Travel Journal: Chasing the Wind

Date:

Author: Janalyn Voigt

Each winter my family walks on the wild side during what we fondly call a retreat. We once traversed a boardwalk across two rugged miles of sand dunes and beach grass in the teeth of a bracing wind from which bits of ice were not absent. Another time we climbed the muddy path to a forlorn lighthouse at what seemed the world’s end. And then I also recall balancing on a jetty as waves licked the rocks below and rain pelted my face. Endurance, in such situations, becomes a mark of pride.

Why make a tradition of such insanity when most other folk are content to remain indoors and unchallenged? It’s hard to explain. That may be odd coming from a wordsmith, but it’s true. There’s a stark beauty to nature in its dormancy, but the attraction is more than that. Perhaps austerity appeals after so much Holiday comfort. As well, there’s something life-sustaining about being outdoors in the wind. The Lowara gypsies maintain they will die without balval. Perhaps they’re onto something.

As we drove through the night to board a late ferry to Whidbey island, I mentally prepared myself for a new test.

It was too dark to see our surroundings well, but we managed to find our bed-and-breakfast without too much trouble. When I looked out the next morning it was to discover with surprise that the road we’d traveled hugged the coastline. Beyond the road a steep hillside fell away into Puget Sound. The view was spectacular, with sparkling water curling against the green island and a few white crafts plying the surface. With the day at our disposal, we traveled to the small town of Langley. It was that penetrating damp cold found in the Northwest, and so by mutual consent we stopped for coffee at a local chocolate shop. Of course the temptation proved too much for me. I’d never tasted salted caramels before, and they struck me as pleasant but a little heavy on salinity but the caliber of the chocolate was not to be faulted.

Our next stop turned out to be Greenbank Farm, specifically the coffee shop, since it had started raining in a cold so intense I was loathe to hike. It was lunch time, so I ordered a bowl of clam chowder followed by salted caramel apple pie. I was determined to get to the bottom of this salted caramel thing. By the time we left the coffee shop, I’d formed the opinion that I like my caramel without salt. I’d imbibed enough of the white stuff by now to raise anyone’s blood pressure.

The rain paused long enough for me to snap a few photos of the pond, which boasted an interesting metal sculpture of a flying heron. But it was getting colder and I was glad to dive back into the car. My husband was in the mood for a hike by now, but all I wanted to do was go back to the bed-and-breakfast and rest. The stress I’d been under lately had apparently taken its toll, and I lacked my normal resiliency. I promised to be more up to the mark the next day, and John let me off the hook. We went back to the fireside and watched travel videos before going to sleep early.

The rain held off the next day but the cold came as an unwanted guest. John couldn’t wangle any extra time off this year, so we checked out of our lodgings. We’d skip the ferry and leave the island via the bridge at Deception pass, but first we wanted to visit Coupeville. We reached it around lunchtime, so we stopped for sandwiches at the local bakery. Since it was Sunday some of the shops were closed, but we went through an antique shop and on the landing explored a gift shop. A pair of colorful book stops in the shape of birds charmed me into taking their photograph. It was too tight in the shop for me to back up enough for the best of shots, but I wanted you to see them, regardless. They seem a happy couple and considerably brightened my spirits.

After visiting a gift shop on the Coupeville landing, we admired the bones of various marine animals hanging from the rafters, and then headed back. Before we reached the street we came across some intriguing steps leading downward. So far this trip we’d had nothing of adventure, so John and I smiled at each other and went down the stairs to the stony beach. The patterns beneath the pier caught my fancy, and I shot some photos there.

The stones on the beach made the most beautiful carpet. I had to capture them as well.

