Janalyn Voigt's Blog, page 9

10 Intriguing Facts About the San Juan Islands

Research for my upcoming novel, Deceptive Tide,  turned up some fascinating facts about the San Juan Islands, a group of mysterious islands off the coast of Washington state. Here are ten of my favorite facts about this unique island paradise in the Pacific Northwest. 10 Intriguing Facts About the San Juan Islands The San Juan … Continue reading 10 Intriguing Facts About the San Juan Islands →

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Walking blindfolded

Blind man’s bluff was a favorite to play whenever friends or family kids got together. If you’re not familiar with that game, it is tag wearing a blindfold. Someone always wound up hurt, of course, but we played anyway. When you are small fear takes a back seat to adventure. It’s only when you grow … Continue reading Walking blindfolded →

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Story of the Covered Bridge at Knights Ferry

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Words written in the wind

I made a humbling discovery recently. For a blog series I’m writing, I researched the psychology of conflict and turned up four basic types of internal conflict. The labels in psychology for these four tensions are not understandable by most of us, but here’s my translation: choosing between two positive outcomes, choosing the lessor of … Continue reading Words written in the wind →

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The Long-tailed Birds of Fantasy

Since childhood I have admired the long-tailed birds of fantasy found in ancient tapestries. Not surprisingly, the creatures showed up unannounced in Tales of Faeraven. Kaerocs first make their entrance in DawnSinger when Shae and her companions stop for the night in the ruins of Braeth. The birds also put in an appearance in WayFarer … Continue reading The Long-tailed Birds of Fantasy →

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Providing an Immersive Experience for Readers

I’m excited to announce some fun changes at the site that I think you’ll enjoy. In the months to come, I’ll be focusing the site on reading and  readers. I’ve made a good start to my goal of providing even more of an immersive experience for readers between my website and books.  Providing an Immersive … Continue reading Providing an Immersive Experience for Readers →

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The temptation I can never resist

I have something to confess.  I like to think of myself as a rational human being when it comes to my online activities, and for the most part, I am. I can stare down any attempt to glean my email address, get me to create an account, or sell me a must-have product.  But there’s … Continue reading The temptation I can never resist →

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The Mystical Gryphon

The gryphon* is one of the most regal mythical creatures. In historical renditions it was usually shown with four legs, having the talons of an eagle in front with a lion’s paws and hindquarters in back. It also had a beak, feathered upright ears, and a lion’s tale. Gryphons often were winged, although in British heraldry they … Continue reading The Mystical Gryphon →

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I’m riding bareback through life

On a good day, I check off all the items on my schedule. But then there are those other days. This is what comes from trying to lasso time and break it to my will. I’m sure you can imagine the outcome of that.   A family member who works from home recently explained how doing … Continue reading I’m riding bareback through life →

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How I’m riding bareback through life

On a good day, I check off all the items on my schedule. But then there are those other days. This is what comes from trying to lasso time and break it to my will.

I’m sure you can imagine the outcome of that.  

A family member who works from home recently explained how doing a puzzle between working on her pottery helped her accomplish just as much without the usual stress. That chimed with me. What if, instead of herding time into a corral of my choosing, I traveled alongside it, honoring its freedom from constraint?

Accepting my limitations is humbling but also empowering. These days, I look at my schedule from a different perspective. I still believe it’s important to have a plan, but mine is now more of a flow chart.

Each day, I list the tasks I should accomplish under three categories: writing-related, household responsibilities, and personal activities. I’ve determined how much time to allot each task weekly, and with that in mind, assign blocks of time to each category within the day. I usually prioritize each category’s to-do list and try to complete them in order. The blocks of time are as flexible as I can make them, taking into consideration certain inflexible deadlines over which I have no control.

Before I adopted this system, I had trouble bouncing back from the disruptions (inevitable with such a rigid schedule), but my new approach reduces them. A disruption is only a disruption when it takes you away from something else. Giving myself flexibility allows me to respond to interruptions with more spontaneity. Turns out, that’s better for a creative person anyway.

As a child, I rode bareback, reveling in freedom from constraint. The horse that carried my slight weight would obey my commands, but not always. Sometimes green grass or a spot of shade caused my mount to misbehave. Lacking the force of personality some people have over horses, I learned to negotiate.

This is a lot like that.

What I’m Writing Now
Book Projects

I am two-thirds of the way through the last editing pass for Sojourner, Tales of Faeraven 3  and hope to finish in the coming week. This would be a Very Good Thing, because I need to start on the next project in line, which I’ll announce next week.

Blogging

I published “Grandma Katie’s No-Egg Wonder Cake (Wacky Cake) Recipe“ in the Old Bohemian Homestead portion of the site, sharing a cherished family recipe.

For Live Write Breathe, I started a series on conflict in fiction with Types of Conflict in Literature and released Readership Challenge #3 for subscribers.

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