IIllustrations depicting Amelia's world (click to enlarge)

A character needs a world to inhabit. This world is created within the mind of Amelia. It comes alive in her dreams and evolves from the cumulative effect of her real world existence. Dreams are irrational, and act in a manner that’s not typical of the real world. They are a result of fears and hopes, as our subconscious mind attempts to make sense of all the information we gather throughout the day and throughout our lives. Given that Amelia’s world has been littered with dark experiences, her mind parallels that existence.

The illustrations, by Lorna Bennett for the Missing Amelia production, provide us with a window into Amelia's perceived world. Characteristically, I wanted it to have some old world charm, yet remain firmly within a modern society. So by extending old districts of Montreal and Quebec, I can capture Amelia’s current place of living. She currently resides in a multistory foster home that is a refuge for other children whose past experiences are similar.

Her original home is a place of exuberance and excessiveness. It frames abuse as a condition that crosses all societies. And so it does. But her vision isn’t in the beauty or success it ideally should represent, but in the fragments of anger and fear it generates. It’s emotional. Assumptions drive her perceptions and truth is seldom found. Her dilemma is in discovering what that truth is. An analogy commonly used is the elephant in the living room. A truth so large, yet nobody seems to notice. This logic becomes the foundation of the story, and the challenge for Amelia is moving around it to discover the real truth.

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