The Beginner's Guide to Building a Time Machine

Last December I turned twenty-eight,

or was it twenty-seven? I stopped counting after twenty.

Many people do not understand why I stopped counting.

─ But I want to go out and play.

─ But it's starting to rain Noah, you see those grey clouds?

─ But it's Summer! You said last week, this week we would be writing outside.

─ Yes, we all wanted to go outside Noah but it's just too wet.

─ I don’t want to write.

─ We can also draw, did you start on the illustration for your story yet?

─ I want to draw my dog.

─ You can absolutely draw your dog.

─ I want to draw my spaceship like a big ball and I am in it, and also Ollie is in it. We are waiving from the window.

─ That’s a great start, just remember Noah it’s not a spaceship though, the theme is "Time Machines".

─ Space is time. Space folds onto itself and creates the illusion of time.

─ Ahh okay, I didn't know that. So you wanted to use a spaceship to go back in time?

─ Hmm maybe but for that you need a very fast spaceship that goes at the speed of light or faster.

─ Something faster than the speed of light?

─ Like something when you blink and it’s gone, that fast. It vanishes and comes back. Spaceships cannot do that, only time machines.

─ Something faster than time maybe?

─ Hmm nope, you can't do that.

─ It’s only a story Noah, you can create anything you want.

─ You cannot create more time.

─ I thought time was an illusion?

─ It is. It can stretch or shrink. I have noticed if you are having fun it will go by very fast.

─ Ah we are having fun right?

─ I want to go outside.

─ Look here, this is my time machine. You like it?

─ I don’t want to draw it like that. It has to be like a ball.

─ Sure this is my time machine Noah, you will have to draw yours.

─ But all time machines look like a ball and everyone is drawing a spaceship, not a ball.

─ They don’t all have to. You are the builder, you can build it any way you like, after all you will be the one commandeering your craft!

─ But if it doesn’t look like the others it will look odd.

─ What’s wrong with that? Odd might look better, in fact that’s how new things are created, because someone tried something different.

─ Your one looks odd and you don't even have a plasma gun. Every time machine has a plasma gun.

─ Maybe Noah's time machine doesn’t have one. It makes Noah's time machine the only time machine in the entire galaxy to not be weaponized, a vessel for inter-galactic peace!

─ I want a plasma gun on my time machine.

─ Fine, you can get a plasma gun. What else would you want on your time machine?

─ My time machine will have a plasma gun...and plasma lights!

─ Nice and..?

─ It will have plasma doors and a plasma roof and all plasma controls.

─ And how will you build all these plasma things?

─ With a plasma hammer!

─ Of course. What about the body? Plasma Metal?

─ I went to Home Depot with Dad and I saw big rolls of metal sheets.

─ Ahh yes the Home Depot, now you are thinking like a true creator Noah! Will you be including a list of building materials in your story?

─ Maybe.

─ Maybe some plasma nails to go with that plasma hammer then?

─ You cannot have plasma nails or else your fingers will burn.

─ No pun intended.

─ Huh?

─ Never mind, so regular nails then? Are you writing these down?

─ Can we go outside?

─ Tell you what, if you write down the list, we can go outside, but only if you finish the complete list.

─ Can you write it for me?

─ I have to finish writing about my time machine. I can help but you have to write your own story.

─ But you said you like to write, did you finish your book?

─ Not yet but I will, I just have to start.

─ When will you finish your book?

─ How about we finish this time machine story first?

─ I don’t want to write. Can I read?

─ We already read for the first fifteen minutes of the period Noah. Now it’s writing time, everyone is writing now, see? We only have two more weeks left to finish before we start to print.

─ I hate deadlines! I don’t want to write.

─ It’s fine, we can draw instead. How about we just do the drawing for today and leave the writing for later? Do you need any other crayons?

─ Yes I want the royal purple, the golden yellow and...oh yes the orange orange!

─ Here you go. You show those grey clouds out there!

─ Why is there no rainbow?

─ The clouds do look quite grim.

─ How can grey clouds make so many colors?

─ It’s actually the sunlight Noah. It gets sliced through the raindrops which then creates the rainbow.

─ I knew that, I mean like how long does it take before the rainbow comes?

─ Hmm...the clouds need to get big Noah. The water vapour in the air works hard to find other water vapours like itself. Once they become friends, they come together to...

