"A Different Journey," a Guest Post by Jennifer Don

Darkness lingers within the shadows, ever stretching outwards with its invisible tendrils. The power it possesses grows stronger by the hour and only a small few can resist it. Unearthly voices can be heard whispering from the depths of its caverns. They call out to unsuspecting individuals who carelessly pass on by, calling them towards the darkness. They are the new sirens of the land and their power is the absence of light.

"Come with us, be one of us. We have power that you would never have imagined," they call out in harmony. Over the years people have been snared, claimed by the growing darkness within the shadows.

So come with me as we explore the depths of these vast caverns in the darkness. But grab those lanterns and keep that light burning as we venture where the sirens dare.  In this world, we know not what lies before us as we seek the unknown in search of new adventures.  For many writers like me, opening the pages of a clean notebook can be as daunting as venturing down the dark alley with sirens calling them. They hear the call and are pulled to write, but as soon as the pen touches the paper, the doubt floods in. Words escape our grasp and spread out aimlessly into the universe.

There is nothing worse than being trapped in the vast darkness with no light to lead the way. The absence of words to a writer is just as daunting as the absence of light. When we are struck, not with a block, but a missing muse, we are thrust into the depths where siren’s call and words drift untouched.

The muse is certainly one of the most important tools a writer has to hand, and when it goes missing some tend to panic. But what is a muse, if not a siren?

Well for many it’s the little voices at the back of the mind injecting them with small ideas or sections of dialog for the writer to use when writing. For others it is a constant source that keeps them inspired and for others it’s the nagging sensation that pulls at you when you’re way behind where you should be.

When a muse is absent, the world is turned upside down.  Only recently my very real muse sadly passed over to the rainbow bridge. She was a real inspiration and offered much humour into a world otherwise left plain. But she wasn’t the only muse that graces my writing field. However all of them had until recently – vanished!

Did they enter the void? Were they pulled down by the new sirens sweeping the shadows? Maybe they did, or maybe they didn’t. They are back now and the role they play is very important. Without them, I would have never written his post. Without them, I would be the one being pulled into the darkness by those unearthly voices that call for us. So remember, when you’re walking down the street at night, and you see shadows move, or hear the voices in the night – double check it’s not your muse talking to you before you run away screaming for your life.

An absent writers muse leaves for a stir crazy writer desperately seeking a new road to wander and a new adventure to snare them. Step wisely and don’t go too far down those darkened streets were unseen hands can grab you. Unless, it is you that has come to the conclusion that you are ready to venture into the unknown yourself, to take the plunge and delve down into the depths in search of something new.

As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder – and many writers this statement may be true, but for others it is further from the truth than you would ever think possible. I mean look at me, I am on the verge. This is the first piece of writing I’ve done since November… well it is when you exclude the memorial poem that was written for my now very absent, but never forgotten friend and muse.

I will leave you with these four lines from Daylight by Maroon 5:

And when the daylight comes I’ll have to go
           But, tonight I’m ‘gonna hold you so close
           ‘Cuz in the daylight, we’ll be on our own
           But, tonight I need to hold you so close

With those words… it seems to be true, when the sun rises my muse vanishes. It is without a shadow of doubt to me that the sirens that call from the shadows are the desperate cries from the muse yearning for my absent attention. Well my friends, trust me when I say that this writer will do all she can to keep writing and I will be listening out for the muse in the shadows.

But will you?

The absence of my friend, my muse, has shown me how her memory deserves to live on and her inspiration to me will help keep the words flowing.

About Jennifer Don 

Jennifer spent many years without daring to lift a pen, without writing a word that wasn’t forced. But 2008 arrived and with it, her love of writing. She began with poetry which quenched her thirst to begin with but soon that wasn’t enough to satisfy her. 2011 arrived with a dream to write her first novel – Awakening, which is on-going. November saw her attempt her first NaNoWriMo, and so Timber Varden was born, with the bulk of it being written within that month. Now she finds herself aiming to re-write that draft and turn it into her first published novel.

Contact

While she aims to work through the edits needed, updates on her progress can be found on here http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferDon

To find out more with regards to her other projects, then check out her blog here http://thoughtsgowild.blogspot.co.uk/

And should you wish to follow her on Twitter, or ask her any questions please see here https://twitter.com/#!/Voice_Of_Spirit

You can also add and follow Jennifer over on Goodreads. You will find that link here http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6155054.Jennifer_Don

Jennifer will be more than happy to answer any questions you have for her. You can contact her at any of the links posted above. Or email her at authorjenniferdon@hotmail.co.uk