The concept of the “ghost-walker” is one of the first concepts for my main character that was developed. The actual term comes from my days of being a tour guide for a ghost tour. The guides were called called ghost-walkers in a tongue and cheek sort of way. However in my book it is a person who has the ability to cross over the veil that separates the land of the living from the land of the dead. Thus, in a way, becoming a ghost. However, as i developed this idea i quickly found that such an ability has the potential to turn my MC into a superhero too quickly. Think about it. The ability to move through matter, invisibility and all of the other traits that ghosts display are practically superhuman in themselves. So, I had to limit my MC’s ability to use it. I did this by introducing a limitation. She had to stay focused on staying on the “other side” or she would pop back into the material world.
The idea and symbolism for this came from the Law of Focus. This simple law says that we move toward that which we focus on. You don’t walk down the street looking behind you. You look ahead so that you can see where you are going. Where the eyes lead, the body follows. You go where you look. It can also suggest that your past is not your future. If you want to change your life, simply look toward what you want. By all means learn from your mistakes, but do not dwell on them. Focusing on the negatives only brings more negatives. So why not have a positive outlook? Teach yourself to find and acknowledge the positive things and you will find that more of the good stuff seems to come around.
