Terry Persun's Blog

Pre-AWP Blog Post

I attend the AWP conference every few years, depending on my workload, my financial situation, and my interest in traveling to other states. This year, it’s in Seattle, so it’s easy on all fronts. So, I’ll be there.
When I plan to go to a tradeshow/conference, whether it’s a writers’ conference, a sci-fi conference, or a technology conference, I perform a lot of preliminary actions. First of all, I check and double-check on when the conference starts. Some conferences start a few days before the exhibit floor opens, and may have some very important sessions to go see. Then I consider crowds. I like to get places early so that I miss the long lines.
Then comes the real work: going through the exhibitors list and the workshop/session list. There are always particular people I want to hear speak. For AWP, there are authors that I may never get to see again, or meet personally, so this is a big deal for me. I want to hear their viewpoints, know how they speak, act, behave. Sometimes I’ve read every book they’ve written, so seeing them at a conference like AWP is a thrill and a treat.
When I look through the exhibitors’ list, I’m looking for several things. I want to visit publication that have published my poems or short stories to say thank you, to shake hands with the publisher or editor who has often given up his or her weekends and evening to read other people’s works. I want them to know that I appreciate their commitment to great writing, and am proud to have been published by them.
Another reason to go through the list is to find magazines and publishers I’ve never heard of before. I want to see what’s new, who’s behind the presses, and talk with them about what they’re looking for, what they feel is missing in American letters, and how they plan to fill the gap. I like to hear how excited and committed they are to their project, their product.
And then there are the other writers you meet. Being around books and magazine and writers is the best thing for any writer. This is our tribe, our community, our family, and they all deserve respect and kindness. I want this industry to thrive, for my own pleasure in partaking in all the great writing, not just so that there are places for my work to get published. But it’s a balance. We must support the industry we’re in. We must keep our conversations open and honest. We must help one another along this path.
I try to remember that many small, independent publishers lives are similar to those of writers. They often either work along (for along hours after a day job) or in small groups. They love what they are involved with. They think about it, talk about it, and live it day in and day out. They are our publishers, and we must honor them as such.
For anyone going to AWP, if you see me wandering the halls, say hello. I may also be hanging around one of these booths: Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (booth 907), Booktrope Editions (my fiction publisher at booth CC23), MoonPath Press (my poetry publisher at booth CC7), or The Writers’ Workshoppe (my hometown bookstore/writers’ workshop and gathering place at booth 1307).
* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Eleven novels, three poetry collections, and six poetry chapbooks have been published by small and independent publishers. His novels Wolf’s Rite and Cathedral of Dreams won ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Awards, his historical novel, Sweet Songwon a Silver IPPY Award, and his fantasy novel Doublesight won a POW Best Unpublished Manuscript Award (it is now published). His latest science fiction space opera is Hear No Evil.

Listening to Music

When no one is home, I often listen to music instead of read or watch television or a movie…or taking a walk, a drive, or…. I miss listening to music more often. When I was a child, I had a transistor radio. It was small, operated from I think two double-A batteries, and got poor reception where we lived—in the country.
photo thanks to flkr commonsNone of that stopped me. I would somehow wander around the house or outside and stop and rotate the dial until I picked something up that was fairly strong. I got to where I knew how to get to one or two stations and where I had to stand or lie down to hear best. I used to make up stories while the songs played. Ballads helped a lot, but I could see the whole back story in my mind, and I would carry the story of the ballad out into the future. I knew what everyone wore, what their school looked like, what the weather was like.
Music has always caused me to daydream more than anything else. I can listen to music for hours sometimes and create worlds that I’ll never have time to write about. So, while sitting at home listening to music, I’m creating, but no one may ever see the creation.
What happens to those stories we start and never finish—does someone else finish them? What happens to our characters after the book ends? Why doesn’t an author keep writing about a character until he or she dies and then write about one of the living characters after that and keep the book going as long as the Earth has been going? I want to know more about the characters anyway, more about what they think and feel.
Music brings up emotion in me just like it must for everyone else on the planet. I can cry, and write from that sadness, or I can laugh and write from that joy. With or without lyrics, music has me creating scenes in my head. I’ve written short stories based on a song, and poems based on the line from a song. I’ve even written an entire book based on a song. And there’s more where all that came from. Even without music, I come up with all kinds of ideas. The music then, must add flavor to the idea, or emotion. The combination of emotion and idea. Sure, I can see that.
I hear people talk about having a play list when they write, and I can understand that. Although, often while I’m actually doing the writing, I have to have silence. I can’t write with full focus and listen with full focus at the same time. Either way, the music is still there.
* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel Cathedral of Dreamswon a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is Hear No Evil.