Author Journal: Living a Writer’s Dream

Date:

Author: Janalyn Voigt

Categories: Author Journal

Comments: 11 Replies

Contract Signing for DawnSinger and Wayfarer, the first two books in the Tales of Faeraven epic fantasy trilogy

I stared at the email, half-expecting it to somehow morph into a rejection, but no. It was still a contract offer. Letting out a yelp, I snatched my cell phone to call my husband. Later that same day, after opening another email, I would call him back to share more joy. It was a writer’s dream, and it was all mine. In a single day I’d landed a two-book offer and an agent. Barbara Scott of Wordserve Literary would negotiate the contract for DawnSinger and Wayfarer, books one and two of my epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. Peace and a quiet joy washed over me. It was as if something out of alignment in my life had slid resoundingly into place.

So how did I reach this enviable position? It came through sacrifice, long hours and pain. I had to develop a focus on writing as a career and work toward my goals no matter what anyone else thought. That’s not to say that my family didn’t support me. They did. But the sometimes-deafening silence that emerging authors hear from the publishing world sends a message, whether intended or not: You don’t matter. Against this silence, a writer can consider herself fortunate to receive a rejection. In the face of such discouragement, it’s hard to keep going, but that’s what you have to do. I can’t teach that piece of the puzzle. It has to come from within.

Would I do this all again? Yes, without a doubt. I’d tackle things differently, though. It wouldn’t take me so long to believe in myself and my writing, for one thing. I’d embrace my journey instead of pining reach the destination. I’d study the writing craft sooner. And I’d never, ever let anyone tell me what I can’t do.

Speaker

Date:

Author: Janalyn Voigt

Categories:

Janalyn Voigt’s interview on Alive in Christ radio.

Responses to a devotional led by Janalyn Voigt for Northwest Christian Writers Association:

It connected with my own struggles and blessings with life as a writer.

Spoke to me personally.

Very good. Will be thinking about this for awhile.

Insightful.

A simple story well told. Memorable, thought-provoking message.

Great. Very inspirational.

A very warm person.

Thank you, Janalyn, for sharing your heart.

Finding the right speaker for your event makes all the difference. You want attendees to receive advice, guidance, and instruction they’ll thank you for. Let me know if I can be of help to your group.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Prompt, professional replies to your inquiries.
A personal phone consultation prior to your event to ensure I understand how best serve you and your audience.
An announcement about your event on my blog, Facebook page and social media channels. (If your event is open to the public and you want additional promotion for it.)
A custom resource page created exclusively for your attendees, to help them delve deeper into our topic on their own, including links to books, articles, and other helpful resources.
A brief follow-up after the event to make sure I met your expectations.

Check My Availability Online or email me at janalynvoigt(at)gmail(dot)com. I will respond promptly.

MY AUDIENCES

Book clubs and library visitors will enjoy discussing themes from my books, fascinating research tidbits, and perspectives from life as an author. Inquire into special group rates for purchase of my books. Be sure and visit my book club page for more benefits.
In helping writers to live with passion, write well, and remember to breathe, I stress purposeful living, time management, social media strategies, and writing as both a craft and art.
My focus on purposeful living and time management is perfect for women’s groups, church events, and teen audiences.

I am available for:

Book Clubs
Library Events
Writer’s Conferences
Writer’s Meetings
Bookstore Events
Church Events
Women’s Retreats
Women’s Conferences
Women’s Events
Teen Events
Holiday Events

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

I am a novelist, literary judge, book reviewer, blogger, and speaker. Upcoming events include the Inland Northwest Christian Writers Conference and the Northwest Christian Writer’s Renewal. I am a member of the Northwest Christian Writer’s Speaker’s Connection.

Serving as a literary judge for several national contests, I am also an active book reviewer. DawnSinger, the first novel in my allegorical fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven, released with Harbourlight (Pelican Book Group) in 2012 and will be followed by WayFarer (Tales of Faeraven #2). I also write in the western romance genre and am represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary. My nonfiction publication credits include Focus on the Family, Scripture Press (now David C. Cook) and Pentecostal Evangel. I trained in writing through Christian Writers Guild. My memberships include American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Northwest Christian Fiction Writers (NCWA).

