: About Me

My name is James McDonall.

I graduated from York University in 1990 with an honours degree in English, but my passion for writing goes a lot further, and much deeper, than that. It comes from my very early youth, when I was enrolled by my mother in remedial English lessions. Ever since then I've had an unshakeable passion for words and how they can seemingly work miracles when they're crafted.

I've been a grinder in the insurance world for nearly twenty years to this point. I fell into insurance during recessionary times, and it worked for a while. But now it's time for me to do what I'm passionate about. Now I'm going to move mountains to ensure that my future involves that which somehow feels right to me.

Of course, it's not easy: from my experience so far, publishers all want experience, though they sometimes forget that a writer can't get experience unless a publisher gives it. It's a bit of a "catch-22". Even so, I keep trying. Who knows? Maybe Helium will help me crack the nut.

So hear's to the future, and here's to happiness in the writing world.

James S. McDonall

My passion is ...

Writing

I know too much about ...

Ice Hockey

My parents always told me ...

about persistance

My childhood ambition ...

was to be creative

My favorite memory ...

belly laughs

Why I write ...

Because I'm passionate about good communication

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Movies, radio, television

My first job ...

Like everyone: McDonald's GAR

My best moment ...

My first published article

My inspiration ...

My sister

Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Why I enjoy summer

20 of 25

Summer is such a glorious time for me! You see, I live north of the 49th parallel; winters are long here, and most years there's very little in the way of spring. We go from cold, hard winter, to sudden, severe summer in a matter of a few short weeks. We see our biggest snowfalls in March, April, and even May. I have seen snow here, each and every month of the year. Sometimes the birds in my back yard look very confused. That's why I enjoy summer so much. It gives me a chance to escape from the confines of my house. A chance to go for a drive with no specific purpose or destination in mind...

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