do you think about this?

Is it a good thing for a writer and author to not look at negative reviews or leave reviews on books?


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Dear ____________________

You don't know who I am, but this is for you.

It's for all the things that were never said, the constant regrets and embarrassments and the love and friendships that dissolved.  

You're no longer a friend, perhaps you never were. You were a life lesson. One whom I loved and hated, agreed and disagreed.

I can't say who you are, even I don't know, but I can say that I forgive you and I forgive myself. 

There are so many inspirational quotes out there about love and loss, regret and forgiveness, motivation and failure, but there will never be enough to describe life itself.

The supposed definition of life is this:

I disagree. What about a child who has an imaginary friend? The presence we feel around us? The air we breath? There is no true definition of life. Life is and will always be.

We know what life brings us, friends, gifts, family. But what truly is life? All we know is our basic instinct is to want it, to have it, to keep it. Do you agree? 

In my novel I created a quote through a character and the scene goes like this: 

Remembrance day is on November 11.

It always makes me reflect on the freedom I have and how thankful I am to those that risked and sacrificed their lives for the betterment of our people.

Thank you all for your service. 

During this time I tend to not just reflect on the World Wars, but also on unfortunate events that happened all around the world such as 9/11 and most recently the 1989 Tianamen Square protests.

Have you heard of it? I didn't until this year.

This image in China is hardly, if ever, shown. Talking about it is considered taboo and, even worse, many don't even know what it is or what happened.

How could that be? China doesn't have "Google" and "Twitter" and the common social media that you may be used to. It has its own versions so it can control it's own content. In fact, when I found this out it inspired me to put elements of this into my book.  

​It's scary to think that fiction isn't far from fact.​

My condolences to all whose lives were lost and to the family of those they left behind.

​What have you thought about for this Remembrance Day? What books have you read that touched on the subject of such tragedies? ​

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There are elements of Martians in my novel. As a result, I had to do a ton of reseach on what planet Mars is like. My research is still ongoing but my eyes are more opened.
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Without giving spoilers, this world building inspiration board looks like. This is how I imagine the setting based off of the research I've gathered mixed in with fictional elements. ​

What do you think my world will look like based on these pictures? Can you put it together? This is why it's a good idea to do the same for your novel.

I highly encourage you to do this for your book. It will help you visualize and create the world you're trying to build. Can you guess what Mars will be portrayed as based off these pictures?


Have you ever created a world building inspiration board? What is the setting of your book?


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Happy Thanksgiving! And to my American friends Happy Early Thanksgiving!

Just like it's good to acknowledge your deepest fears, it's equally beneficial to make a gratitude list of all the things you are thankful for. What perfect timing than Thanksgiving?​

You can write down your gratitude list, say it to yourself or just reflect on all the things your thankful for.

By doing this (consistently) you'll stop feeling sorry for yourself and playing the victim, opens the doors to relationships, improves your self-esteem and mental strength. 

Here's my list:

1. Having a family and friends
2. All my fingers and toes
3. The internet
4. My laptop
5. Books
6. People who love me and people I love
7. A roof over my head and food to eat

What does your gratitude list look like? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

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What would it look like to you? Take out your creative pen and try this exercise.

Would there be no crime, no wars, no poverty etc.

One book that was very popular for doing this (despite the kill day that was implemented to control the population) was the book Sycthe.
I didn’t like it but maybe you would.

I decided to create a utopia in my book in the Empire that was once called Canada. Where phones have usage time limits , gender equality is getting closer to being reached and everyone makes a good living without corruption. 

The twist?

There is no such thing as a utopia. There’s no such thing as perfection. Secrets are lurking everywhere and as a writer it’s your job to plant them.

You can even turn this exercise around and make it a dystopia, reverse your utopian world and make it a dystopia of complete terror.

Is your novel a utopia (world peace) or dystopia (world corruption)? Or have you read a novel recently in this genre? What did you think about it?

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If you're new to reading again like me, don't copy readers or even BookTubers (this is what the community is called on YouTube) that commonly do this one thing.

BOOK HAUL! Read these 10 books! Summer TBR! Best 10 books! Have you read this book? Or this one? Or this one?!

It's exciting, there's so many options! But...

It's too much! You only just started reading again and don't want to get overwhelmed. Trust me I've been there done that.

I thought I could do it, went and got 10 awesome books, then I was suddenly looking at a pile of  books and...yea, didn't happen. I either read a quarter of one or none at all. 

So take it slow. You have all the time in the world.

Are you new to reading too? What struggles have you noticed? What do you think about the BookTube community? Can you read a bunch of books at once or really quickly?


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