Janalyn Voigt's Blog, page 29
February 24, 2012
Big Changes
I've moved my blog for writers to my new site at http://LiveWriteBreathe.com. You will not be automatically transferred to that list since not everyone on my email list is a writer who will appreciate that site. Some signed on to follow my journey as an author and/or the progress of Tales of Faeraven, my epic fantasy series, toward publication. Since it's impossible to tell who wants to follow me where, I'll let you make your own decision. I will not duplicate content between the sites and each will offer benefits, so if you'd like you may follow updates at both sites.
In celebration of its launch, I'm giving away free letterhead and query letter templates on Live Write Breathe. Subscribers to this site will receive weekly writing-related blog posts or videos, and advance notification of teaching resources. I have other plans for this site but don't want to steal my own thunder, so I'll hold off on mentioning them now.
The sign-up giveaway on http://JanalynVoigt.com will change soon, so if you want my Scheduler, grab it now.
I'll develop JanalynVoigt.com as a place for readers to discover my books and learn more about my writing and about me as an author . Although I will no longer blog from this site, I'll post infrequent notes from my research similar to my posts on Edward and Eleanor: A Royal Love Story that Transcended Death, Greek Fire: Lost in the Mists of Time and Forgotten in Time: Titanic of the Mississippi, America's Worst Maritime Disaster. Other occasional updates will provide news of interest about my books, writing, and life as writer. In addition, I'll offer promotional contests to readers and special discounts to email subscribers for http://JanalynVoigt.com.
Thanks for your friendship and interest in my writing. I value you.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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February 20, 2012
How to Find an Audience
Today is my first guest post for WordServe Water Cooler, my new agency's blog. I'm honored to become part of this blog, which won a mention as one of the Top Ten All-Star Blogs for Writers to Read posted by Writer's Market editor Robert Lee Brewer.
Here's an excerpt from my post:
Chances are, you've heard it before: if you want to sell, know your market. For some, that's a no-brainer. Those who write romances, for example, can usually name an audience. But what if you haven't yet settled into a niche or write across genres? If finding your target audience is a sticking point for you, believe me, I understand. I hope you'll read more at Wordserve Water Cooler and join the conversation.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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February 17, 2012
Forgotten in Time: Titanic of the Mississippi, America’s Greatest Maritime Disaster
Although viewed with nostalgia in modern times, nineteenth-century American steamboats offered a risky mode of transportation. Besides the possibility of sinking from collision with a “snag,” a tree embedded in the bottom of a river and lurking below water level, steamboats faced other hazards. They might capsize (some only had a 14-inch draft), run aground on a sandbar, burn or explode. In 1849 a burning steamboat started a fire that destroyed 23 steamboats and 20 blocks of St. Louis.
By far the greatest steamboat disaster happened just days after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. On April 27th 1865, the overloaded steamboat Sultana sank in Tennessee with great loss of life, mostly Union soldiers returning home from Confederate prison camps. Of the over 2,4000 people aboard, 1,7000 died. By contrast, the Titanic disaster claimed 1,514 lives.
Why we have forgotten the Sultana but remember the Titanic remains a mystery.
©2012 Janalyn Voigt
Forgotten in Time: Titanic of the Mississippi, America's Greatest Maritime Disaster
Contrary to how we picture them nowadays, American steamboats offered a risky mode of transportation. Besides the possibility of sinking from collision with a "snag," a tree embedded in the bottom of a river and lurking below water level, steamboats faced other hazards. They might capsize (some only had a 14-inch draft), run aground on a sandbar, burn or explode. In 1849 a burning steamboat started a fire that destroyed 23 steamboats and 20 blocks of St. Louis.
By far the greatest steamboat disaster happened just days after Abraham Lincoln's assassination. On April 27th 1865, the overloaded steamboat Sultana sank in Tennessee with great loss of life, mostly Union soldiers returning home from Confederate prison camps. Of the over 2,4000 people aboard, 1,7000 died. By contrast, the Titanic disaster claimed 1,514 lives.
Why we have forgotten the Sultana but remember the Titanic remains a mystery.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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February 10, 2012
Greek Fire: Lost in the Mists of Time
Here's an interesting tidbit from my research for Tales of Faeraven:
The Byzantines perfected something called Greek fire, which combusted upon contact with water, for primary use in naval warfare (although it showed up in castle sieges). It burned with ferocity, even as one account claims, beneath the water. An eyewitness who saw a lighted barrel catapult toward a besieging army described it as a fireball with a long tail that lit up the night as if it were day and roared like a dragon. Not surprisingly, use of Greek fire ended more than one siege.
Kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?
The formula for Greek fire has been lost in the mists of time. While some believe it contained naphtha or petroleum in some form, no one today knows for certain what was in it.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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February 3, 2012
Life Is Art
This week I've decided to move over and let a fellow-author share a message that resonates with me. Thanks, Brian!