Caring for Horses

While my wife is out of town, I’m responsible to care for our horses. She typically does most of the work with them, so I had to get directions on what to do and when to do it. I help out quite often, but I like to have directions so I don’t mess up. Typically, I read through them once or twice and then I’m fine. After the first day, it all becomes habit, and by the time she returns, it’s like I’ve been doing the work my whole life.
What’s great about this is that my routine changes. I have to be more aware of the clock for one thing. But, besides that, I’m out of my office and around animals, hay, trees. I love to hike and love the outdoors, always have. But with work and novel writing, I’m often trapped in my office for hours. I have to force myself to take walks. There’s always more to do than I’ll ever get finished.
Caring for horses is relaxing and fairly easy. It would become monotonous if I had to do it all the time, but when my wife is away, I actually look forward to it. My mind gets to wander as I’m dishing out grain, gathering batches of hay (pats of hay, we call them), and making sure their water is fresh and full. I think about my latest book, about a poem I’m working on, about a short story I want to write. Sometimes new ideas for books come to me, or a new way to market my books comes up.
But just as often, I simply meditate while working, not letting my mind go anywhere at all. Or I focus on the moment and smell the air, feel the breeze, listen to birds chirp, or the chickens cackle. Breaking the routine of my day is nice, and I think I should do it more often. Then I remember when I had no routine at all and got very little accomplished. Why I have to get anything done is beyond me, but it seems like it’s important to me in this life. So, I go back and forth between routine and out of routine, I let my mind wander one moment and focus the next. I live my life the way it comes, and am happy with it as it is.
* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel Cathedral of Dreamswon a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is Hear No Evil.

Making Phone Calls

For most of my books, I have to do some research. I can’t always fly somewhere, or read a few books, or look everything up online. Even if I could, I’d lose the important aspects of research, which are, for me, talking with other people. I don’t do this all the time, but I find if I want to learn something about a place, for instance, it’s best to call someone local. I’ve gone so far as to pull a name from the phone book (or several names).
When you ask someone from Boston about the quality of the air on a spring evening, you can get wonderful quotes that you can actually use in your novel. “On a spring evening the air smells like French fries cooking from the fast food restaurant down the street mixed with the scent of maple leaves from the tree out front.”
I was once told by a Captain in the Army stationed in Texas that “it gets so hot some days that your sweat starts sweating.” I’ve called doctors and lawyers, truck drivers and factory workers. I’m also lucky enough to get to talk with scientists from all the major universities, as well as experts from NASA, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, as well as Sony pictures, Disney, and Universal. Even if I didn’t know people from these places, I’d call if I needed some intimate wording for a specific thing.
I’m amazed at how many novelists set their novels in the east and almost never mention fireflies in the early evening. And when they do, the words they use are hardly as amazing as actually looking out over a field, or in a year, flashing as though a thousand stars were floating in the very air. It’s unbelievable and extraordinary, and sometimes I just sit and stare when I’m back there.
I know a lot of people who don’t like to make such calls and will do their research everywhere else that they can. Sometimes they make things up based on television shows they’ve watched (that’s where a lot of stereotypes can come from). But, I urge everyone to just pick up the phone. Most people have friends and/or family all across the country, so ask them who they know if you don’t want to cold-call a stranger.
All in all, people like to help, and when they find out that I’m a writer, they’re more than willing to talk with me. It’s refreshing, and reminds me how wonderful people are.
* * * * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel Cathedral of Dreamswon a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is Hear No Evil.

OBLIVION, the Movie

I don’t typically write movie reviews because I think there are plenty of them out there. The reason I chose to discus Oblivion is because I don’t think it got enough attention. It appeared to be short-lived in theaters across the country, and few people talk about it or suggest the video as a good bet for the evening.
I thought Oblivionwas one of the best sci-fi love stories I’ve ever seen, and I highly recommend it. Not only was the plot interesting, mysterious, and original, the acting was superb. The tension between characters from the very beginning set the scene for what was to come. The dream sequences were a perfect overshadowing of the developing plot. And, there were several twists in the movie that I didn’t see coming.
I won’t give the plot away except for what I’ve already said. What I will mention is that the special effects were minimal, but convincing, and the plot ticked away at a nice pace. Since much of the movie was centered on only two characters at a time, there was a feeling of desolation that matched the desolation of the planet. I like those touches.
Much of the time, Tom Cruise’s character, Jack Harper, is alone on screen. At one point he’s at Earl’s Peak in Iceland and the expanse is unbelievable. You can feel it, he can feel it, and that’s what makes for a good movie. There is something about scenes that are “real” and not done on a sound stage that adds depth and value to a movie. This is what I felt while watching Oblivion, a sense that I was alone, that the world had been destroyed, and nothing but nature remained. I loved the cinematography in this movie.
Like a novel, Oblivionhad great, believable characters, an interesting plot with unexpected twists, and a love story that is deep and meaningful. But, what’s just as important to me while watching a science fiction movie is that the science fiction elements felt real, and in Oblivion they felt true to the genre. I won’t tell you the ending, but it was perfect for a science fiction movie. It made you think about what happened, about the results of everyone’s actions. And it stuck with me. Watch the trailers here: http://www.oblivionmovie2013.com/trailer

* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. More than fourteen of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel “Cathedral of Dreams” won a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, “Sweet Song” won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is “Hear No Evil”.

My Interest in Poetry

I’ve been writing poetry since I was in my teens. Bad poetry at first, but eventually after years of study
and reading other poets work, and more study, I eventually started to write publishable works. Every
year I publish five or ten poems in literary journals like Kansas Quarterly and Wisconsin Review, but also in fairly unknown small magazines (sometimes online these days) like Tattoo Highway and bluestem.
I’m just as interested in reading other poems in those magazines as getting published in them. Poetry cuts deeper to the bone than most fiction—and in a much smaller space. Poetry can also be elusive, sticking with you for hours or days (or longer) after you’ve read it. And, poetry is technical, its structure is something that can be played with, adjusted, reversed. I have to consider more than the sentence (as in fiction). I have to consider line endings, pauses, sound and flow. When I write poetry it comes from a totally different place than my fiction. I’m interested in that place, what’s in there.
I have favorite poets, but am finding new poets all the time through reading the poetry journals. Some of my favorite poets include my friend Gary Copeland Lilley, as well as more notable poets like James Wright, William Stafford, W.S. Merwin, Jeanne Murray Walker, Cornelius Eady, and Mary Oliver. Another friend who’s just starting to publish more often is Gerald Braude. You’ll be seeing his work more often, I’m sure.
Overall, my interest in poetry has as much to do with reading and writing it, with the sound of the language, the flow of the words lined up together (including the silences). Of all types of writing, in fact, the silences are controlled by the poet most, just like in music. And isn’t music and poetry similar even if they are not so tightly tied together like in a song.
Poetry has opened doors in my being, in my heart and soul as well as my head and body. Poetry has taken me places I couldn’t have gone otherwise, and am forever grateful that I got to go.

* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel “Cathedral of Dreams” won a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, “Sweet Song” won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is “Hear No Evil”.

The Holidays Have Passed!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m just as happy to see the holidays in the past as I was eager to see them arrive. I like the excitement around the holidays, but after a while the excitement tends to turn to anxiety in many people, and they get testy. I think it’s the crowds or the family, too many days off in a row, cabin fever, who knows. I also think it has to do with obligations: to invite people over, make extra fattening baked goods to hand out, and maybe it even has something to do with all that insane and often boring television that penetrates the holidays with nothing but parades, sports, and old programming—if you’re not interested in parades or sports.
Whatever the issue, once the holidays have passed, I feel I can relax again. My world goes back to normal when it comes to having my weekends to myself, exercising to lose the extra weight I gained, and a return to some regular programming. The Christmas movies are gone by now, and the feelings of responsibility have waned. I can take down the Christmas tree and put the living room back in order. My days go back to a more regular fluidity of writing, reading, and marketing. I like that order of things.
Most of the time…
Order is great when I’m getting my work done, but every once in a while, I stir the pot myself. I take a day to hike through the woods. Head out of town for a conference. Break for a long lunch. The difference between the holidays and their shifting of my routine versus my regular days and my shifting my routine is the fact that I’m in control. I only have to change things when I want to, or when I feel the need. Plus, there is no obligation to do what I’m “supposed” to do.
Maybe control isn’t even the right word. Perhaps a more correct word to use is inspired. I like to be inspired to take a long lunch or a day off, rather than it being expected of me. The inspiration often goes with quiet and alone time, too, rather than the loud and together time expected of me during holidays. And so maybe it all comes down to the fact that I’m a bit of an introvert and like to be alone. Yeah, maybe that’s it, because I still think of the holidays as happy times.
* *
* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel Cathedral of Dreamswon a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is Hear No Evil.

