#wanagi

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

lakota_man

The Lakota believe that when we are born we are assigned a wanagi. A wanagi is like a spirit from a star. When we complete our life cycles here on earth we travel back to the star of our inception. This epic voyage is known as making the journey. We return home — to the Star Nation.

My father’s journey was epic and he was welcomed home by the Star people, of the Star nation.

[wandaluvstacos]

Inktober - Craig from Wanagi

[wandaluvstacos]

Inktober drawing of Stan from Wanagi

Quick Summary of the Character:

Stan is a socially awkward introvert that makes his living as a medium and popular Youtuber. He “despooks” people’s houses and films himself doing it. What he doesn’t tell anyone is that the ghost of his late husband still lives in his house.

[wandaluvstacos]

So this may be kind of a weird request, but it’s something I am willing to pay for should anyone be the person or know a person who could help. I can’t afford the price usually paid for editors, so it would not be an editing thing or anything thorough. A casual read-through is perfectly fine.

If I ever self-publish Wanagi, I need to make sure there are no elements that could be potentially offensive to the Lakota it hopes to respectfully depict. If there are any readers out there who are Lakota/Sioux or who know someone who is Lakota/Sioux who would be willing to read through Wanagi (100,000 words) please send me an ask or message. For context, the story spends a lot of time on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota, so any personal knowledge of the setting would really help too!

Thanks!

[wandaluvstacos]

Book Week: Wanagi

Wanagi Start Date: 2015 End Date: 2016 Genre: Contemporary Drama/Horror/Thriller (mxm) Rated: 18+

Stan is best known as “Spooky Stan”, a medium who makes a living vlogging about de-spooking houses and interacting with restless spirits. When he gets a call from a wealthy widow in South Dakota about a haunted mansion, he and his cohort Abby are on the case. What he thought would be an in-and-out job turns complicated, especially when Stan comes across a desperate spirit who leads him to the remains of a girl who vanished five years ago. Even worse, her cousin is Craig Marshall, a Sicangu Lakota man who catches Stan trespassing on his land. Convincing Craig of his talents is easy, but getting deeper into the disturbing mystery behind a missing teenager and a haunted mansion could prove more dangerous than Stan thought.

LINK: Fictionpress, Gay Authors

Contains: Elements of horror

Status: Not finished

[wandaluvstacos]

So I finished Wanagi and I am very proud of myself because it’s about 100,000 words, which is a good, manageable length. I write such long behemoths that I’m excited when I don’t. XD

Anyway, I’m not sure if the ending is happy by every definition, but it’s a hopeful one. :)

[wandaluvstacos]

Stan and Henry (and Crochet) during happier times.

[wandaluvstacos]

“After we arrived at the apartment, Abby vanished into her room. I dressed in my pajamas and brushed my teeth, but I sat awake on my bed, digging out my phone to stare at for five minutes before finally working up the courage to text Craig.

           Talked to Abby on the way home. I’m sorry I lied to you about my husband. I’m still in a bit of denial, and it’s hard to talk about. I also apologize for Abby. She means well, but she doesn’t hold much back.

           Please don’t be mad.

           When I didn’t receive a reply in the next few minutes, I worried that Craig despised me. Just when I turned out the lights and huddled into a miserable ball in the center of my bed, my phone buzzed and the screen brightened. When I grabbed for it, I knocked it to the floor instead, forcing me onto my hands and knees so I could bend over the side of my bed and search for the thing in the dark. When I finally retrieved it, I read Craig’s text with shaky hands.

           No prob, all good.

           I couldn’t help but laugh. Normally I’d take a short reply to mean anger, but Craig’s brevity was common, allowing a surge of relief to lift within me. Feeling a bit too daring, I texted back, So… are you bi or what?

           Three seconds later, Craig’s reply: ;)

           With a  sigh of frustration, I tossed my phone onto the nightstand. I’d deal with Craig’s enigmatic answers later.”

--excerpt from Wanagi