All Directions: A Little Bit of Everything

By Melodie Leclerc

"I have given life to stories so my loved ones could live on (my son, mother and baby cousin). I have molded tales slowly into existence because of feeling trapped by my life and work. Novels have poured from my pen so that I might explore different outcomes for random thoughts and dreams. I have given loved ones, who have passed away, an outlet in which to be heard and I've had the pleasure of sharing my scribbled notes on the changes in my life such as: marriage, becoming a mother, falling in love, feeling alone, or the pure joy of hearing “I love you” from a child with scrawny arms clinging to my neck.”

Some of the stories in this anthology showcase characters I have created, but the spirit and personality for which they exist is a reflection of my loved ones. For example, my daughter is the basis for a post-apocalyptic warrior in a fantasy story and my mother's spirit guides us with her wisdom and gives direction to my words and my life, even in death.

"So, do you see? Stories are all around us just waiting to be shared. They can come from anywhere, from anyone and any situation". From a young child with the fascination of dragons, Amazons and knights, to an adult faced with real-life triumphs and heartbreaks. Every experience brings forth raw emotion and immeasurable gifts that I now would like to share with all of you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melodie Leclerc
• Release date: Apr 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301619634

Melodie Leclerc

Melodie Leclerc was born and raised in Langruth, Manitoba. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA in English before teaching English in South Korea for two years. Her life got fuller when she met her husband and had two children—her son passed away but her daughter continues to bring joy into her life. She currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta writing whenever she gets a chance. You can catch up with her on her livejournal or on facebook.

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All Directions:

A Little Bit of Everything

An anthology of stories by Melodie Leclerc

Copyright 2013 Melodie Leclerc

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Inspiration

Use What the Writing Spirit Gave You

Freedoms

Who am I?

Real Life vs. Fantasy

Parenting 911

Family

Behind the Veil

What is Strength?

The Woman I Called Mom

My Heart's Home

First Born Son

Fantasy and Science Fiction

When All Else Fails

You Never Know...

Colours of the Past

The Hero Maker

Phoenix Rising

The Hunt

About the Author

Coming Soon

Acknowledgements

A huge thank you to the Edmonton Writer's Group (EWG): especially Marie Reed and Ray Kozak.

Also thanks to my husband, Chris Bissell, who aided and supported me the most - without you none of this could have happened. I'm so thankful to have you in my corner.

Lastly I wish to thank my daughter Kairi because you've brought sunshine back into every part of my heart and soul. I love you, your brother and your daddy very much.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all my loved ones who have passed on but more specifically my grandparents Fred and Frances Puddicombe, my cousin Brianna Kincaid, my mom Marie Leclerc and my son Hero Bissell. I love you all and your memory will continue to live on.

It's also dedicated to my wonderful daughter Kairi. You'll always be my baby girl. I love you more than life.

Part One

Inspiration

Use What the Writing Spirit Gave You

This first piece I wrote specifically for the Edmonton Writers’ Group (EWG) Anthology, Don’t Chew on the Sharp End of the Pencil. It’s a piece meant to inspire and encourage new writers or those with writer’s block. It attempts to explain how my stories evolve and where my ideas come from. It lets you see into how my writing takes shape.

I wrote this shortly after Natasha Dean made the suggestion of an Anthology – a couple of days and it was done and it all started with the title in this case because really, no matter what you call it, there is always something bigger than you helping mould the tales you’re trying to tell.

***

I've often heard people say that they wanted to write, but the ability to write and having a story to tell are two vastly different things.

Most people can write. Some of those can do it with great grammar and very few spelling errors. Give them an assignment, such as an essay for school, and they do well. Give them a blank page... and often it remains a blank page or it gains a few words only to have them scratched out.

I once knew a lady who rewrote the few pages she'd written so many times that even four years later she never made it to the next paragraph, let alone the next chapter.