─ Make a giant cloud that rains!

─ Yes, but that is not enough.

─ You need the sunlight.

─ You got it! When the sunlight is just right and when the rainfall is also just right, voila! you get a beautiful rainbow arc.

─ Look at how big those clouds are already!

─ Yes, they've been working hard.

─ But there is no rainbow, it still needs sunlight.

─ Yeah the Sun's out there somewhere.

─ When will it come?

─ It is up to the Sun really.

─ But what if the clouds are not there when the sun comes?

─ Then there is no rainbow.

─ Hmm.

─ But instead you get a sunny day where everyone can go outside!

─ I want to go outside.

─ Ahh I probably shouldn’t have said that, but okay Noah, if you finish this drawing before the period ends we can go out.

─ I will draw Ollie here and then me beside him there and then a big circle around us. You said it doesn’t have to be the right time machine right?

─ I meant to say there is no right time machine Noah, you can create what you want.

─ Can I cut this paper into a circle then?

─ Do you want to?

─ Yes I don’t want to draw a circle inside this paper, I just want a circle shape.

─ I see what you mean, that’s interesting, I don't see any of the others doing that.

─ I shouldn't do it?

─ No absolutely you can but where are your scissors? I don’t see them in your box.

─ Hehe, I lost it.

─ In school? Did you tell anyone?

─ No, I don’t know where I lost it.

─ That’s alright you can use mine for now. In fact, if you get this done I might get you a brand new pair for your birthday, all on me!

─ Can I get the one where the arms are not covered? The ones where you can see all of the shiny arm. Mom has that and it’s easier to cut with.

─ Ahh I see, grown up scissors for a grown up Noah eh, what are you turning 10 right?

─ No 9, I am still 8 now but not 10, 10 is too old.

─ But look at you, under 10 and already featured in so many books!

─ How many have you been in?

─ Zero.

─ When will you write yours?

─ I might need to take lessons from you first Mr. 8th Volume!

─ Huh?

─ This will be the 8th Volume for the Writer's Room Publications Noah, and I think the 2nd Issue of the spring edition.

─ Hmm, I don’t like writing.

─ But you are a master craftsman! That’s it Noah, you got it. Keep the scissors levelled so it cuts smooth all the way round, no ragged edges.

─ Yes I know. I did the same when I was making the planets last month.

─ Ah so that is how you got so good.

─ I used Mom’s scissors for that. It was much easier to cut with and Jupiter was huge!

─ It is the largest planet right?

─ Yes, then Saturn. They are so big they make a huge dent in the space below.

─ In the space below?

─ Yeah, the space gets squished with Jupiter’s weight, like the sofa seat when Ollie jumps on it!

─ Ah you mean the fabric of space and time?

─ Space is time, Jupiter's space makes Jupiter's time go really slow. I would still be 8 there.

─ Ah really? I wonder how that works.

─ I am not too sure.

─ We can get on our spaceships and check it out for ourselves one day.

─ It's a time machine, not a spaceship!

─ Sorry I meant time machine, your time machine looks great. A perfect circle. Good job Noah!

─ Thank you, I like it. Ollie and I are waiving from the plasma window.

─ We can keep this in the cupboard for now and we will finish the story next week right Noah?

─ Yes, I will finish it!

─ Oh look at the time, your Dad will be here soon. Let's start cleaning up.

about: The Writer's Exchange in Vancouver, gets inner-city kids pumped about reading, writing, drawing and essentially their own limitless potential. Term-long projects have these kids creating costumes, writing stories, constructing sets to even starring in their own green-screen dramas. Despite the wide range of evolving projects, my most favourite to this day remains the term-end book: The kids work hard all term to come up with their own creative story which is complied with others into an official themed volume for publishing! On launch day us volunteers organize a performance space for these authors to read their pieces out aloud. There is a mic, an audience and even snacks! When they've finished reciting, we shower them with thundering applause and beg whole-heartedly for an autograph.

Like any artistic process, it is not easy for our authors to always be on the top of their game. That is why we are here: to voyage with them in their creative journey and to help grow their ideas from the abstract to the actual. They may need a little nudge here, a little push there, to spark that inspiration but inevitably by term-end, they have created something we always knew they could. This piece was inspired by one such journey I took with an energetic eight year old soul, Noah (name changed).