About Brian Holers
An arborist by day and a novelist in every moment he can steal, Brian's head is filled with stories which can't be contained. Be it writing, blogging or ranting to friends, his voice is passionate and compelling.
Brian's fiction is inhabited by characters who, like people everywhere, search for resolution and connection. Characters of faith appear to show God meeting people wherever they are, whether celebrating victory or learning to live with loss. Ultimately they must, in keeping with the words of the prayer, gain the serenity to accept the things they can't change, and the courage to change the things they can.
Raised Christian, Brian now lives in a Jewish home in Seattle, Washington with his wife and son. The family spent 2006 traveling through East Africa, Southeast Asia, Israel and New Zealand. His experiences have given Brian a lifetime of stories to tell.
Life Is Art
A common stereotype tells us a true artist is tortured. Has us believe that, in order to create works of art from a variety of experience, to make something out of nothing, an artist must figuratively wrestle with demons, must go inside him- or herself to a dark place where anyone with sense would refuse to go; and that, by doing so, an artist is irreparably altered to the extent he or she will never function in polite society again.
It's simply not true. Maybe tortured artists are just the ones we remember. The ones we read about in tabloids or history books, or see laid out bare, in all their tragic glory, in the movies.
It is true that self-abuse can make a person creative. We crave conflict, in life and in art (number one rule of fiction: create conflict). Many perceive reality, ordinary daily life, as dull, and prefer dark places. When an artist wallows in torture or pity, the creation may be beautiful, or if not beautiful, then memorable. More likely it will be simply twisted or unusual, barbaric, and will draw the reader in, like reality television, only because he is unable to look away.
Writing is hard. Getting to a creative place, then staying in that place, can take many steps. A writer has these beautiful thoughts, envisions vivid scenes filled with color and symbol, then they turn to dust when a blank page or blank screen appears. The greatest impediment to art, is immersion in reality. It's not easy to get away from ourselves. So we look for shortcuts to the exalted state of mind required to write. Alcohol. Drugs. Reimagined childhood pain. Something comes out. The page is no longer blank. The words go together. They sound pretty good. Our friends read it. They say, "whoa. Dude."
Thus, we keep illness alive. Personally, I guess I'm lucky. I've always been high on life. Low at times too, sure. The type of person who can go to imaginary places will be an emotional person. We're so drawn to the worlds that live only in our minds that we sometimes forget to develop practical skills. We have to write, or else. Or else we can't make a living. Or can't stomach what we do have to do to make a living. Most of what I learn, I learn from writing. My goal has always been to get to the truth. The primary ingredients for me are time and discipline. If I tried to drink and write, cry and write, abuse myself and write, uninformed art would follow. Complaining. Drivel. Victimization. Crap.
We all struggle. It's called being human. We all have a certain instinct, at times overpowering, to do things that aren't good for us. Drink, dope, be lazy, abuse ourselves and those we love. Without a plan, we fall to the least common denominator. We look for relief from the pain life has brought us, then the relief makes us stop feeling and we seek out more pain. The other choice is discipline. Personally, I've never been smart or energetic enough to simultaneously ruin my life and do anything productive at all. When we embrace the darkness, it may seem to open the door to creativity, assuming we have enough discipline left to write anything at all instead of just staring at the pictures in our drunken minds and saying, "I'm a writer." The drivel I'm able to write when I'm just letting things go, is a pale substitute for the clear, laden, beautiful prose that grows from sitting down at a chosen time in a chosen place and working. And working. And working. And unlike drivel, hard-fought art lasts. It actually matters.
Life is hard and potentially very sad. It is filled with brokenness, want and disappointment, and the potential for great melancholy. It is so hard, and so unlikely, for things to work out exactly as we want them to. We hope and we work to carve a little corner for ourselves, and in the end we're met with loss and tragedy. No matter what, no matter how good we are, how hard we work, how much money we have, we'll never get out of it alive. Astonishingly little is in our control. Still, it's what there is, and it's a gift filled with potential beyond measure. And underneath all of it, the one emotion that remains, and must remain, is hope.
I can't get to that hope, to that beauty underneath, without working very hard. Writing is the hardest thing I've ever tried to do. I'm fortunate to have been uncommonly blessed. I've always been high on life. I've always enjoyed uplifting, positive stories about real people. People who struggle, as we all do, but who find a way to overcome. And not just stay lost in brokenness.
I can only write that, I can only create that imaginary world, by choosing to be positive and living soberly. The world we create when we write is elusive. So hard to get a finger on it. But in order to get it on paper, sometimes I have to stay back until it shows its face. I have to be waiting, patiently and diligently. Looking. Ready.
About the Book
Fathers, sons and brothers reconnect over tragedy in this blue-collar Southern tale of love, loss and the healing power of community and family.
