Ok I admit it – I’m insatiably curious about all kinds of things that are ooky and spooky, and a little bit weird. But – I’m still a regular normal everyday kinda person who most people think when they meet me, that I’m far too ‘regular’ to be ‘into all that stuff’. But the reality is, I love ghost stories, experiencing spirituality close up, and learning all about life after (this) life too.
This is a world that offers so many stories and opportunities to explore what makes us get goosebumps or cold shivers. And that does not necessarily mean the kind that Stephen King writes about, but everyday things.
I’m talking about widows who keep feeling like their spouse is still lying in bed beside them, or having funny things happen every time you turn on the radio, or being haunted by disgruntled former lovers or friends who just want to finish things properly before they complete their own ‘crossing over’ phase of dying. This was my inspiration for Beyond the Shadows, but also a chance meeting played a big part in starting that story.
I love helping people to understand how mediums work, what we see, how we experience and interpret interactions, and most of all I love helping to take the ‘woo-woo’ out of the every day ooky spooky stuff that many of us simply put down to weird coincidences or imagination.
For me, inspiration to write stories based on having some element of these things helps me to share what I’ve learned through dealing with death, spiritual residual energies, psychic attack, and friendly mischievous ‘ghosts’ in pretty much every day life. There are so many curious people, and those who have passed away often do want to let us know they are still around in various ways and that nearly always makes for a great story.
Inspiration to write is easy. Writing is easy. But finding time to write all the many stories I want to be able to share with my readers… well that’s the real challenge!
Here’s what I have found helps me to write the many stories I start:
- Keep a file that is started stories – many are just the first few paragraphs or an outline of something inspired by an event, conversation, person or thing.
- Review that file and see what bubbles up when I’m ready to start a new story.
- Start writing and see if it flows.
Rinse and Repeat steps one to three. Something like that anyway. 😉