Paranormal Perceptions ~ Dreamer's Paradise...Sorta
The Paranormal Perceptions series was created to gather some of the most interesting authors that are using paranormal elements in their stories. Every author has their own perceptions and provides their own insight on all things paranormal, ranging from urban legends and paranormal research, to myths and inspirations. This week on the guest series is author of Chronicles of Kerrigan, author W.J. May(@wanitajump).
Are you a daydreamer? Nightdreamer? Bored-so-I-gotta-make-up-something dreamer?
I’m not talking about dreaming while you are asleep. I’m referring to dreaming to fall asleep or while you on a long drive or waiting for the bus. You’re awake, and in control of what’s going on and who’s allowed to come into the dream.
I have to raise my hand. I’ve been awake-dreaming ever since I can remember. I would read a book and off I’d go on my paper route, pretending to be the main character or someone else in the book.
I probably would have and not thought anything of it except one time, while delivering my papers, I was pretending I was in a foreign country and there were people chasing after me. So I’d drop a newspaper in a mailbox, race to a bush then around a car and off to the next mailbox. Two older girls were walking down the road and started teasing me (I can’t really blame them in hind site). Well, I did what any ten year old kid would do in that situation: I turned my foreign language on them. It didn’t have the same effect as my imagination had thought it would.
That was one time only. After that, I kept my stories inside my head, where they belonged. Till I started writing J Take that you silly lack-of-imagination girls from my paper route!
Hopefully we are all guilty of awake-dreaming (bit embarrassing if it’s only me).
But there’s another twist with my dreaming. If it’s a movie, TV show, book, or just some great idea (it’s always a great idea if it’s our own, right?), I continue the plotline. Could be to get to know a minor character better by giving them a story of their own or change an ending to something I hoped to see, or whatever suits the story. Shoot, I’ve even added more characters (usually a great main character played by moi or something like that J ) It’s fun – like reading a book or watching a movie in my head. Sometimes I’ll even carry the story on for a week or two – or go back (like rewinding), change things up and move forward again.
Awesome Your Life I used to do this in high school and university. I competed in athletics (high jump for those of you who haven’t heard the story) and every once and while I’d get a great plot line going that I couldn’t wait to get out and start training or go for a run. Full focus time on continuing the story. Ahhh…The places I went, the people I met, the things I did – married a rock star, became a famous actress, turned down a hot guy because he wasn’t good enough, dated a vampire, staked a vampire, play professional sports… I’ve done it all! Well, in my dreams at least.
Now life is a tad busier than back in high school and university. Kids, hubby, business, dog, blogging, facebooking, social networking in general, marketing, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, laundry, family, etc… I don’t have the free time I did back then. I don’t train like I did back then either (I’d love to have that body back J ). It’s okay. I still get the freedom to make-believe with writing, but it’s not the same. If I do some dreaming before I fall asleep, it’s never much as I tend to hit zzz-land too soon (or maybe it’s just because I go to bed too late).
Awake-dreaming is fun, so why not?
The question I’m now wondering as I admit this and put pen to paper, am I the only one? Or do other people read a book, get so caught up in it that they don’t want the story to end and continue it on their own? Is this normal? I’m mean, let’s face it, I’ve kind of never really considered myself normal – mainly because I have no clue on what it really is.
About the Author:
Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario -
St.Catharines. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has
had a vivid imagination and loads of energy.
The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister
-- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all
aspects of life.
At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and
field) and before she turned seventeen, she was
representing Canada in high jump. She continued to
compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record
(1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She
attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State
University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-
American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.
But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless
of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m
(5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occassion. She's represented Canada
at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of
every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the
days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling
around the world and the opportunity to read - her favourite past time.
Wanita and her husband now run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables -
particularly jewelry and porcelain.
After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes
he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized
life was too short to keep putting it off.
She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer
of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.
Web:
Blog:
Twitter: @wanitajump
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149
Goodreads: