WRITERS WRITE...

...BUT we occasionally need to escape from the fantasy worlds we've created on our computer screens. We need to seek out other writers - sometimes the only people who understand the dual reality that we live within, splitting our time between real and make-believe worlds.

One of the best escapes I've found is belonging to and participating in a good writers' organization. In Wisconsin, we're fortunate to have a statewide organization (with numerous local clubs) dedicated to supporting and assisting both amateur and professional writers in their creative writing efforts.

The Wisconsin Writers Assocation was founded in 1948 (as the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association.) It offers excellent educational conferences, contests, book fairs, promotional and networking opportunities.

I just returned from the WWA Fall 2011 Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin - recharged, inspired, anxious to apply some of the things I learned there.

This was one of the best writers' conferences I've attended! There was something for everyone - sessions on flash fiction, memoir writing, poetry, science fiction/fantasy/horror, self-publishing, small presses, freelance writing opportunities, journalism in the e-world, and screenplay writing. There were opportunities to "pitch" your manuscript to an editor/agent and time to network with other writers.

We listened to Bruce Dethlefsen, Wisconsin Poet Laureate, read his delightful poetry. And we were entranced with the success story of Cayla Kluver, teen-age author of the best-selling Legacy Trilogy. Cayla's mother and agent, Kimberly Phifer, took us along on their journey to stardom in the young adult world of books.

The book fair offered an excellent selection of books by Wisconsin authors -and we were pleased with our book sales.

Yes, writers write...but we also need to take time to learn and network at writers' conferences like this one. I, for one, came away inspired and raring to go on my next novel!

Stay tuned and please stay in touch.

Janet Kay
http://www.watersofthedancingsky.com

Remembering 9/11...

"Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward - and freedom will be defended!" President George W. Bush, September 11, 2001

As the tenth anniversary of this insidious incident approaches, an event that rocked the foundations of our previously "secure" world, I, like many of you, still struggle to put this into perspective,to understand what has happened - and why...

Think about people like Jose Bonilla, New York City. In the last decade, he has helped to wage a war, had two children, and has been employed with crews helping to rebuild the soaring skyscraper that will soon tower over the ashes of the old Trade Center. When he looks back at the transformation he has seen since 9/11, he sees rebirth. It's like a phoenix rising up from the ashes, he says.

Think about those who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy, thousands of our friends and neighbors whose lives have forever changed.

While some of us have by now been lulled into a false sense of security and complacency, think again...

Never forget those who have sacrificed their lives for all that we believe in, for those who continue to fight to protect our country and our rights.

May God Bless America!!

Please stay tuned and stay in touch.

Janet Kay
http://www.watersofthedancingsky.com

Getting Away From It All ...

Most authors have unique writing processes, little tricks to help them write well. Mine is simple - just getting away from it all. When I've completed my research and am ready to begin the next novel, I plan a writing retreat to some place that will inspire me and feed my creative process.

When I was ready to write my "Waters of the Dancing Sky" novel, I took off, alone, for Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. I brought all my research notes with me, colored pens, and a roll of white paper. It was time to create my fictional village on paper. I needed to know where my characters would live, what the town looked like.

I settled into my room at Rock Harbor Lodge, got my supplies out - but found it difficult to get down to business. There were trails to hike, a lighthouse that beckoned, moose roaming the island, and Lake Superior lapping against the rocks beneath my balcony.

So I headed out to explore this wilderness island, chastising myself for not getting down to work. After all, writers need to write, don't they?

Of course, BUT... it was then that I discovered my secret to writing well. To write effectively, I find that I need to achieve a delicate balance among three things: learning, creating, and being.

"Learning" is the exploration, research, travel, taking in and absorbing of information. "Creating" is the process of shaping that information through your unique perspective, rearranging bits of information into something new and meaningful.

"Being," however, is the piece that we often tend to ignore in our fast-paced world. It is the process of letting go, of clearing your mind, of doing nothing except absorbing the world around you without the need to analyze or fix anything.

As I settled into the natural rhythm of Isle Royale, I thought about this. I gave myself permission one morning to just sit out on my balcony as waves crashed below me, as diamonds of sunlight danced with the seagulls. I lost myself in the waves, in the magic of this mysterious lake.

I had nothing to show for that morning - nothing except a burst of creativity. I felt that I'd absorbed things deep within my soul and subconscious, things that soon began to surface in the pages of this novel.

Just being... and getting away from it all... Try it, you'll like it!

Stay tuned and please stay in touch!

Janet Kay
http://www.watersofthedancingsky.com

TIME TO HIT THE ROAD ...

The writer in me is restless... it's time to start my next novel, tentatively titled "Amelia 1865" or "Prairie Rose." Before I begin, however, I need to hit the road. I need to explore the places where my novel will be set, to learn about the people, the history, the culture.

You see, I'm a place writer of "destination" novels. It's important to me that my readers identify with the places where my characters live. It means a lot to me when readers tell me that after reading my book, they are planning a trip to the place where it is set.

So...this time I'm off for several enchanting destinations. First, to Walnut, Iowa, officially known as "Iowa's Antique City." It's a small village of brick streets lined with turn-of-the-century historic buildings filled with antiques. Home of Prairie Rose State Park. A refreshing place where small town spirit lives on.

