Jennifer Morash

When you lack a sense that a majority of the world has, things are bound to be a bit different. Different doesn't always mean bad, though. Sometimes it does. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I tried to tell you that it's all sunshine and roses with no struggles. But it isn't true that it's all awful, either. I don't often get asked outright what it's like to be blind. However, I do get asked questions that approach it indirectly. "How do you use a computer?" "You've got a smart phone with a touch screen, how does that work?" "Is it hard to get around?" I think it's because it's easier to ask me about a specific than to just baldly ask "What is it like?" It's hard. But it can also be easy. It's frustrating. But it can also be rewarding. It's limiting. But it can also be freeing. I'm going to try to tackle this whole question of what it's like, but just like those who ask me questions, I...

Planning a trip to Disney World is fraught with all sorts of decisions. Length of stay, where to stay, to park hop or not. One question that I encounter over and over again in the various Disney advice groups I'm in - and trust me, it's a lot of groups - is this: is the Disney Dining Plan worth it? The answer is... complicated. But I'm going to do my best to answer it by looking at a few areas. Pure economic worth, budgetting worth, convenience and emotional worth. First, though, a few definitions. Quick service dining is what Disney calls fast food eateries. It isn't all burgers, fries and hotdogs, though. Some Quick Service  places are fancy, some are varied, some are exotic. Table service is your basic sit-down restaurant. The sort where waitstaff take your orders and bring your food. Buffets also fall into this category. Signature dining is high-end table service. It's expensive, and it's usually worth it, too. You might be surprised at the quality of s...

Before we begin, I'm going to be using a specific story as an example throughout this blog post. That story is 'A Home For Christmas', and you can find it here: https://jennifermorash.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-home-for-christmas-short-story.html So, I've talked before about how I write when an idea occurs to me out of the blue. But what about when I sit down to write a story without first getting the inspiration? The process is quite different, or at least it was for me. First is the premise. Well, technically the decision comes first, but that is pretty self-explanitory, so we'll just take it as given. Now, premise and plot aren't the same thing. The plot is the story, the premise is the seed of the idea. I wanted to write a Christmas story, but I didn't want to write another version of a story we'd all read before. That ruled out Santa, elves, reindeer, angels, wise men, lost children, sentient toys/snowmen/nut sundering implements and all the rest. I ...

Welcome to the twenties. It's going to take me a long time to get used to saying that after a lifetime of associating "the twenties" with the 1920's. Still, here we are, in a year that still sounds like the date in a scifi story. It's a new year, and a new decade. Now, I don't really do New Year's resolutions. After all, if something is worth doing, it's worth starting when the idea occurs to me, rather than at a specific calendar date. But this does seem like a good time to assess my goals. It will come to no surprise to anyone that they largely revolve around writing. It isn't that I'm not invested in my massage therapy career, it's just that I'm quite happy with where I am in that spot. Still, keep reading and it might just show up. In the short term are my two novels in progress. I want to finish the first draft of my second novel, and that is my first priority. I'm not setting any sort of time frame for this, though I expec...

Christmas is a time for giving. We all know that. But as you make your way to the tree to open gifts, or to the table for your Christmas feast, think about the story I have to tell you, and how sometimes the simplest gifts are the most profound. So settle in, all cozy in your Christmas jammies or resplendant in your holidayfinery, and enjoy a Christmas story. Tansin was cleaning, as she always did, in the wee hours of the morning as the family slept. Outside, softflakes were starting to fall through the darkness. The ground would be white by morning, though Tansin would tell that the snow wouldn't be deep. Heading into the living room, she stopped. blinking. There it was again. Every year at about this time, her family brought a tree in from outside and hug bright lights and shiny things from its branches. Soon, she knew, boxes all covered in paper and ribbons would start to appear beneath it. More and more would show up there for the rest of the month, until one night they'd...