I'm one of the lucky ones because I figured out early on that a story could only be good if you finished it. I also learned that the only limits you had on what to write were the ones you put on yourself.

The first thing I ever wrote was a fanfic (fan fiction) for a TV show called Young Riders. I had wondered what would have happened if a character was shot, and how everyone would react. It hadn't happened on the show -- so I wrote it for myself. When I re-read it I realized it needed a lot of work; I was only about fourteen at the time but I knew that I could do better. I also knew that I could create better characters and maybe even use them to create the sort of world that I wanted to be in.

So that's what I did. I wrote. I took what I knew -- rural life and high school -- made new characters that were the kinds of people I hoped to be or that I related to in some way (not always in good ways either). Then I added those things I love to read about or watch on TV such as fantasy and science fiction.

You may not realize it but all the shows you love to watch; all the books you've read...they've given you a ton of knowledge about what you enjoy.

So yes, write what you know...but also, write what you enjoy as well because if you don't enjoy it how will you ever finish?

Before we go further with this, I want you to think about something...the definition of enjoy. Enjoy doesn't mean you’re happy, does it? If you enjoy a TV show or a book does it always have a happily ever after ending? Enjoying something doesn't always mean it has to be unicorns and rainbows. It could be the horror show where everyone dies but it was so well done and so full of suspense that it had you at the edge of your seat. It could be the picture your three-year-old child/niece/nephew drew for you that looks like a crayon box exploded on the paper. It could be the moment you one-upped your annoying know-it-all classmate/co-worker without stooping to their level.

After all, who are you writing for in that moment? It's not someone else usually, it's not even so you can be published (not at first) – it's for you.

You want to see something that hasn't been done – so you create it.

Want to befriend dragons, slay princesses, rescue knights, change wolves into werehumans, see a butler become a monster, see a king become a ballerina...anything you've wondered about -- even for a second -- could be your story. The one you’re meant to tell.

It's up to you to figure out what can be the inspiration or idea for a story. Use what you've been given -- your life, your perspective, your morals, your experiences.

Most of the best writing I've ever done has come to life because of a dream I had, an experience, a question...and the loss and birth of those I love.

When I write for a person I always feel as though there is something far bigger than myself -- let's call it the writing spirit -- is working through me to put more than words on the page in front of me. Instead of words I find myself writing the pulse of life, the ebb and flow of emotion and the memories that were and could be.

At this moment, that same drive is what is urging me to put what's needed on this page – not just what I need to write for me but what you need to read.

That's the other side of being a writer. The first time you write is always for you but a story is always meant to be told. Stories are important because they can create civilizations, build homes, bond families, teach lessons, express emotions and they can reach deep inside a person and change who they are for better or worse.

Stories can inspire or destroy but at all times it is up to the reader to see what they see. Writer's write and the messages they want to impart may be there, but only the person reading it can decipher it for themselves. That is the power of a story -- to mean different things to different people.

So, I write for me, knowing that my audience is reading for them. I do my best to accomplish two things in my stories for both of us. I try to inspire through emotion and I hope to provide us both with an escape that either addresses life issues or allows us to forget them for a short while.

I have given life to stories so my loved ones live on (my son, mother and baby cousin). I have molded tales slowly into existence because of feeling trapped by my life and work. Novels have poured from my pen so that I might explore different outcomes for random thoughts and dreams. I have given the dead an outlet in which to be heard and I've had the pleasure of sharing my scribbled notes on the changes in my life such as marriage, becoming a mother, falling in love, being alone and the pure joy of an I love you from a child with scrawny arms clinging to my neck.

So, do you see? Stories are all around us just waiting to be shared. They can come from anywhere, from anyone and any situation.

Sometimes you don't get to pick a tale to tell -- sometimes they choose you instead, and when that happens...that's when real magic happens.

So do me a favour, use what the writing spirit gave you. Create true magic and conquer that barren landscape called a blank page -- if you do, you'll never go back. How could you, when you are the creator of worlds, the one known as THE WRITER.

