Friday, February 8, 2013

The Writing Life of Janalyn Voigt (Or a Tale of Two Genres)



Northwoods Beauty © 2012 Janalyn Voigt
Whenever it rained in California, the sunny state where I grew up, we’d call it liquid sunshine. Now that I abide in the damp Pacific Northwest I’ve qualified that theory. You can grow used to anything and rise above every discomfort, or so I’ve learned. Although the heavens often weep I contentedly look for the blue sky waiting just behind the clouds. Tweet This! Pollyanna, I’ve been described, and I remain guilty as accused.

I wasn’t always this way. I had to outlive my difficult teenage years and endure many turbulent years before sliding into safe harbor. Thankfully, the Savior of my soul never let go of me. I’m happy now, but I can never forget the pain I once knew far too well. I am grateful to be alive, let alone blessed beyond reason.

As children, my older brother and I would beg my father for bedtime stories, and he would give them. Tweet This! His deep voice rumbled against my ear at his chest as he unfolded stories of exotic places like Oz and Neverland. My imagination carried on with the tales even after he closed the book for the night. When eventually my father stopped reading stories, I began creating my own. Within a few years I’d become storyteller of my neighborhood. The other children would gather around me on our lawn while I invented stories to entertain them. No one, including myself, thought of this as anything unusual. It wasn’t until my sixth-grade teacher pointed out my ability to spin a tale that I and my parents took note. This is how at the age of 12 I decided to become a novelist. The fulfillment of that dream took a few more years than planned. 
Janalyn Voigt at age 12

I’ve always had a thing about flying. As a child I cheered for Dumbo, who proved he didn’t need anyone else’s approval or even a magic feather to soar.  You see, Dumbo was a little different. His ears were too big. This made him an object of ridicule, but he silenced his tormentors in the end by believing in himself just the way he was.  That’s a struggle I understand on a gut level and a path I’ve trod.

How I longed to soar with Peter Pan into a land of strange and wonderful adventures where children didn’t have to grow up. Looking back as an adult with grown-up responsibilities, I sometimes wonder if Peter wasn’t on to something. There will always be a part of me that holds out for Neverland. Tweet This! Oh, to ride Pegasus as he unfurled his wings across the sky! The haze of centuries gone by only added to the appeal of this bearer of thunder and lightning who had only to strike a hoof to the ground to create a spring from which ran poetry. Perhaps with such influences on my younger self, it was inevitable I would become a medieval epic fantasy novelist. It just naturally followed that winged horses would fly through the pages of DawnSinger , my debut novel and the first installment in the Tales of Faeraven trilogy.

History has an equal hold on me. Growing up, I loved watching westerns with my father. My mother couldn't understand the appeal, but she went with us to the California ghost town of Columbia and even boarded a stagecoach. I'll never forget riding shotgun for that stagecoach, which of course was "robbed" along the way. 
Janalyn Voigt 

I dream of knights and chivalry and of the American West. Tweet This! The world within DawnSinger is based on 13th-Century Europe. I studied feudal life, castles, and medieval siege warfare before writing my novel. I'm moving into writing in the western historical romance genre, and will also infuse my fantasy novels with more history. But enough about me.

In future posts we'll go back in time for true adventures in the middle ages and Wild West. 

Meanwhile, if you're curious about DawnSinger  I've posted by the book trailer I created and the one my publisher commissioned. Take your pick or watch both. I like them for different reasons. I made the one on top. You can read an excerpt at the author website for Janalyn Voigt

18 comments:

  1. Hi Janalyn, I dont remember mum and dad reading to me. I Know they did but I dont actually remember it. I remember a love for books. I know mum use to tell great stories to other children she would look after.
    I got my love for westerns from Dad also he use to watch them and I loved them too. I remember dad reading Zane Gray books (he died when I was 11).
    Nice to get to know you more.

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    1. Jenny, I can't seem to finish Zane Gray's books. Whenever I try to read one, I find my own creativity so triggered that I wind up putting the book down and writing. He's the only author who effects me that way. I should probably own a library of his books!

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    2. I never read his books just know after dad died there were a lot in the shed and it sticks in my mind. (just had another of those Oh must ask mum about it then remembering I cant moments).

