Don’t forget! I’ll be signing copies of my book, One Knight Only, on Friday, June 8 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Come out to A Real Bookstore, The Village at Fairview, 113 Prairie Road, Fairview, TX 75069. Located east of I-75 just north of Stacy Road. Other authors signing that night are Sasha Summers, Kelly Lee, Karilyn Bentley and Liese Sherwood. Hope to see you there!
Hey gang! I have another guest today. I think you’ll enjoy this one, so stick around! And don’t forget to post a comment!
Daydream Believer
by Paula Edinburgh
I do a lot of freelance writing, so I am beginning to feel a little bit challenged when it comes to finding new ways to write about what can sometimes feel like the same old thing. I have begun an interesting experiment, and I am finding some success. What am I doing? I am spending time daydreaming. Actually, I have a pad next to my bed, so I can write down any ideas I have before I fall asleep, when I wake up in the middle of the night, and when I first wake up in the morning. It is amazing what a resource this is becoming.
I started by daydreaming about my personal history. For instance, I was planning on writing a short story. I knew some of what the story would be about, but I could not decide on a setting. I thought back to my childhood. It was full of happy memories. I remembered my back yard. To me, that place was heaven. A wooden fence surrounded the space and when I was little, I felt like a princess in a castle. My parents loved to garden, so the place was always full of flowers, fruits and vegetables. It was shady and cool. When my sister and I were dying of the heat in the summer, my mom would turn on the sprinklers. My sister and I would run around like whirling dervishes. I decided to use that place for what was slowly evolving into a romance. Problem solved.
This daydreaming has led to some other interesting experiences. It gives me time to think not only about the places I have been and the way I grew up but the person I have become, as well. We do not always spend time doing that. We do not pause in our lives and reflect upon not only who we are but where we are going in life. We go, go, go, even though it seems we are going nowhere.
I have also discovered another interesting phenomenon. Because I fall asleep daydreaming, I dream more. The dreams are vivid, and I am often surprised at what I find written on my pad in the morning. It is not some ghostly thing. I remember the dreams later. I just do not remember all the details. Now, I have them in black and white, and what a font of ideas they are.
My husband and I have a lot more to talk about. I share some of the things I am thinking and feeling. It has him thinking, too. He shares more of his childhood and does not even mind if I steal some of his material. Together, we reminisce about our own relationship, and that has made it even more loving and strong.
All in all, daydreaming has proven to be rewarding in many ways. I spend more time talking to my parents about my childhood, and I believe they see that as the gift that keeps on giving. I cannot help but wonder what the future will bring.
Paula Edinburgh is an online instructor with The College City. She has been a freelance writer for more than a decade.