Freedoms

In high school, while I was upgrading at Eagle Butte near Medicine Hat, Alberta. The Royal Canadian Legion was holding an essay contest for the province and I won.

I felt it needed to be longer but my pen just wouldn’t add anything else too it. This was when I learned that a story will be as long as it needs to be – no more and no less. You can’t force it – it just doesn’t work that way.

***

A child plays without a worry in the park as her father and mother watch from a nearby bench. Up above the sun is brightly shinning and all around the birds are chirping their happiness for a wonderful day. A light breeze tugs at people as they walk to their separate destinations. No one even notices the true beauty of the world around them.

Has it really been so long ago since the last war, that people have forgotten to look and appreciate all that our veterans fought and died for? It's hard for those of us living in the results of their efforts to truly realize what happened back then. The bloodshed, the noise, the pain, the horror and worst of all - living with everything they saw during that time. In order to obtain the freedom so greatly desired by all who lived in Canada back then, they gave up their own hopes, dreams, and yes, they even gave up their freedom. They gave it freely for us.

Once a year on Remembrance Day, we honor those who fought and died. But perhaps we should honor their memories by being truly grateful for what we are able to enjoy today: the freedom to laugh or to cry; the freedom to be who we want and do what we want; and the freedom to choose pride in our country.

Who Am I?

The question ‘Who am I?’ is one that plagued me in high school until I figured out a few of the answers – even so, in the world of today, it’s not easy to be true to what you discover. In the end, I just hope this helps some of you figure it out.

***

Awe-struck, envious, jealous, uncertain, lost, happy... it’s a myriad of emotions that you feel when you meet someone who truly understands why they were put on Earth. They just seem so certain – so sure of what their path will be.

Most people understand that it’s not that simple for everyone. Sometimes, if you have a natural talent or gift that is measureable in some way, it takes a while to even discover what it is that you do well. Worse is when your gift is something that isn’t specific such as drawing or singing. What if it's being compassionate or logical, always remembering names or shopping for sales? At least with a talent like drawing it narrows it down to a specific field. Inside that field it can branch again. Drawing alone can include illustrating books, graphic design, fashion, painting, making models, architecture, and animation and there is likely a ton I’m leaving out but at least it gives you a direction to turn and move in.

Now let’s look at a person who is compassionate. This is a tad bit harder to pin-point. You might think someone who is compassionate would be a nurse or a doctor, or possibly a parent, but it’s much broader than you think. Charities, lawyers doing pro-bono work, caseworkers, policemen, firefighters, teachers, child-care workers, someone in customer service, salespeople, bus driver, teacher or nurses’ aid... it’s all over the place.

So perhaps it isn’t just about a single talent or skill in which you excel. Maybe it’s more than that. Perhaps you have to look at more aspects of who you are as a person.

That leads you to a lot of questions you have to ask yourself. After all, who else could possibly answer them? No one can know you better than you know yourself – and if you don’t feel like you know yourself, then here’s the perfect chance for you to discover who you are.

It’s not a difficult thing to do – just have a conversation with yourself. Treat yourself like a person you don’t know very well but well enough to ask a few personal questions.

Some of the easier questions may include: what are you afraid of? What makes you uncomfortable? What do you enjoy doing?

Your fears could be snakes, talking in front of large groups or enclosed spaces. Such things could keep you from being a reptile vet, a politician or a miner for example. It’s a way to limit what you’re looking at but you can also choose to overcome being afraid by working toward something that deals with facing your fears. That also narrows it down.

What makes you uncomfortable? This isn’t the same as the previous query. This is what you can deal with but may not like. It can be someone making an off-colour joke, working in or around dirt or grease, lack of sleep, being away from family or friends, loose morals, being alone... the list goes on. Like the other answers you came up with previously just think about what areas they could apply to. Off-colour jokes can easily be heard on a construction site for instance and being away from friends and family could involve the oil fields, fishing boats, aircraft or military. Loose morals may not have to do with you but other people and if so that would cover police work, court jobs and social work.

