Thoughts on Writing

by Lillian McKinnon

I have always enjoyed using my imagination, whether is was playing with my imaginary dragon that lived outside on the flat roof by my window as a small child, recreating the sight of a mud puddle using fingerpaints, creating original graphic art and animating it, or making up my own stories. I got to the age where I had to start thinking about what I wanted to do as a career, and taking the right courses for it. This led me into writing down my stories for a school project, and that project became Frames.

I knew that out there, there were youths close to my age, trying to figure out who they are, and my story centered around a group of young people who were doing just that. Everyone has things about themselves they have to figure out, whether it’s discovering their own personal sense of style, tastes in music, or coming to grips with their own sexuality. Relationships change as people mature, and crushes and dating become a big deal with people judging you on your hairstyle and clothes, but who you date. In the general population, the majority of people are straight and make the assumption that unless someone looks obviously gay (and whatever stereotype their brain thinks this must look like) that everybody else is also straight. I guess this is where the coming out from, having to announce that, “guess what, I’m gay!”

Sometimes you’re not just coming out to others, sometimes you come out to yourself. Sexuality is a fluid thing and the LGBT spectrum has many shades within its rainbow. I wanted to bring attention to this fact, and so Laura discovered something about herself that I had always known about myself. I hope that people who read my book will like my story and be sympathetic to the journey Laura, Aeric, and their friends make as they journey towards adulthood. I also hope that adult readers will keep in mind that this story was written for my peers, and will look on it as it was meant. Its a chronicle of today’s youth and our inner journey to make sense of growing up, told from my perspective as an LGBT youth.

About A Life in Frames

Bike rides, days at the pool, karate class…the more some things stay the same, the more they also change. Now, there’s boys. My best friend Amy pointed out that everyone but us has a boyfriend and, sure enough, even my awkward older brother has someone he’s crushing on. There is suddenly more to going to the pool, to dances and parties, and even just hanging out. We try to impress each other and maybe find our match. I capture all our moments with my camera, always observing and documenting it all for posterity. Will Amy find some fashion sense? Will I find someone who will want to be mine? And my brother, Aeric, who just came out as gay, will he be okay? Life suddenly seems so complicated. But changes, well, some of them aren’t so bad.

A Life In Frames is coming later in October 2014!

About Lillian McKinnon

Lillian McKinnon is the pen name for a rather sassy 13 year old home educated girl who lives and plays in the Northwest region of England. She doesn’t like being told she can’t do things because she’s a kid, and woe betide you if it’s because she’s a girl. She’s active in Scouts and is avid about karate. She also enjoys long bike rides, photography, kayaking, abseiling, canoeing, swimming, and  is somewhat of an artist. She probably reads far too much, with bookcases full of novels and manga, a Kindle with an ever growing library, and online serials she avidly follows. She also has a fondness for vintage American sitcoms and modern sci fi and fantasy TV shows. When not reading, doing her educational assignments, writing, or indulging in her other hobbies, she spend time gaming with her younger brother, as long as he’s not annoyed her too much that day. Skill she would most like to learn next: surfing.

You can find Lillian on her Facebook or Blog.