How I Became Inspired to Write a Visionary Fantasy Series – Stella Brians

New England Inspiration

I grew up in Norwich, which is a little town in Connecticut rich in beauty and in history. Old buildings lined most streets, and are still used as existing businesses. The Norwich Post Office was built in 1905, in the Classical Revival design. I attended Norwich Free Academy, a high school mainly composed of very old and beautiful buildings. Perhaps the most notable is the Slater Museum. The museum has always kept a variety of different art pieces, but what always stuck out to me was the plaster cast collection of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Italian-Renaissance sculptures. I lived down the street from my school, which was very close to the Yantic Cemetery, and the Indian Leap Falls. The Yantic Cemetery was special, because it was built in the Victorian era, back when they used to design graveyards like gardens. Pathways, trees, and aesthetically pleasing graves were only a few of the lovely features. I would often come to the graveyard, to walk and have some time alone to think. Sometimes, I felt as though the tall trees could hear my thoughts. It is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been to, and there is something about it that does not make one fear death nearly as much.

          

Images courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Norwich is teeming with Native American history, is bordered on all sides by old buildings each with their own story, and natural beauty such as the Indian Leap Waterfall. The middle school I attended was formerly a Thermos Factory, and there was always something about New England rain that fascinated me.

How I Came To Write Visionary Fiction

New England has a very New Agey feel to it. Perhaps it is because of the Salem Witch Trials, or because it was the original and rightful home of many Native Americans. Whatever the reason is, I am very glad of it. When I was thirteen, I met an elderly woman who told me about past lives and spirit guides. We would visit and talk at length about these subjects. She told me that I was an Indigo Child, and a very old soul. I was already interested in Wicca and Creative Visualization, and had read several books on each. I do not identify with a specific religion, but I will explain to those who ask that I have New Age beliefs. Over the years of exploration and reading, I finally decided to write a Visionary Fantasy Series about old souls who die, and live together in an afterlife known as Wysteria. In the series, visualization, communication with the Universe, paganism, and old souls are discussed. I plan to go into these topics even further in my third book.

There have been many books written on Wicca, Meditation, Creative Visualization, and all sorts of Metaphysical topics. However, there seems to be a lack of fiction books exploring these New Age topics. Sometimes, people are unfamiliar with the wide-span of beliefs associated under the New Age umbrella. They may come from a very religious family, or just have never been introduced to it. Fiction is a great way to reach out to people, in a very gentle way. Rather than publishing a ‘How To’ book, I created a world that resembled the one I had lived and became comfortable in. As a child I was very withdrawn and quiet. I lived in my own world, created characters for it, and I loved to sketch and write. In my Hidden World of Wysteria Series, the main characters are misfits who are quiet and not apt to fit into society. They no longer feel a connection with the world, and look within themselves for answers.

About my Hidden World of Wysteria Series

The first book in my series, The Paperback Writer of Central Park, was originally supposed to be a short story about an impoverished young woman who lived in New York City. Several edits later, it became a love story between two old souls who did not fit into the world, but still wanted to help others. In the end of the book, they meet a kindly old wizard known only as Zeferaus who invites them into the afterlife dimension, Wysteria. What I like about writing Visionary Fantasy is that it allows me to intimately incorporate who I am, where I am from, and what I believe with an abstract leniency. My series is a safe space for myself, and for others who wish to learn more about reincarnation, spirit guides, paganism, and so on. It is so important to me that others who are different or are on their own spiritual journey feel a sense of comfort knowing that there is something out there, and that the author cares very much about them.

Another important element in my Hidden World of Wysteria Series is New England nature, and animals of all kinds. I plan to also go over tree spirits and communication, from what I have researched. In the series, the trees (particularly willows) are very wise, and often times the animals are a guide of some kind. Kindness, love, and understanding are dominant themes as they should be in all life and death, and in all spiritual and religious facets. The Universe is written into the series as the creator of everything, although some characters who are partial to pagan views mention the Goddess. It is important to note, that some ideas are fictionalized as the genre is fantasy. While there is much truth within my stories, I like to add an element of fiction to avoid sounding preachy, and to always encourage people to think for themselves. This is very important to me.

In November 2016, I self published The Paperback Writer of Central Park, and in December of that same year I released the next book in the series simply titled Wysteria. Currently, I am working on the third book which will continue to focus on spirituality, paganism, and tolerance.

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About the author

Stella Brians is a New England native, and the author of The Hidden World of Wysteria Series, which she continues to write. Her hobbies include taking walks in the rain, sketching, watching old movies, and spending time with her soulmate.

Visit Stella’s website at The Paperback Writer

To purchase The Paperback Writer of Central Park, click here

To purchase Wysteria, click here