It isn’t hard to look at it all and deduce how it will work, all it takes is realizing you should consider and then taking the time to figure it all out.

Still, if you were anything like me – in my senior year of high school the teachers pulled me aside and asked what I wanted to do for my future. There was no real prep, no epiphany, I was just told to choose.

It’s an important decision and I had no idea what to say. Post-secondary education was my choice because if you wanted a good paying job you needed an education, or so everyone kept telling me. Unfortunately it only really works that way if you specialize in the education you receive.

My skills were always along the artistic spectrum – I could sing, do martial arts, draw, paint but writing was what I quickly grew to love. It only took me until ninth grade to figure that out. I even did some soul-searching that year about myself and learned a great deal in the process.

Still, learning who you are is a never ending practice and when you’re young you don’t always realize that finding a job or career you love isn’t that easy.

Heck, even if you do figure out the right job for you, getting into that field can become a lifelong journey. That’s the case for me; perhaps even the case for you but at least half the battle has been won. After all, now I know.

The thing is it’s never too late to figure it all out and pursue what your soul is crying out for you to do. Even if it seems to fight you or things continue to get in your way you can’t give up because you’ll never be happy if you don’t do what you were meant to.

Often times it’s not even a single role you’re needed to fill, sometimes there are many. Being a parent or child is a full-time job and sometimes the job you took temporarily becomes your passion – if only for a short time.

That’s why it’s important to get to know yourself. In the end it comes down to this... what do you want to be remembered for? Who do you want to remember you?

How we live our lives is what our loved ones see and hear. What we leave behind is what history will know. If family is important then with every choice you make consider your family first, if fortune is – do likewise with that in mind instead. Want to be remembered fondly by others – remember that if you have a bad day you still need to laugh or smile through it rather than snapping people’s heads off.

Sometimes we have to roll with the punches life deals us, but we have to remember to look to others who have it together right now. Did they have to stay persistent? Did they have to fight for it? Did they give up?

I think you already know the answers to those questions.

Real Life vs. Fantasy

Just a way of acknowledging why it’s a better idea to live some of your fantasies through books then to actually have them manifest into your real life. Hmmmm, makes me think of something else I should write when I put it in those words! Or maybe I just need to write a story about a pet dragon...

***

Do you ever wish you could fall into the pages of your favorite fantasy novel and become a part of the story? I have, more times than I can count – it’s how I first got involved in writing fanfiction. I’m not partial to ‘Mary-sue’ stories (fiction written where the author creates a better version of themselves in the story that suddenly becomes the main or overly major part of the already created world) but I do enjoy being able to lose myself in worlds that seem more interesting and often more straight forward than the one I currently live in.

Just think about it - unhappy about your boss’s obvious favoritism toward a co-worker who doesn’t pull their own weight? Put a truth-spell on them and watch them destroy their own chances at continued employment. Want a new path in life? Stumble across the fabled bow and arrows of Detria – the symbol of the royal bloodline destined to bring the kingdom out of tyranny.

Oh sure, you don’t know how to fight... never even spent a night out under the stars? No problem! Fantasy novels always have a mentor or guardian, perhaps even a surplus of knowledge and skill locked away in the depths of the Hero’s or villain’s mind.

What, you’re not a hero? Or a villain? Really? Are you sure? Absolutely positive are you?

Ha! You’re wrong. That’s right, you’re wrong because you’re the hero of your own story and a hero is often someone else’s villain. You know - two sides to every story and all that.

Don’t let that worry you though because if you truly are a Hero you can be anything – a prince or princess, an Amazon or a knight, a thief or a pirate, the possibilities are amazing. All of these can be used for villains too. If you’re tired of being a goody-two-shoes you could go all villainy and then flip right