Spirit Story…an Old Genre Reawakening

Admitting that the cosmology expressed in Sacred Vow is a truth to me, I have often been questioned about my choice to present my truth in the format of fiction.

I personally have always been inclined to fiction for expressing truths, much the way myth and stories have historically been used to portray the essence of the ineffable. I do not see fiction as non-truth, but rather as something that can be more like an extended mantra…a means to comfortably invite the reader (or writer) into opening up and allowing their personal truth within to present itself from through the story. This method can offer a living, ever-progressing truth, perfectly fitted to the need of the reader at any given time—as opposed to merely a presentation of my truth, which may or may not be relevant.

A path of communication with the subconscious—as opposed to a communication with the conscious mind—is alive, more a communion between the personal subconscious and the Collective Consciousness, possibly awakening or speaking to the personal consciousness a little along the way. A living story is also capable of presenting varying, perhaps what appears to the conscious mind to be opposing, truths at every reading—again, depending on the current need of the reader. This is the nature of a myth or a Spirit Story.

For me, one of the most important things in successfully conveying a Spirit Story is the rhythm—something like a powerful drumming circle. Now the rhythm I am speaking of may be the audible rhythm of the words. It might also be the tempo of the unfolding story, the flow back and forth of the relationship of the characters.

Drumming may be very pleasing to the ear and still be far from what is necessary for opening up the sacred space for the mind and spirit to fly beyond what is normally perceived. The same is the case with a story. It may be eloquent, well crafted and entertaining to the intellect and/or heart without being able to make a deep communication with the spirit that affects a lasting change in the person. Mystical drumming is a mantra of percussion; Spirit Stories are an extended mantra, in story form.

There have always been gifted storytellers who can consistently weave a tale, just like mixing a medicine, with an intention of curing an exact ill—on inducing a specific experience—in a specific person or audience. I aspire to this talent, but would not dare claim such a thing to be under my full control. In the case of my novel, Sacred Vow, I was drawn to a concept (introduced to me by my wife). At that point all that was required of me was to be open to the story, perceptive of its resonance (or rhythm), and then accurately capture the vibrational frequency of my experience in words.

Spirit Stories are alive, and they will come into the world when it is their time and their choosing. They are manifest by a collective effort of their readers-to-be and the writer. In the places of Spirit, cause and effect are not linear, and their interactions are continuous. There is no linear process of a creation of a Spirit Story, and then the book is there for the reader. The future readers even now open a place for Sacred Vow to manifest, and speak to me in the past to create an individual capable of allowing the writing to come forth.

Spirit Stories say as much as we have the heart to hear, and that story will change as we change—story and reader co-create each other in a spiraling dance. The finite words on its pages do not attempt to contain all that it is to say. Though the last word has been written, Sacred Vow is also an "unfinished" work—and it has not said all that it will.

People come to me, and teach me what they have found in Sacred Vow. These things I alone could not find within the story. A Spirit Story’s truth is growing, an ever-progressing horizon. Sacred Vow taught me, awakened me in the writing of it, but I have always known that the next phase of my education is what comes to me from my writings, through the readers it has brought itself to. And I am looking forward to this continuing conversation!

Copyright 2008 CG Walters

This is my truth. Only you can determine if there is any value in it for you.

C.G. Walters primarily writes fiction that focuses on the multidimensionality of our loves and our lives. His current novel, Sacred Vow is a metaphysical novel about a man who responds to the mysterious call of [his soulmate], opening the way to redefinition of both himself and his understanding of the world around him…Highly recommended. —Midwest Book Review.

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In celebration of CG’s upcoming non-fiction book, Strike a Chord of Silence, for a limited time autographed/signed copies of Sacred Vow are available for $4.00US plus shipping!

Purchase a signed paperback copy from http://sacredvow.dragonsbeard.com/ – or buy from your favorite brick and mortar, or online store (Amazon.com ). Purchase Sacred Vow as ebook http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=79405&Origine=3971 or the Amazon Kindle version

Many thanks to The Writers’ Block Carnival - writers from across the blogosphere , Lexi Sundell Carnival of Creative Growth #22 , John Wolfe March ‘08 Paranormal Carnival , a carnival of speculative fiction on The Writers’ Block , and Alex Blackwell Personal Development Carnival: Issue 31 for featuring this article.