Sometimes the Best Things in Life Are Coincidences

Guest post by Mari Mendoza, Tadpole Press judge and Firefly Creative Writing facilitator and writing coach.

I grew up loving to read and write. My kind teacher in grade 2 helped us all ‘publish’ a book that we self-illustrated. The author bio at the end still makes me choke up today. But somewhere along the way, I put my creative dreams away. I believed the lies that said I couldn't pursue creative writing as a job. I believed all of that for decades. Then I found the coziest writing organization called Firefly Creative Writing and started to write poems, tiny stories, and memories. It turned out that I had a lot to say and it was all in me, just waiting.

One summer day, I was sitting with my mom in her backyard and she told me about her oldest sister—one she’d never met who died as a toddler due to a disease we now have immunization for. I was shocked. I had never heard about this aunt. We sat there for hours as my mom shared more and more family stories.

I remember thinking, “If I don’t write these down, they’ll be lost forever.” My mom is the youngest of fourteen children (not all lived to adulthood) and I was her oldest child and the only writer in the family. If it wasn’t for this nudge, I don’t know if I would have ever taken my writing more seriously. You probably have a story, too. About a nudge that pushed you gently to come home to writing.

I wrote those stories down and imagined the rest. Then I got an idea for a young adult fantasy novel and wrote that down. I am currently writing my third novel and have written hundreds of poems and 100-word stories, including some I self-published.

During my YA novel period, I took the plunge and signed up for an in-person Firefly retreat. It was expensive and I was nervous but I did it. It has turned out to be the single best decision I’ve ever made for my creativity. I had never written in community; I hadn’t sat around a table with other writers and talked about inspiration and what we want to make. Let me tell you, it was transformative. And… I kept being pulled in by the work the facilitators were doing. I couldn’t stop watching the way they led us. It was like lightning­—I wanted to do that, too.

When I left that weekend, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So shortly after when Firefly posted a job opening, I jumped on it. I am so grateful to be approaching my 6th full year as a Writing Facilitator and Coach with this nourishing organization. Leading small and large group workshops and doing one-on-one coaching is a dream come true (albeit one I never thought to dream up until I saw what it looked like with my own two eyes).

A couple of years ago, I got really into writing 100-word stories. And I saw that Tadpole Press was looking for a new judge to join their team. I applied and have been working with Amber and the other lovely judges for 6 contest seasons now. My absolute favourite part of this role is gathering with the other team members and advocating for the stories we loved. It’s exhilarating to hear the passion from each other about why we think a particular story should make the top 10. I always leave those meetings with a profound sense of awe and an even deeper love for the written word.

The fact that I work for one organization named Firefly and one named Tadpole is a delicious coincidence. Fireflies live for years underground until finally they sense that it’s time and come out knowing how to fly. Tadpoles magically transform from tiny swimmers into hopping frogs.

At the root of my creative journey (and I am sure this is true for you, too) is magic. The indescribable magic of creating something new that never existed before… the power in calling forth the human range of emotion just through the way we arrange letters. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.

And so, it gives me great pleasure to announce that my two worlds are converging. Anyone who enters the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest in July 2026 will receive 50% off their first month of a Fireside Membership with Firefly Creative Writing. Plus, 2 writers will receive a 4-month membership for free (worth $136 CAD).

I can tell you right now, if you love the  Tadpole community, you will also love the Firefly community. A more perfect collaboration? I can’t even imagine it. 

Fireflies and tadpoles: light and dark. Two halves of a whole. Your story might be different than mine, but I am absolutely sure it has just as much magic and coincidence. 

Cheering you on,

Mari