Vernon Davidson is an angry man. After a lifetime of abuse and loss the 61-year-old is ready to get back at God, his co-workers, and everyone else is in his north Louisiana hometown. He drinks too much to numb the pain, shuns his friends and embarrasses himself in the community. The once-cautious Vernon spirals into a reckless mess.
Only when he is reunited with his estranged nephew Jody is he forced to confront his situation. Jody is struggling in equal parts after inflicting a self-imposed exile upon himself by fleeing the family, and thereby himself, for a new life thousands of miles away. Now his father, Vernon's brother, is dying and Vernon agrees to retrieve him for his brother's sake.
Jody embarks on a reluctant journey back to his Louisiana home and the two men together embark on a journey that will ultimately change their lives.
Brian Holers's Doxology examines an impossibly difficult question: how does a man go about forgiving a God he has grown to despise after the tragedies and endless disappointments he has faced?
Get Your Copy of Doxology on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.You can also purchase Doxology for your iPad/iPod/iPhone in the Apple iBooks store.
Visit the website for Brian Holers
Photo Credit: Marilyn Holmes 2011
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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January 27, 2012
DawnSinger and WayFarer Covers
I'm delighted to post the covers for DawnSinger and WayFarer, the first two books of my epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven. Artist Nicola Martinez did a beautiful job capturing my story's essence.
Sometimes victory only comes
through surrender.
About DawnSinger
book one in the epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven
Kai, a Guardian of Faeraven, delivers the dying High Queen's summons to Shae, a princess of Whellein. Together they fly on the back of Kai's winged horse to Faeraven's High Hold, where all is not as it seems.
Visions warn Shae of danger, and a dark soul touches hers in the night. Kai is pledged to protect Shae, but when she meets an attractive but disturbing musician, no one can save her from her own wayward heart.
To fulfill prophecy, Kai and Shae must reach the Well of Light before the Daystar completes its arc of the sky. On a perilous journey, they battle Garns, giant raptors and even the wraiths of their own regrets.
Can they find a way to release the DawnKing — and salvation — into a divided land?
Release date TBA
About WayFarer
book two of the epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven
Elcon, an untried youth, assumes his duties as High King. But as trouble stirs between nations and rebellion threatens Faeraven, his position is far from secure. The Guardian, Kai, returns from the Cavern of Death without Shae, Elcon's sister. Can Elcon trust Kai's claim that the Elder youth accompanying him is the DawnKing of Prophecy, sent to deliver Elderland from the enemy known as the Contender?
Driven to prove himself, Elcon embarks on a peace-keeping campaign into the Elder lands, where he meets a beautiful Elder princess. But Aewen is betrothed to another, and Elcon has promised to court the princess, Arillia, upon his return. Declaring his love for Aewen would shame them both and tear apart the very fabric of Faeraven.
Elcon's choices lead him into the Vale of Shadows, where he learns that to deliver his people, he must first find his own redemption.
Release Date TBA
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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January 20, 2012
Living a Writer’s Dream
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.
©2012 Janalyn Voigt
Living a Writer's Dream
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 would negotiate the contract for DawnSinger and Wayfarer, books one and two of my epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. I felt peace and a quiet joy. It was as if something out of alignment in my life had slid resoundingly into place.
So how did I reach this enviable place? 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 the 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 do 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 to be at the destination. I'd study the writing craft sooner. And I'd never, ever let anyone tell me what I can't do.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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January 13, 2012
7 Traits of Successful Authors: #7 When Success Looks Impossible
People often pledge to marry "for better or worse." Keeping this pledge, when troubles intrude, becomes challenging. And yet, when a couple conquers hardships, a marriage strengthens and stabilizes.
Launching a writing career is not without its share of heartbreaks either. Rare is the writer who completes a successful manuscript the first time around. Considering the amount of time and effort it takes to write a novel, receiving rejection after rejection can make you want to quit. Critiques can help you grow as a writer but also reveal your shortcomings. With your self-confidence eroded, it's easy to want to throw in the towel.
Even after you sign a publishing contract, edits arrive to humble you. What made you think you could write in the first place? Being passed over for an award or reading a punishing review of your work can make you think longingly of flipping burgers for a living.
Ask best-selling author, Laurie Alice Eakes. After the success of her award-winning debut novel, her career tanked for a year-and-a-half before she sold thirteen books in a single year. Did she write all those books in one year? No. She wrote four of them. The rest she'd written previously. If she had given up during the hard times, she wouldn't have enjoyed her banner year.
All of the traits I mentioned in this series are admirable, but none of them will help much if you can't stick it out, even when success looks impossible. Writing a book takes passion, commitment, focus, dedication, self-confidence, humility, and above all, perseverance.
© 2010 Janalyn Voigt
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