This has been quite a year. Some of it good, some of it bad, but on balance I would say more of it fell on the better end of the spectrum. Back at the start of the year, I had no idea that I'd be writing this, or that I'd even have a blog, let alone post to it weekly. I had no idea I'd resurrect my penchant for writing. Honestly, all that was really on my mind most of the time was planning my trip to Disney, with occasional thoughts straying to this novel idea that kept popping up to wave at me. Well, and the issue of recovering from minor whiplash and concussion, but by the time 2019 rolled into existence, that recovery was pretty well in hand. In February, I turned 43, but more importantly I took the vacationI had been planning; a mother daughter trip with my Mom and I to the most magical place on earth for a week. It was glorious. Rides were ridden, good food was eaten, and I even met a lovely lady named Pammie for whom I had recently offered to help run a Facebook gro...

Massage therapy really is an excellent choice for a career. The job market is actually pretty good, particularly compared to some others, or at least it is in my little corner of the world. But what is it like, and what does it take to become one? First and foremost, a little disclaimer. While many of my readers are local to me, there are also a fair few who are not. Requirements can differ pretty widely, especially once you hit the global level. What is true for most of Canada is not true for the United States, the UK, Australia, etc. I will mainly be speaking to my own experiences here, you will want to look into how things work for your area. So, firstly, what is it really like? It is hard, glorious work. Massage therapy is one of those careers that requires exercise of both your brain and your muscles. Physically, it can be strenuous, especially once you venture into the realms of deep pressure. But you can't just turn off your brain and exert yourself, as you do need to fig...

About a month ago, I announced that I had begun my second novel. Not only that, but I was going to finish it, or hit 50000 words before the end of November as part of NaNoWriMo. I did not. In point of fact, I stalled out about halfway through the month at roughly 20000 words and ten chapters. Technically, this counts as failure. I mean, I set a goal and didn't meet it. Now, I could hang my head in shame. I could take this as a sign that I'm not cut out to be a writer. After all, I wrote my first novel in less than a month. Sure, it was super short at roughly 35000 words in the first draft, but I finished it. (And, yes, the second draft is more than twice as long) I'm not going to do that, though. This little endeavour taught me a few important things. First and foremost, it taught me that this style of daily goal oriented writing simply does not work for me. The NaNoWriMo model gives you a daily suggested word count. It's not static, mind you. It is the number of wor...

About seven years ago, The Night Circus was released, written by a debut novelist named Erin Morgenstern. It seemed to come out of nowhere and exploded onto bestseller lists everywhere, and with good reason. It was magical. Ever since, I've periodically gone looking to see if she had released anything else, and to my chagrin the answer was always no. Then, in early October, while taking a peek at upcoming releases on Audible, Erin Morgenstern's name popped up. The Starless Sea was clearly not a sequel to The Night Circus, and thank goodness for that, some stories should never be added to. No, this was a stand alone once more. Not read by the immensely talented Jim Dale this time, though. I was simultaneously elated and nervous. I had been eagerly awaiting more from her, but it had been so long now that I worried the anticipation might lead to disappointment. And did Jim Dale's performance lend a magic to the first book that would now be lacking? Also... why did it take sev...

Last week, a new streaming service came on the market. Most of you have heard of it by now. I'm talking about Disney Plus, of course. As any of you who regularly read me know by now, I am an enormous Disney fangirl, so it is surely no surprise that I've been anticipating this one for awhile. I had that app downloaded the moment it became available - that was about seven in the morning, for me. Thank goodness it dropped on a day that I wasn't working. But is it any good? And is it accessible? Let's answer that second one first. The short answer is yes. The longer answer? Mostly. Now, let me be clear that my experience is only with the IOS app. I don't have any other devices, nor have I tried to stream anything from my laptop's web browser, so I can't speak for anything else. The app isn't perfect, but it's close. Nearly all buttons are labelled, which means that Voice Over (that's the iphone's text to speech native app) can read them. The in...