My Personal Score Card

I keep track of publications, sales, etc. and at the end of each year I have a personal score card that I compare to other years. I won’t bore you with the slide show or the Powerpoint presentation, You probably get enough of that at work. But I will tell you that I’m excited about a few of my books for 2014 based on 2013.
But first, the part that keeps me moving forward year after year: poetry and short stories. Although I get a lot of rejections, this year I published ten poems and one flash fiction piece. I didn’t mail as many flash and short story pieces out this year due to just being busy, so my goal is to do better next year. Because I send more poetry out, I tend to do better there, and this year I doubled what I published last year. And, a lot of them were new poems, which means (to me, anyway) that I’ve still got it.
Even better news is that I had my third collection of poetry published this year. Moon Path Press published And Now This, and I’ve done a lot of readings this year to support its publication. The book is beautifully done, which makes it easy to attract attention at readings. (The poems aren’t too bad, either.)
Before I get into my novels, I’d like to give a nod to my technical writing (which pays most of the bills around here). I published nearly twenty-five pieces this year, and then some (I don’t always get copies when one of my clients places a piece). Many of the articles I do are so cool – robots, space travel, 3D printing of…everything you could imagine. And next year looks even better.
My novels are another story. Year after year, I find that people want and read different things – to be expected, I know. And, novels are affected by a lot of outside elements like advertising (that my publisher does), social media (that I do), and word of mouth (which is what I thank all of you for doing). Word of mouth is still the number one seller of books, so whatever success I have is due to my friends, family, and readers. I owe you, so if you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask.
So, this year, my historical novel, Sweet Song, about a mulatto passing as white just after the Civil War was my number one seller. It was on the Amazon bestsellers list at the top five (paid) for nine days. I was dancing in my office. Thank goodness no one noticed. My second best seller is my utopian/dystopian novel, Cathedral of Dreams. This novel was on Amazon’s top 100 (paid) list three times in the past year, and continues to sell.
I had hoped the first book in my fantasy trilogy, Doublesight, had sold better, but it’s been a slow starter. I shouldn’t complain, both my best sellers took over a year to start moving – again, this is because of word of mouth, which is slow to gain momentum. I suspect, since Doublesightis getting good reviews, that things will pick up for it.
My mid-listers this year were Revision 7: DNA, another science fiction title about robots and time machines, The NSA Files, about a shaman detective and the internet, and Ten Months In Wonderland, a contemporary novel about a young Airman stationed in Thailand during 1973 and 74. (Or is that historical?) Anyway, the great thing about Ten Months In Wonderlandis the, 5-star reviews it’s getting. Again, word of mouth is working for that novel. The NSA Files got a great boost from the NSA being in the news so often this year. You can’t plan that one.
My other novels bring up the rear: A newer science fiction novel, Hear No Evil was one of my personal favorites to write. It’s a space opera with military and political leanings. I like the two main characters a lot, and plan to write more about them if the book starts to move. The Perceived Darkness, is another contemporary novel about several couples who meet at a party and one crazy person loosely connected to them. Other novels like Wolf’s Rite, Giver of Gifts, The Witness Tree (my daughter’s most recent favorite), and Deception Creek all bring up the rear. They are older titles that sold fairly well in print at one time. I’m hoping they catch on with their own readership in ebook format. I have noticed that once someone reads one of my more contemporary titles, I sell a few copies of each of these.
That’s the report card. I continue to write in multiple genres because that’s what’s fun for me. I figure if I’m not having fun, then writing is just work. I have to love what I do in order to get up in the morning. Thanks for listening.
* * * * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel Cathedral of Dreamswon a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, Sweet Song won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is Hear No Evil.