My final destination is the old western ghost town of Virginia City, Montana. Nestled in the mountains at the foot of Boot Hill Cemetery, Virginia City was a bustling gold mining town in the 1860's.

The basic premise of my novel is this: WHAT IF a restless spirit comes back to life seeking revenge for her murder in a previous lifetime?

She's a bored farm girl growing up in rural Iowa. Commitment-phobic, she stands her fiance up at the altar and heads west towards an unknown destination. A mysterious force drives her to the old western ghost town of Virginia City, Montana.

Why does she finally feel at home here, somehow recognizing old historical landmarks? Flashbacks begin to flow through her soul, driving her to a cemetery nestled in the mountains overlooking the valley. Here she discovers an overgrown gravestone inscribed, "AMELIA 1865." No last name, no date of birth.

Obsessed with discovering the truth about this long-forgotten woman, Rose finds herself flashing back and forth between two different realities - her current sheltered life and that of a "hurdy gurdy girl" struggling to survive in the Wild West. Rose's own life depends upon her ability to merge these realities into something that makes sense.

This strange journey becomes more complicated when a love interest materializes and throws her off balance. This relationship becomes a bizarre dance twisting and turning between love and hate. Can she still accomplish her mission? Does it matter?

Stay tuned and please stay in touch!

Janet Kay
http://www.watersofthedancingsky.com

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER...

The "Sleeping Giant" was shrouded in eerie banks of fog rolling in across Lake Superior. This "giant" is, in fact, the rocky backbone of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park on the north shore of Lake Superior, Canada. Looking across the big lake from Thunder Bay, it appears to be a huge stone figure lying on its back, gazing into the heavens above. This silent giant rises many hundreds of feet above Lake Superior, its sheer cliffs dropping dramatically into crashing waves far below. Canada's Aboriginal people have passed on many fascinating legends and myths about this sleeping giant over past centuries.

Today, my two oldest grandsons, Derek and Malachi, and I were exploring this natural wonder. We'd driven many miles along narrow winding roads criss-crossing the top of this gentle giant to the very tip of the Sibley Peninsula.

Peeking through layers of fog as raindrops splattered around us, we were surprised to find the tiny community of Silver Islet. Once upon a time, as in 140 years ago, there was an active silver mining community on this site. The old clapboard General Store, built about 1870, still stands on the rocky point that juts out into Lake Superior.

The ramshackle store was closed, but a sign on the door invited us to ring the bell if we needed anything. We did. An elderly man greeted us, inviting us in. It was a step back in time. Nothing much had changed since the days when the miners purchased their supplies here. Surrounding the store, tucked back into the forest, are a number of the original miners homes which have now been converted into cottages for summer residents.

There happened to be another gentleman hanging out in the old store. He sported long hair and a beard, looked as if he'd been living in the wilderness for a while. In fact, he reminded us of a French Canadian voyageur...which was exactly what he turned out to be!

Mike Ranta, a 39-year-old explorer from the little town of Atikokan, Ontario, Canada was on the journey of a lifetime. He was paddling his canoe, alone, with his faithful dog, Spitzii, along the old Voyageur route. His 3,231 mile journey will take him from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada all the way to Montreal, Canada. He will be the first person ever to complete this journey all alone.

The boys (and I) were intrigued, just listening to his stories. Mike is doing this to raise money for his hometown Atikokan Youth Center. He delivers a powerful message to all whom he meets along his journey, particularly the youth.

His message is simple but very powerful - "Anyone can do anything. There is nothing you can't do! Nothing worth anything comes easy. It takes preparation, confidence, honesty and hard work. But... YOU CAN DO IT!" This gentle man radiates motivation, determination, and self-confidence. He has no doubt, despite the dangers of his journey, that he will succeed and reach Montreal. He reaches out to young people along the way, encouraging them to follow their dreams.

It was a chance encounter, one that my grandsons will always remember. One that I plan to integrate into my own writing. We would not have met Mike Ranta if Lake Superior hadn't been rough enough to force him in to shore that day - or if we hadn't changed our travel plans.

A coincidence? Perhaps...

Stay tuned and please stay in touch!

Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com

AN ODE TO KETTLE FALLS, VOYAGEUR'S NATIONAL PARK

THE FALLS CALLS ...

Churning kettles of root beer-flavored foam
bubbling, boiling, tumbling down thundering falls
into swirling pools of frosty white geysers
surging like tidal waves against ancient faces
of black granite worn smooth with time

Shaded by clumps of evergreen and sumac
sprouting precariously from prehistoric crevices
dotted with dainty moss roses of delicate pink -
swaying to the rhythm of wind and water
dwarfed by the power of the falls ...

Dwarfed by the power of the falls ...
I, too, shrink into tininess, into insignificance
drifting backward, forward in time
slipping silently through misty seas
diving deeper, deeper yet
until I'm flowing
in sync, once more,
with the spirits of the universe.

*********************************

Yes, Kettle Falls is a special place for me. I sat by the falls, absorbing inspiration, as I wrote my novel, Waters of the Dancing Sky.

Stay tuned, and please stay in touch!

Janet Kay
www.watersofthedancingsky.com

AN ODE TO KETTLE FALLS, VOYAGEUR'S NATIONAL PARK