Wednesday, November 4, 2015

VISIONARY FICTION: The secret power of the written word...and how to do what you LOVE!

There is great value in a well told story, perhaps more than we realise. Any entertaining, well written novel which takes you out of the repetitive humdrum of everyday life is one thing, but what about expanding your consciousness? Is it possible to evolve from simply reading a fictional story? This is where the newly emerging category of ‘Visionary Fiction’ comes into play.

According to the website www.VisionaryFictionAlliance.com  (which I highly recommend you take a look at) the genre has three main characteristics:
 Growth of consciousness is the central theme of the story and drives the protagonist,
and/or other important characters.
 The story oftentimes uses reincarnation, dreams, visions, paranormal events, psychic
abilities, and other metaphysical plot devices.
 The plot [or story] is universal in its worldview and scope.

So by reading quality Visionary Fiction, you are effectively taking in spiritual and esoteric wisdom while at the same time having fun on the ride. Reading this type of material opens your heart and mind to new possibilities and potentials, or what futurist American Barbara Marx-Hubbard calls ‘conscious evolution’. James Redfield, Carlos Costenada and Kate Atkinson are all well-known authors who apply to this category and it’s sub-genres.

As an award-winning and Amazon #1 writer in the genre of non-fiction Spirituality, I was looking for a way to share esoteric wisdom with as wide an audience as possible. That’s how my new novel THE SOUL WHISPERER: A Tale of Hidden Truths & Unspoken Possibilities came about.

At the end of September 2013 I managed to take two weeks away from the bedlam of work. I needed a rest, and France was the ideal place to reinvigorate my spirit and clear my head. The first week was spent in a small house in the Montagne Noire of the Tarn, cleaning, gardening and going about general D.I.Y repairs. Each day (at high altitude) was a bit cold and grey and I have to admit, a touch depressing. After all, when you’re living in England, the last thing you want when you’re on holiday is rain! Was this damp outlook going to be the extent of my much needed break from running one of the largest spiritual retreat centres in
the UK?

By the end of the week, I moved out of the mountains, and into the sunnier climes of the Languedoc-Roussillon, staying at a lovely little 'gite' (cottage) hidden away in the heart of this beautiful countryside. It turned out to be the most amazing week of my life. The area of the French department of the Hérault is covered in stunning steep rock formations, crystalline rivers and the sweet scent of wild herbs carried on the warm breeze is never far away. It was so deliciously warm and dry.

As I unwound and relaxed, I was overcome by a sense of needing to write, which was in no way planned, and most unexpected. But I followed the deep sense, purchasing a decent pen and a couple of note books. I sat on the picnic bench of the sunny terrace and began to scribble, and within a couple of days, I’d filled the two notebooks. I brought all the local places into the story, and everything that happened became part of the esoteric fiction I was writing. Journeys and visits became part of that story, as did people and places, fitting together like a real life puzzle.

The stunning setting of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert became the ideal backdrop. A truly magical village, a charming sun-kissed square filled with ancient houses made of golden amber stone. The village is surrounded by tall, overhanging rock faces, as if they’re protecting its secret history. The impressive but somewhat daunting Abbey, the ‘Devils’ bridge standing tall over the gorge, the dramatic caves of Clamouse… I was entranced.

A trip to Limoux enabled me to gather French names from the cemetery, and. parked up on the side of the road there, I sang an intuited chant, recording it with my Dictaphone… it all seemed to be part of the blossoming story.

I returned to the UK feeling fulfilled, and went back to work as usual. A few months later, an unexpected debacle at work led to many changes, including my departure. It was a difficult few months for all concerned. In the depths of not knowing what to do, I returned to my book. I started transcribing the notes from the two exercise books onto the laptop. Once I’d written the story-line, I contacted a few people, including a mainstream publisher. Each person responded positively, which gave me the encouragement I needed to spend the next 9 months working solidly on the manuscript. Following the perfume of the Soul, I found my
literary agent / manager to help with the novel and collaborated with a Grammy Award Winning producer (yes, the chants on the Dictaphone!) and a talented young script writer also joined the project.

Now, with a completed novel 'The Soul Whisperer' I am doing the work that I LOVE. Through words and music, I feel I am expressing the truth of who I am - and I can actually feel the resonance of that in my being. It's like the way ahead is flowing and clear, and that brings peace and fulfillment. It's as if that time in France guided me towards the clarity of my soul.

I think the most any one of us can do to grow is to find and follow what we LOVE, for in doing so we converge with the intelligence of the Soul. The true nature of the Soul works for the totality. So in following Soulness(the consciousness of the Soul), we all contribute uniquely, but simultaneously benefit the individual and the whole. I sincerely hope that anyone who reads this book receives fun, thrills and something ‘more’ for them individually, for that is the intention and the goal.

‘The Soul Whisperer: A Tale of Hidden Truths and Unspoken Possibilities’ is due for release on 26th February 2016:
Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/1LxqLo1
Amazon U.S. - http://amzn.to/1Pm4NHp
YouTube book trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8l87IQ-PDU

For more information, visit the author’s official website: http://www.authorjmharrison.com.