I live with my family in a quiet corner of the Pacific Northwest. We love to explore the great outdoors and fascinating historical venues. In the future I hope to own a horse, retrace the Oregon Trail, and tour European castles.

REQUESTED SPEAKING TOPICS
*Topics can be tailored to meet your group’s needs.

FOR BOOK CLUBS

Themes from DawnSinger (Tales of Faeraven #1): Freedom through sacrifice, advancement from humility, and living a life of honor are threads woven into the cloth of my epic fantasy novel, DawnSinger. These themes may seem old-fashioned but in today’s world are needed as much as ever. What does DawnSinger’s tagline, sometimes victory comes only through surrender, mean? How can your audience apply these themes to enrich their lives?

Castle Construction and Medieval Siege Warfare: Why do tower stairs circle to the right going up? Why was watching a pot of water an effective wartime strategy? Which deadly formula that caused castles to surrender after one use is now lost in time? Enter the world of chain mail, destriers, and siege engines. Learn how designers built defense into castles, find out ingenious battle techniques, and hear of long-ago feats of courage.

FOR WRITERS

How to Plot by the Numbers: Plotting made easy, from a writer who combines techniques used by plotters with the spontaneity of seat-of-the-pants writers. Learn how to write to a certain length, gauge how long it will take to write your book, create a story arc, and tell subplots from bunny trails.

Plotting in Three Acts: Use a time-honored plotting system to shape your story. Identify where to place your inciting incident. Discover six key scenes, how to avoid the dreaded sagging middle, which elements go into an effective climax, and how to pace your story.

How to Write Beautiful Descriptions: Use world-building techniques to bring your settings to life. Craft descriptions that will pull readers into your story. Learn from the masters.

Develop an Effective Self-Editing System: Understand the sometimes-confusing terminology used to describe the editing process. Learn common mistakes made by writers. Develop your own editing system.

Develop an Effective Email Management System: Professionals respond quickly to inquiries, but that’s hard to do when your emails slide by at such a dizzying rate that gold gets buried in dross. Sorting through your inbox can feel a lot like drinking from a firehose. Here’s how to slow down the tap and structure your email account to serve and support you.

The Writer’s Time Manager: Swamped? Learn how to set personal and professional goals, identify and prioritize relevant tasks, and implement a schedule that lets you live passionately, write well, and remember to breathe. Balance looks different for a writer, but it’s attainable.

Don’t Let Social Networking Eat You Alive: Learn the techniques, tools, and resources to get a handle on your social networking tasks. Find out the sites that work best for you. Develop a strategy for managing your social connections.

How to Plan a Writing Retreat: Tips for organizing your own writing retreat. When to go alone and when to invite others. How to find places to hold your retreat. How long should your retreat be? Should you have speakers? What is a meditative retreat? How do you keep costs down? You’ll leave this class with everything you need to know the put together the writing retreat of your dreams.

FOR WOMEN’S GROUPS

Live the Right Life: Is your life fulfilling or drudgery? Have you missed a turning? Are you trapped in the wrong life? When and how to break free. Discover the life you were meant to live.

Make Time Work for You: Too much to do? Here’s how to turn time from an enemy to a friend. Develop routines that match your lifestyle and free you. Learn to set realistic, attainable, and measurable goals that help you focus. Identify where you fit in your priorities list.

Conquer The Christmas Crunch: Is Christmas creeping up too fast this year? Don’t despair. Follow this system for bringing Christmas to your home while maintaining your sanity and even having fun. Class includes a last-minute Christmas check list.

FOR CHURCH GROUPS

Live the Right Life: Is your life drudgery? Have you missed a turning? Are you trapped in the wrong life? Break free. Discover the life you were meant to live.

Don’t Let Your Life Run You: Learn how to set goals, establish priorities, harness the power of routines, and implement a schedule that lets you live a fruitful life.

FOR TEEN EVENTS

Inquire about a topic.

Check Janalyn’s Calendar.