Communities by Janice Carter

I've always liked writing about families - their quirks and relationships that rise and fall like tides. All of my books past and current have centered around a family situation with external forces affecting and involving the family. So the Heartwarming line has been a good fit for me, personally and, I hope, professionally.
   The other aspect of Heartwarming books I'm drawn to (besides the romance of course!) is their connection to community. This is a natural segue, for what is a community but a family of like interests and values on a larger scale? That thought led me to wonder how big a community can get. Can a whole country be a community, essentially?

Apple picking and cider making on Garden Island
an annual community tradition
      Well yes, I decided. Sometimes under varied and unusual circumstances a country, with all its diverse cultures, can pull together as one. The most compelling proof of this for me was the recent NBA Championship, when our Toronto Raptors won the title. The entire city - and country - was feverish with excitement as Toronto's home team won round after round to get to the finals. The team had come close before, but never quite this close. The media highlighted daily recaps of games, player profiles and predictions. Sidewalk billboards and signs in store windows in my neighborhood cheered on the Raptors. Some restaurants featured special 'Raptor' burgers and other basketball-themed specialties. The enthusiasm wasn't restricted to regular basketball fans and in the last few days, interest reached almost epic proportions as everyone began sporting Raptor regalia. My daughter, a long-time NBA and WNBA fan, couldn't bring herself to watch the final game...the suspense was more than she could bear. She preferred to see history in re-plays! I'm not a basketball fan, but I too was caught up in the mania. For a few days the entire country (give or taker a few disinterested souls) came together with a single wish - that the Raptors would win.
    Sports can do that, bring people together. And so can grief. Two years ago Canadians mourned the death of Gord Downie, the lead singer of the iconic Canadian band - The Tragically Hip. He had a brain tumor and despite the fact that time was quickly running out for him, Gord and the group decided to make a cross-country tour in 2016 to raise money for cancer research but also, to give Canadian fans a last chance to see a beloved group perform. Fans filled stadiums, parks and city squares across the country, watching the concerts on 'Jumbotron' screens.
    My family and I were at the cottage when The Hip came for its last performance in Kingston Ontario, Gord's hometown. The Prime Minister and other dignitaries and celebrities attended at the arena in town. We watched the concert live-streamed on my laptop computer while others on the island rented TVs and held 'Hip' parties. But these were poignant, nostalgic gatherings as the band played all our favorites for the last time.
    There are many occasions when large communities unite - natural disasters being the most common. But whatever the reason, the fact that some event can achieve a kind of harmony within a community - large or small - proves that people are basically creatures who want and need to share joy, pain and hope. Communities matter. That's why I like to write heartwarming books.

What's the community special to you?

Thanks for joining!
Janice Carter

Twitter:  @JaniceGCarter
Facebook:  Janice Carter

    

Comments

  1. There is a meme on FB that says words to the effect of "I miss September 12." It took a horrible catalyst, but the USA came together after Nine Eleven in wonderful, terrible, indescribable ways. Now, we are split so far asunder I don't know if we'll ever find community again. A thoughtful post, Janice. And you're right--community is one of the charms of Heartwarming. Thank you for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Liz! 9/11 basically brought the whole world together, didn’t it? Would be nice if something good could do that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also enjoy Heartwarming and part of it is that is the value for a character being part of a community. That was the challenge when my Emerald City stories got moved to Heartwarming. I was pleased with the move, but the books had been set in the city because Super was looking for more city orientation. There are terrific things in cities, but community is more easily found in smaller towns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you that communities are more obvious in small towns, Callie, but I also think big cities are comprised of smaller communities based on a variety of characteristics. I noticed this in NYC this summer, going to Greenwich, Little Italy and Chinatown. They really make big cities more interesting.

      Delete
    2. I almost wrote about that in my reply, that large communities are often most successful when they are built of small communities. A neighborhood, a block, a small group gathered because of common interest or experiences, etc. Even large service organizations often need to be comprised of smaller groups because there's no way a large group knows each other with the closeness that people often seek. (I always liked the theme song from the series, Cheers--about it being nice to go someplace where everyone knows your name.
      I agree that the variation makes a city interesting and I love a sense of cultural diversity. In the U.S. that's who we are.

      Delete
    3. And here in Canada too, Callie! We’re lucky, aren’t we?

      Delete
  4. I so agree with you about communities. Great fun when a team takes over the energy of a city, which I've experienced in Chicago and Green Bay. I haven't found a qualitative difference in a sense of community in big or small places, just different flavors, but the smaller towns are easier to capture in our stories, I think. Readers seem to like getting to know their way around our settings and connected characters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point Virginia about the qualitative aspects of smaller communities. We can relate more for sure.

      Delete
  5. Sports teams definitely provide a common connection. One of my sisters love in Toronto. She's never been real sports minded but she kept all of us in touch with the Raptor fever. I live in Tuscaloosa Alabama and have been lots of places in America with our Bama car tags and had strangers high five us and say Roll Tide. It is much nicer when a positive like winning teams unite us instead of waiting for tragedy to strike. I grew up in a small town and love the sense of community of people knowing your mom and dad or siblings. I'm like my characters enjoying that sense of belong too. Really enjoyed your thought provoking post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you! And you’re so,right when you say that it’s so much nicer when a positive unites us. I think growing up in a small town would be an advantage in many ways. You’d feel like people would ‘have your back’, so to speak. And also have a sense of generations.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Community is a wonderful part of Heartwarming. There is that small town familiarity--I remember when I volunteered to run a errand for a teacher in high school and drove to get some party decorations or something. When I got home after school, (5 miles from town) my dad immediately asked why I was downtown during school hours. But it's not just towns and cities. I see community in schools, churches, neighborhoods, sports, even restaurants. Thanks for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your high school story is funny Beth! It sure is easier to escape under parent radar in a city. And yes, communities are everywhere groups of like-minded people gather I believe.

    ReplyDelete
  9. As a parent, there is nothing as wonderful as having non family members truly care about your children when you're a part of a close knit community.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment