UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While many children and people enjoy daydreaming as a diversion, one Penn State alumna discovered the importance of daydreaming and it led to the creation of her first novel.
Vanessa Poulson released her debut novel, “Through Neighboring Windows,” in early February under her pen name, Vanessa Frances. The book compiles 18 stories that dig into the complexity of human experience and the impact external forces have on people, their communities and their world.
Poulson said the book serves as a reminder that, even amid chaos, people have the power to shape the future and to bring change together.
Poulson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in digital journalism and media from Penn State in 2020. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law and Graduate School. She works full time as the managing editor and associate product marketing manager at Paragon One. She works as a marketer, managing editor, musician and dog walker.
Because of her many responsibilities, Poulson rarely had time for herself. However, she managed to find the motivation to incorporate writing into her daily schedule — and she schedules moments of daydreaming into her writing process.
“Daydreaming is the most important part of creation, because if you do not have time to daydream then you are opening yourself to writer’s block,” Poulson said.
Poulson sits in her backyard in Orlando, Florida, on a couch where she stares at the green leaves with a journal in one hand and a cup of tea or coffee in the other. It allows her to pick up a pen and write all her thoughts, whether it is for her book or the corporate world.
“When you are world building for fiction or nonfiction, imagine the environment where you want for your story and write it,” Poulson said. She said 85% of the time she is daydreaming to figure out the plot of the story or living through its characters.
Poulson had challenges depicting the 25 characters accurately in her 18 stories in the book. She lived inside each of the characters' heads to understand how they would react or respond to a specific situation. “Every time I interact with someone or observe people at a coffee shop, I make them a character in my mind,” Poulson said.
From March 2022 to February 2023, she remained motivated to finish her novel through observations and her imagination. She was dedicated to giving readers a space to learn about the idea of collectivism and the need for it in society.
“The message of the book was so important to me even with all of my business because all of my work is interwoven in the community,” Poulson said.
Like any writer, she had moments where she did not want to write because of her busy schedule and life. Poulson said she tricked her brain into believing she was excited to do work. That was her key to success and finishing her book in a reasonable amount of time.
“This is not work, it is a fun activity even if it is tedious and time-consuming,” said Poulson, who shares her story and work on Instagram.
Poulson's hard work did not go unnoticed by her readers as she had a positive interaction with a local bookstore owner who carried her book. The owner explained to her that he had been thinking about the cover of her book for four days.