How Our Imaginary Worlds Reflect Real Places
This summer, our storytelling club has become one of the highlights of our week. We meet regularly to share ideas, laugh, and learn the art of constructing and communicating our own stories. These gatherings are relaxed and creative—almost entirely for fun—and they give us the chance to stretch our imaginations, try new things, and grow as writers and listeners.
What makes our sessions special is how imagination meets reality. While most of our stories are fictional—set in made-up towns, with characters and events that spring from our minds—they often draw from real people, places, and moments around us. It’s no surprise that a few readers have written in to ask, “Are these places real?” The answer, most of the time, is yes—at least in spirit!
Take, for instance, one of our latest short stories, The Centre’s Bright Future. It’s set in the small town of “Harmony Creek,” a name we invented because of the area’s love of music and the presence of Bear Creek, which winds just up the road from the recreation hall. The story’s “Northern Star Youth Centre” isn’t a real building either—but it was inspired by one that is!
The real-world inspiration comes from the Dyment Recreation Hall, located just a few kilometres north of Borups Corners. That’s where the sense of gathering, community, and youthful energy that fills The Centre’s Bright Future truly began. Our stories might be fictional, but they grow from places we know, memories we share, and the creative spirit that lives right here at home.
In Bookstores Now
The Centre’s Bright Future is available in bookstores and outlets now including: Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Boekholt Boekhandels, Casa del Libro, eBook.de, Everand, Ex Libris, Fable, Fnac, Fnac, Hugendubel, LaFeltrinelli Internet Bookshop, Librarie E.Leclerc, Librería de Porrúa Hermanos y Cía, Morawa, Osiander, Palace Marketplace, Rakuten Kobo, Smashwords, Thalia, Vivlio and more!
Special thanks to the Ontario Arts Council’s Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program for supporting our storytelling, oral history, and capacity-building activities during this summer’s program. Their support has helped us continue exploring creativity, connection, and community through the art of storytelling.
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