This week marks Remembrance Day. In fact, while this post won't go up today, it currently is November 11 as I sit down to write this. Additionally, here in Canada we recently held our Federal election. In the US, next year will see there own. What do those two things have to do with one another? Those fallen soldiers, and all those who fought and returned to us, did so to ensure our freedom. Freedom from oppression, yes, but also the freedom to do something like choosing our leader. Many gave their lives for that freedom. Many returned with scars, some visible and some not. For my own part, the veteran I was closest to was my great uncle Neil, who fought in World War II. Neil was a kind, gentle man who loved to make furniture. He also liked to talk. But I never once heard him talk about the war. He was proud of his work with the Legion, he participated every Remembrance Day, but he would not talk about the war. I've always thought that this fact told me all I need to know abo...

It's the start of a new month. Granted, it isn't usually the most cheerful or exciting month of the year here in Canada, without even Thanksgiving to bring some warmth to the heart. However, for me, this November is an exciting one. I have two bits of news to share with you all. First, I've begun writing my second novel. Why on earth would I do this before my first has reached a state of completion? A few reasons. Firstly, with the second draft done, it is at a stage where only minimal changes will need to be made, minor fixes in response to beta feedback. No more full rewrites there. The story and plot points will likely remain as they are. That makes it safe to venture into new territory, as my second book is its sequel. Second, I have a feeling that it may be easier to pich two completed books in the same series to a literary agent than just one. And should, heavens forfend, no one wan these books, then it's still practice. Finally, ther's NaNoWriMo, which for ...

Ah, Halloween. The time of year when we don costumes and pose as something other than what we are. When children roam the streets in search of treats. 　 I love Halloween. I always have. Dressing up is fun, and not something that an adult can often get away with. I'll be doing so tomorrow at work. I wish sometimes that I could get away with it more often. 　 The thing is, though, that I do. We all do. We all wear disguises of a sort. We do it all the time. It's just that our disguises have nothing to do with fancy clothing, makeup or masks. Not physical ones. 　 Don't you ever feel like no one, or perhaps only very few, know the real you? That you have to wear a mask of sorts to hide something? That if the world knew your true feelings on something, you would be judged? 　 Or perhaps you feel like an imposter. Like you are only pretending to know what you're doing professionally. As though your colleagues are actually better and more knowledgeable than y...

Stardust by Gaiman and anything by McGuire Discworld by Pratchett with wit that inspires. Books that take flight like a bird on the wing These are a few of my favourite things. 　 Okay, so. I find it hard to answer the question "What's your favourite book". I don't have a favourite book. Perhaps I might in a given moment, but that says more about my mood when asked than it does overall preference. 　 I do have favourite authors, though. 　 Neil Gaiman. The man can write and narrate. I'm fairly sure I could listen to him reciting the proverbial phonebook, but he'd have to find one first. I might not love all of his books equally, but I do at least enjoy every little thing he's written, and love quite a lot of it. From his whimsical short stories to his entrancing novels. He does good screenplays, too. 'Stardust' is an audiobook I often turn to when I'm feeling stressed, listening to him reading it is soothing in a way I can...

It was Thanksgiving this past weekend up here in Canada, so I thought that this week, I would talk about gratitude. There is much in my life that I am grateful for. All in all, I'm a pretty lucky woman. I am blessed with a family that I love, who loves me back. We may be a bit spread out with my sister, brother in law and nieces living overseas, but in this day and age that is no barrier to closeness. I have parents who love and support me who were there growing up. I have a brilliant and talented older sister, and two young nieces who are geniuses. I'm not biased at all there.  I have a terrific extended family, full of wonderful aunts, uncles and cousins, and more recently acquired step family who are terrific. I have a career that I love. Massage therapy doesn't just keep a roof over my head, it feeds my soul. It gives me the ability to help others in a very tangible way, and gives me the opportunity to meet a variety of interesting and truly wonderful people. I ge...

