C.M. Townsend

"You're never going to kill storytelling because it's built in the human plan. We come with it."                     Margaret Atwood  There is no one way to explain why I write, because there is not only one reason for why I do. I could say it is enjoyable, or I could say I have always loved imagining and creating characters and worlds. How has differed over the years, and while both answers would be true, neither are complete. As Margaret Atwood highlighted, storytelling is innate. It is inbuilt into human DNA, and has been a part of our culture and history for all of time. Oral storytelling was the original form of passing on knowledge and sharing information. Art as a means of communication and expression of ideas, values, and stories enriched oral storytelling. Every culture on Earth have their own storytelling methods and rituals. As an Australian, it is important to remember and recognise the First Nations People's as Australi...

I have decided I want to try and make my own costumes. Do I know how to sew? No. Have I ever tried anything like this before? Also no. Will that stop me? Hell no. How will it go? Well, we're about to find out. 😅 Now, my first costumes will be KPOP Demon Hunters. Huntrix and Soda Pop. My question is: What next? There are so many choices, and I have no idea what to make. 😅So, I want to know what you would make if you could. Any character, any genre, any type. The only one I won't make is erotic. Nothing against it. Just not for me. With that said, what are your choices? What costumes should I make? Leave a comment with your ideas. 😊

This is a poem I wrote about my mental health, and how it is hard to make it out of bed some days. Most days. I know I am not alone in feeling this way, and I want to let others know they are not alone either. If you feel or have ever felt this way, I understand, and I'm sorry. I am here if you want to talk. A Day Come and Gone by C.M. Townsend. I open my eyes and stare, but the wall does not speak. Silent and unmoving, stoic, inanimate. Time passes, but there I lay, fixed on the flattened plaster ahead. At last, my gaze flickers, and I observe a new item of fixation–the window. Why, I do not know, but I cannot look away. I linger unable to sway that which holds my gaze. It is but a simple frame. What caught my sight remains unknown. Yet still I stay. I stare. A shift is felt, my body moves– but wait. Only a foot,  mere inches from the start. It is late. I should stand, see out the day that rolls on alone, leaving me behind as I stay, eyes fixed on the roof above. I blink, and an h...

Mental health is not gendered. Gender does not define how a person feels. There are many problems in our world, and one of them is mental health. Another is the way in which every little things is gendered by so many people. Clothing. Toys. Words. Objects. Furniture. Jobs. Hobbies. Sports. Gym equipment. Food . . . Why? Why does everything seemingly need to be categorised by gender? Men vs women. Women vs men. Non-binary and trans people facing discrimination . . . I am tired of all the hate. There is no such thing as a 'girl or boy toy'. There is no job 'for girls' or 'for boys'. Objects do not have a gender, nor do hobbies, sports, or furniture. Gym equipment is for everyone. People need to stop applying gender to every single thing that exists. Stop worrying about other people's gender, enjoy your life, and let others enjoy theirs in peace. There needs to be an understanding that attributing femininity and masculinity to everything does not help anyone, n...

Imagine a world where there is only one story. Rather, a world in which there are thousands and thousands of stories, as there are now . . . Only they are the exact same story. No difference. No deviation. No individuality. Nothing new at all. Just one story on constant repeat. Buying endless copies of the exact same book . . . Pointless, right? Now, compare that to those who tell people what they 'should' or 'should not' be writing. It is the same concept as expecting only one story to be told a million times over, and every copy bought on repeat. Diverse storylines and ideas are what breathe life into a story. Without the heart and soul, all you have is a page with words on it. You lose what makes it worth reading. The life that beats within. Let people write what they want to write. It makes for a much more interesting world of storytelling.

Why do I write? Perhaps for the same reason as many. To share the stories flooding my mind with the world. To be heard. To be seen. To touch the readers. Perhaps for the love I have over the English language, and my appreciation for the ever-growing reservoir that is language. Perhaps my desire to learn and engage with literature of almost any form, while diving into stories encompassing the world's diversity and cultural history. Perhaps even to engage with languages other than my own. The truth is, I write for all of these and more. I write for me, and I write for to share the voices that often go unheard. I write to delve into stories that are representative of and connect with a wider range of readers. Those that connect with communities and groups often underrepresented and unrepresented in storytelling. I am all for the familiar and known tropes, comfort storylines, and put of the box ideas. I also love the opportunity to be a part of something that helps build a community. C...