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  2. How neat that your father used to tell you stories every night. Such wonderful memories. I wish I'd made up stories for my kids, but I never thought to. I did read to them all the time. I think my daughter's first sentence at age 2 was "Read a book, read a book." She couldn't just say it once. lol. And the book that had to be read first was GREEN EGGS AND HAM. I read it so much that before long I wasn't reading it but reciting it. And you know, I picked up GREEN EGGS AND HAM to read to my 2 year old grand daughter and I found I still knew the words. I AM SAM. SAM I AM. THAT SAM I AM, THAT SAM I AM, I DO NOT LIKE THAT SAM I AM. Oh my goodness! If we only realized how words and stories stick with us for ever. Maybe the words, maybe the idea, maybe a character, but they do impact our lives in some small way. Sounds like your father's words made a huge impact on your life. I'm so glad he did!

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    1. Words are indeed powerful. Now that my father has passed from this life, I'm even more thankful for the legacy he left me.

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  3. Wonderful to learn more about you, Janalyn. I love that your father instilled in you that love of story and inspired your calling. Your stories sound fun and exciting. I look forward to getting to know you and your writing more as the months go by.

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    1. Thanks, Kathleen. I need to go back and catch up on everyone who's posted so far. I'm thrilled to be blogging with such capable writers who share my own passion for history.

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  4. Janalyn, I see so many similarities. Your robbed stage coach reminded me of the train rides at a local amusement park. Of course, my favorite part was the robberies.

    I do remember my mom reading. Frog And Toad, amonf others, and someone used to recite Three Billy Goats Gruff,one of my favorites.

    And oh, how I loved Neverland. I also loved every mythology movie that came out, Jason and the Argonauts, Çlash of the Titans.

    Thank you for such a great post.

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    1. Ah, memory lane! I loved Three Billy Goats Gruff, too, Christina! I still remember my Mom singing "Froggy Went A-Courtin'" with a wandering pitch. :)

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  5. Janalyn, I see so many similarities. Your robbed stage coach reminded me of the train rides at a local amusement park. Of course, my favorite part was the robberies.

    I do remember my mom reading. Frog And Toad, amonf others, and someone used to recite Three Billy Goats Gruff,one of my favorites.

    And oh, how I loved Neverland. I also loved every mythology movie that came out, Jason and the Argonauts, Çlash of the Titans.

    Thank you for such a great post.

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  6. Hi Janalyn! What a great blog! I share your love of those classic fairy tales. Dumbo was a favorite of mine as well. I love how you've retained your interest in the fantasy realm and now use that interest to create your own fantasy stories. DawnSinger looks great, and the book trailers are amazing.

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    1. Thanks, Ramona. Whenever I go to Disneyland I still go on the Dumbo ride and also fly into Neverland. I love that in Disneyland it's just expected that the adults will ride too. May we never lose our childlike joy in make-believe.

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  7. Wow, Janalyn, those videos are great. I definitely want to read DawnSinger now. It sounds so adventurous!

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  8. Good evening, Ms. Voigt!! :)

    I have been searching for epic fantasy novelists!! Ever since I picked up King's Dragon by Kate Elliott at seventeen {15+ years ago!}, I fell into epic fantasy quite easily! I love the way fantasy epics are penned! They have this whole new world greeting you with welcome arms, but a bit of a dare to learn what is ominous and what is safe! When I saw Avatar on the silver screen, I could hardly speak until the ending credits! I had the same reactions with Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, & Part 1 and Part 3 of Narnia!

    You had me at "hallo!" with Pegasus, as I always noted the production company who used them as a mascot, as a nodding to how much I adore fantasy and magical creatures! There is something underfoot and geniune in fantasy realms! Walking in nature, when you hear underpinnings of rustlements and the curious whispers of creatures just out of your view, your mind loves to paint in the lines of what could be lurking just past that thicket or cypress tree! :)

    I'll have to check to see if your book(s) are in print editions, as I do not read books digitally! My eyes cannot handle reading online for long spurts of time, much less an ereader! I'm a bit of a traditionalist in that, as I prefer my stories to be read whilst hold hardback or trade paper in hand! I'm not on social media either, but I'm a happy new RSS feed subscriber for this blog and will be tuning in regularly to see what is new!

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    1. Thanks, Jorie. Sorry I missed your post earlier. I'm with you on loving epic fantasy and also on loving print books. Yes, DawnSinger is available in print. Thanks for subscribing!

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  9. Hi Janalyn, enjoyed the videos. They're great. We have a young man in our critique group who is writing fantasy. I've shared your website and list of books with him. I'm picking up DawnSinger for myself.

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  10. Hi, Linda. I appreciate your sharing about my book and of course reading it for yourself.

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