Hold Onto Your Dreams by Gerri Brousseau

When I read Toni Kelly’s blog yesterday about dreams, it got me to thinking about something that really happened to me and I wanted to share this strange story with you.  Not so many years ago, and as many of my readers may know, I had a job that required me to take two trains to get to work.  I was spending four hours per day on the train.  Crazy, I know.  To pass the time during this ride, I would read.  I was reading probably two books per week.  One day, after about a year and a half of reading so many books, I decided I wanted to try my hand a writing one.  I had no idea how to write a book.  I had no idea if I had what it took to do something like that.  I had just finished reading The Twilight Series and read an interview on the author, Stephanie Meyers.  She told the person taking her interview that she had dreamed Twilight.  Hmm, ok … well, maybe I could have a dream and write it as well.  Mind you, I didn’t own a lap top, a digital notebook, or IPad, nor did I have a clue about writing.  Still, I had the desire burning in me to write a novel.

Well, from past experience (topics for another blog article), I knew if I asked the universe to bring something to me and I proceeded in my normal day-to-day life as if I already had it, I would, in fact, get it.  Yes, this has worked for me in the past and I will have to relay one of those stories … perhaps tomorrow.

What did I do, you ask?  Well, that night as I was preparing to go to sleep, I sat on the edge of my bed and I said “Universe, please bring me a dream that I will remember and write into a novel.”  And I got into bed and drifted off to sleep and … nothing.  Still, I had my pad and pencils ready and packed in what I referred to as my “train” bag.  I was ready to receive.

The following night as I was preparing to go to sleep, I again sat on the edge of my bed and I said, “Thank you Universe for bringing me a dream that I remember so I will write my novel.”  And just like the night before, I got into bed and drifted off to sleep.  And again … nothing.  Still I remained ready to receive.

Now came the third night, and most would believe me to be silly, or just plain crazy, but again I sat on the edge of my bed and thanked the universe for the dream, speaking as if I had already received it.  And lo and behold that night, I had a dream.  A crazy dream about a woman who comes into possession of an enchanted dream catcher and in her dreams gets drawn back in time and into the arms of the Warrior Chief.  Wow, what an exciting dream it was, and so vivid.  I woke up recalling every detail of the dream and that day I wrote the words “Chapter One,” and “According to Legend” was born.

The words seemed to flow from the pen, as if I were channeling someone from the “other side.”  It was as if the book wrote itself.  I wrote like a woman possessed, and perhaps I was.  I wrote the majority of the book on the train, but I also wrote on my lunch break, while I was eating dinner, and on the weekends.  I remember taking the rough draft to the beach and editing it.  I wrote for months.  Then finally a few months later, I typed the words “The End.”  And I was so full of emotion, I cried.

What happened next?  Well, I by chance happened to see a TV magazine type talk show called Connecticut Style.  A local author by the name of Sandi Kahn Shelton was on.  She was offering a workshop for individuals who wanted to write a novel.  Wow, this could be just what I needed.  So, I called her.  She was not at home, but I left a voice mail and guess what?  She called me back.  She was so kind and so nice.  She suggested I join my local writers’ group, which is Connecticut Chapter of Romance Writers of America (CTRWA) … and so I looked them up on line and went to a meeting.  That was in April, 2010.

During the next two years, I learned a lot from the mentorship program at CTRWA.  I went to all the meetings and conferences.  I became a sponge for learning the craft.  I wrote two subsequent novels, and decided it was time to find a publisher.  And, I did.

I found out later that I am in good company.  You see, author JK Rowling dreamed Harry Potter and she wrote on the train as well.  I tell you this story for two reasons … first, never sell yourself short … don’t listen to the nay sayers, because there are always nay sayers; and secondly, always hang onto and believe in your dreams.

Filed under: romance