What Interests Me

I often have trouble writing blogs and I really don’t know why. For the most part, I can talk, and don’t mind talking, about almost anything. I get into a lot of conversations in a day, and many of them are interesting, some are fascinating.
I suppose one of the reasons blogs are difficult is that they seem so one-sided. I like conversations. When two or more people are exploring ideas it’s fun for me. So, writing without having a conversation is a bit odd. (Note that even when writing fiction, I have more than one character. Maybe this is why I’m told I write great dialog?)
So, for today’s one-sided conversation, I thought I’d cover what interests me. This way, if you want to comment or start a longer conversation, you have a beginning point. Without just saying that I am interested and curious about everything, I’ll try to narrow things down a bit.
Writing—this may be obvious, but for some it doesn’t seem so. This includes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, short stories, pretty much anything. It also means the study of sentences and sentence structure, as well as novel structure, character, etc. And, we’d might as well include marketing and publishing in there. It’s a business, and I’m interested in most aspects of it. I’ve been told that some people don’t know what to talk with me about. Well, there’s number one.
Technology—and I mean almost any technology. I love the way things work, and the way things might work in the future. This type of information is infused in my science fiction titles. I’ve designed (in my head and/or on paper) everything from a flying saucer to weapons, from space ships to drilling equipment, and from dark energy balancers to time machines. I really have fun with it.
Shamanism—this may sound strange, but I’ve been interested in, and have studied, Native American totems, drum journeying, meditation, nature spirits, witchcraft, etc. for a long time. It’s all so cool. There is so much to this world we don’t understand yet, and some of these things put us into altered states where we can learn more about ourselves. I explore this a lot in my novel, “The NSA Files”, which was really fun.
Conscious dreaming—after studying with Robert Moss and taking his dream teacher training series, I’ve become a regular dream chronicler and Lightning Dream Work lover ever since. I believe that “The Three Only Things” is Robert’s book with the widest reach, and that everyone should read it at least once. I’ve read it more than once.
Psychology—how humans relate to one another, what they believe, how they interact with animals, why they are the way they are…these questions and more are the root of much of the character building and character-driven novels I love to read. We are complex and amazing beings, why not study us?
Reading—I’m going to end this short list (it could go on and on) with the one thing that goes along with writing, which is my first love. Without reading and readers, writers are talking to themselves (kind-of like blogs sometimes), and that’s just not fun. I read for story, for character, for place, for idea, and many other reasons. Reading expands my imagination and my ability to dream like no other medium. Read. If you’re a writer, that’s a must.
So, now that I’m at the end of this blog, I realize it wasn’t so difficult after all. If I just think of my blogs as one side of a conversation, my side, then I can get through them without much pain at all. But, now it’s your turn. Let’s talk. What are your interests?

* *Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel “Cathedral of Dreams” won a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, “Sweet Song” won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is “Hear No Evil”.

The Five Stages of Shape Shifting

I really enjoy working things out in my head. I like to come up with explanations on how things work, with full understanding that it’s impossible to actually do so. Nonetheless, I believe that a sound and logical basis for things (and a philosophy about them) helps everything I might write about them to be stronger and more believable.
So, when it came time to write “Doublesight” and when I started writing “The NSA Files”, I wanted to have some sense of shape shifting that I could ground in a philosophy. There’s much more to all this than just my thoughts as you’ll read here. I have longer explanations and examples of each stage that I’ve practiced, that I’ve witnessed, or that I’ve imagined. Believe me, I know there is a lot more information and a deeper understanding of shape shifting than I could ever come up with, but focusing on it has helped me understand my own characters—and that’s why I did it in the first place.
Here you go. The five stages of shape shifting as understood by Dan Johnston, Shaman Detective (from “The NSA Files”) and as used (but not explained) in “Doublesight”.
1-    Action = acting like the animal you wish to shape shift into. Get up and move like that animal, take on its expressions, eat what it eats, sit or lie down where it might sit or lie down. Consider whether it is shy and timid or bold and aggressive.
2-    Sensation = actually feeling like the animal. This is often a mental exercise. Close your eyes and feel yourself as whatever animal you wish. Feel your fur, feathers, hair, and notice how many paws or hooves you have. Sense what it’s like to slither, or stand on four legs, to fly. Mentally get into the animal as much as you can.
3-    Mental shift = Think like the animal might think. Let yourself become wary of humans, other animals, or the environment. Add the action and sensation pieces together. Take on the persona of the animal while moving around. Let yourself want what it wants, see like it might see, and feel like it might feel. These steps are cumulative, so push yourself to include every other step into this one.
4-    Physical likeness = this is when your physical appearance adjusts to be more like the animal you are shifting into. Draw the animal inside you forward until you begin to look like it. Sometimes I can “see” what animal totem someone is carrying around just through how they look, how they act, and sometimes how they dress. This step is the precursor to taking you into a complete physical change.
5-    Complete Shift = this means you are in “animal mind” and “animal body” (your human mind is minor or gone altogether). Your appearance is that of the animal you chose to shift into (usually your totem animal, since that is the one you are most familiar with). Now, you have joined its clan. You are one with that animal. There may be the underlying fear that you will remain in your animal image forever, which is why complete shifts don’t typically last long.
There you have it, my thoughts on shape shifting. You can read more about some of this stuff, along with other journeying and shamanic work in my novels. This is a fun subject to play with, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this.
* * Terry Persun holds a Bachelor’s of Science as well as an MA in Creative Writing. He has worked as an engineer, has been the Editor-in-Chief of several technology journals, and is now marketing consultant for technical and manufacturing companies. Seven of his novels have been published. His science fiction novel “Cathedral of Dreams” won a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist Award, and his historical novel, “Sweet Song” won a Silver IPPY Award. His latest science fiction space opera is “Hear No Evil”.