As a new writer four years ago, Abbie Emmons, a well-known YouTuber, shaped my early writing and continues to shape my writing today.. Her discussions on creating memorable characters, setting scenes, and describing actions while still obeying the injunction to “show don’t tell” directly influenced my work.
This week, as I was deciding what to read next, I realized I had never read one of Abbie’s books, so I purchased “The Otherworld” on Amazon.
Reading the otherworld was a revelation. Abbie’s use of description and activity effectively portrays a place that is so unlike our own existence that it appears to be another world.
The protagonist, Orca, lives with her father, cut off from the wider world, working with him as a lighthouse keeper on an island. Their lighthouse island is a verdant spot of paradise set in the Caribbean.
Abbie’s descriptions are as lush as the island; even her description of the greenhouse evokes movement, and gives character to the plants:
I open the door to the greenhouse and step inside, Lucius close at my heels. A riot of color surrounds me—greens and reds and yellows and purples. Morning glories ribbon up the support poles, pressing their faces toward the ceiling in search of the sun. Beds of romaine lettuce grow in different stages of readiness. Feathery carrot tops drape from deeper beds of rich soil, and heavy vines of tomatoes cling to stakes, covered with small fruit. A long trough of strawberry plants follows the wall at my eye level—red jewels dangling from tender green leaves. Sugar snap peas tangle playfully around everything in their reach, and the pepper plants sit stoically, watching their wild fun. Butterflies dance to and fro, fluttering from blossom to blossom in darting glimpses of yellow and orange and blue and white.
Emmons, Abbie. The Otherworld (p. 17).
Abbie Emmons Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The initial scenes are almost claustrophobic in their setting: three rooms in the lighthouse, a kitchen garden and greenhouse, and the beach. These places are the boundaries within which Orca lives, yearning to see the Otherworld, which we come to realize is the world we inhabit today.
A chain of circumstances around a large storm system upset the increasingly delicate balance in her life just as she turns 18. By the time the storm passes, events have irrevocably changed her.
Abbie’s touch on human relationships is deft, whether describing Orca’s dysfunctional relationship with her father which traps her on the island, or the rivalry between two brothers.
The plot of the novel is not complex, but the story teases out its characters and events in small foreshadowing glimpses, stories and writing from the past that suggest what is to come. The surprise twist is not unexpected, and the dispatch of one brother to foreign adventures is formulaic. However, the beauty of the language employed makes these much more enjoyable than one might expect.
While it is always a risk to assign deeper meanings to an author’s work, we can read this novel as an allegory of the process of entering adulthood and leaving home. Each major transition in Orca’s life happens amid a storm, just as for most of us, there is inner conflict and sometimes family conflict in breaking free. Which of us has not dreamed of entering the larger world? Which of us does not have our own vision of an otherworld, whether it’s geographic, or simply the transition to the freedom of living alone, or with a roommate? As I read the book at 71, these emotions and memories came back to me at many points as I saw myself at different points as the emergent Orca, a brother and a parent.
When she finally returns home as an adult, entering a new relationship with her father, the island and her life, her initial struggles to have her father see the changes in her and to accept her new adulthood will ring true for many of us.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys well-drawn characters and settings, and is willing to dwell in a story as it unfolds at its own pace. For writers, Abbie offers up a worked example and demonstrates her qualification to teach the rest of us in her YouTube videos and courses.
Most of all, she offers a wonderful read that will leave you in a better place than it found you.
About Nerdection Guest Blogger
Kevin R Coleman, an emerging writer in the realm of science fiction and fantasy, is a master of character creation and narrative. Born in England, Kevin’s life journey has taken him across the globe, from Canada to Belgium, Japan, and the USA, enriching his perspective and infusing his writing with a unique blend of cultural insights.
With a 45-year-long illustrious career as an IT manager and consultant, Kevin has amassed a treasure trove of experiences and ideas that serve as the foundation for his imaginative tales. His life partner, Sue, has been by his side for the past 50 years, and together they have raised two sons and are proud grandparents to two young adult grandsons.
A significant aspect of Kevin’s life and writing is his exploration of faith. He has delved into the teachings of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sufism, in addition to his native Christianity, fostering a belief that any religious practice can lead to a relationship with God. His spiritual journey has also led him to explore Shamanism, Tarot, Tantra, Yoga, Chanting, Ecstatic Dance Transfigure Circles, and Animal Spirit meditations. These experiences add a vibrant palette of colors to his stories, enriching them with depth and authenticity.
In Kevin’s books, the spotlight is not on the technologies or the fantasy elements, but on the exploration of diverse relationships and the human response to extraordinary circumstances. His narratives are woven with common yet profound themes of betrayal and redemption, self-doubt and ambition, optimism and despair, heroism and self-sacrifice. Through his writing, Kevin invites readers to embark on a journey of exploration and discovery, where characters come alive and stories resonate with real emotions.
Find him on: Facebook – Website
Leave a Reply