The Lady Astronaut is a series by Mary Robinette Kowal which currently consists of two books and one short story. The Calculating Stars comes first chronologically, with The Faded Sky second. The short story is set many years after both, though was written first and I believe was what inspired Kowal to write the others, and is called Lady Astronaut of Mars. 　 In the short audible.com review I posted, I called them triumphant. Now, that is, as I stated there, such a reviewer buzzword that I was hesitant to use it, but as it was the word in my head while the epilogue of The Faded Sky played, I'm going with it. I am not ashamed to admit that I was crying at the time. 　 The premise is this. In the early 1950's, a meteorite strikes earth. Specifically, it strikes the ocean, destroying not only Washington DC but a large part of the eastern seaboard. The results are cataclismic, setting off a greenhouse situation that is going to make Earth uninhabitable in the foreseeable f...

Talking about writing isn't writing. Planning to write isn't writing. Dreaming of writing isn't writing. Thinking of writing isn't writing. 　 There is nothing wrong with any of those things. Some of them can be very important. But there is one thing they are not. They are not writing. 　 Only writing is writing. 　 "Oh, wow. You started writing? You're working on a book? That's so cool. You know. I always thought I could write a book." 　 I've heard variations on that theme from multiple people since I began writing. And they mean what they're saying. They really, sincerely do want to write. And they can always come up with reasons why they aren't. I used to be them. For all of my adult life, I was that person. I knew that I wanted to write. I realized that I was at least passingly good at it. In fact, I knew I could write a better book than at least some of the published works I've read, for I have read some really awf...

I talk a lot on this blog about the fact that I am writing, but haven't ever really said much about precisely what I am writing. The truth is that I seem to be better at writing a story than I am when it comes to describing that story. I thought that this week, I'd give that a go. First and foremost, the big one. My very first novel. I always thought that I should write one, but never did. This one came about because it was something I kept wishing someone would write. No one did. So... I did. Perhaps that means that others have, but there was no market. Perhaps it means I came up with something genuinely new. Only time will tell. It's working title is Joyful. I dout that will be the final title, but we'll see. Joy was one of those kids that was supposed to find a portal into a fantasy realm, go through, have some adventures and try to save the world. The problem was that when she was just about to fall into the lake that served as her portal, a responsible adult sa...

Ablist language directed at the blind never used to bother me. It is just so ingrained in the language that I think I got used to it. Things like "How did I miss that? I must be blind." 　 Actually, something almost exactly like that statement came up in the chat section of a game I play. It is not a game for the blind, but it has been developed to work perfectly for the blind, using the iphone's built-in text to speech. Thing is? I did not miss what they did. I picked up on it immediately. Honestly, I think such things are easier for me. The eyes skip over words sometimes. In fact, they do that a lot, and the brain uses pattern recognition to fill in gaps, often imperfectly. The ears don't work that way. 　 But this is just an example. Ablist language is everywhere. Now, you may be thinking "So what? How harmful is it really to say that you were blindsided by something? Aren't we taking this all a bit too far?" 　 Here's the thing, thoug...

So today, I was perusing the offerings on audible.com, and taking a peek through things they were suggesting. My brain heard "Space Horse" and so I clicked on that, thinking it sounded like a comedic scifi book. 　 Turns out, I heard it wrong. It was Space Force. I'm sure it is a good book, but I was disappointed not to have found Space Horse, the novel. Then I began wondering what Space Horse might be about. Would it be a sentient horse in space complete with equine space suit? Perhaps a space horse is some sort of single-passenger spaceship you ride like a horse or motorcycle, with the passenger being a renegade space cowboy? With a title like that, it would have to be humourous. 　 And this is where my ideas come from. No one has ever asked me where I get my ideas from, largely because I'm not published and not enough people know I write short stories let alone novels, but I am told that many published authors get asked this. 　 The answer is anywhere a...