Creating fantasy adventures where you come for the worldbuilding and stay for the characters.
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We've come so far...
Published 7 months ago • 4 min read
My writing friends are doing amazing things!
Hi fellow travelers,
I've been reading one of those series recently where the main characters start out as kids, but as the books progress, the kids grow up together. I'm in the next-to-last book currently, so even though there's still a lot left to happen, there's starting to be a sense of things coming to fulfillment. A sense of, "our little heroes are growing up!"
Well, that's a bit how I feel as I look around at my writing friends these days.
I've gotten to the point where I've known some of these writers for four, five, six years. At my age, that's like 20% of my life.
When we first ran into each other, we were just stumbling around and trying to figure out what we were doing, wondering if we'd ever craft a tale that would make it out into the wide world.
And just look at this group now.
First off, may I present to you, Voices of the Future Vol. 4!
This book, which launches TODAY by the way, features the work of fourteen of my classmates.
And some of them have been my fellow travelers for a long, LONG time.
Joseph Brink was a beta reader for my book Confidence and his Sword back in 2020.
I don't even remember when I met Caleb E. King, but it was around that long ago, too! We both seem to have an inescapable tendency to let cool swords find their way into our stories.
Esther Pipkin and I joined the Author Conservatory around the same time in 2020, and our paths have wound together in so many encouraging ways since then.
I met Sarina Louise in person for the first time in 2021, and watching her journey since then has been wildly inspirational.
Marielle Henning worked with me to create branded graphics for my business, Life Story Book Services, in 2022. Entrepreneurship was a rough road for both of us at times, but it was always a little easier when a piece of it could be done together.
Julia Naus and Savanna Ammons were each a huge part of what made Realm Makers 2023 one of the best weeks of my life.
I can't wait to read this book. And not only because of the stories it contains. Each one of these stories marks a huge milestone on the fantastical journey each young author is taking.
I've loved being a part of these authors' stories so far, and I can't wait to see where their roads lead next!
One of my teachers wrote a book...about being a teacher!
Way back in 2018, when I was first discovering the world of online writing communities and story craft trainings and the publishing industry, I stumbled upon this website called storyembers.com.
What especially blew my mind about this website was its focus on helping Christian storytellers represent their faith well in their fiction...without the cheesiness generally associated with Christian books. (Thank you for saving me from the stereotypical conversion scenes, Story Embers!)
Well, one of the founders of Story Embers, Josiah DeGraaf, is now an instructor at The Young Writer's Workshop.
You know how I've mentioned that I'm a Teacher's Assistant at The Young Writer's Workshop? Well, the teacher I'm assisting is Josiah!
Next year, he's publishing his debut novel, which draws on his varied teaching experience. (Since I'm a TA for YWW now, does that mean I also have the inside scoop on a magical teaching experience...?)
Get this for a premise:
A magic school story told from the perspective of the teacher, who has to train the Chosen One...only, the Chosen One is more like Draco Malfoy than Harry Potter.
Ok, that's not the official blurb, but I still think it's fun to describe the story that way. Here's the real blurb:
Students don’t know what really happens at a magic school…
Chintor Academy is celebrated as the place where the best music mages are forged. But beneath the surface, bullies rule with cruelty, teachers scheme against each other, and the student destined to save their nation is far from ready.
Kalina didn’t know what she was getting into when she agreed to teach at Chintor. Now, as a first-year teacher, she’s tasked with finishing the training of this prophesied violinist. Their nation’s sworn enemies are nearing victory, and she has mere months to prepare him before their country collapses.
When Kalina uncovers the abuse of a vulnerable student, she’s thrust into a dangerous dilemma. Exposing the school’s underbelly means she’ll be fired and unable to prepare their hero. Keeping quiet means her students will suffer.
The fate of the nation—and her soul—hangs in the balance.
In case that wasn't clear, let me make it very much so: Magic school. Violin magic. Prophecies. Wrestling with institutional corruption. Teacher's POV.
What could be better?
I'll tell you what could be better: this book having a cover.
I have classmates whose books are already published, too!
In case you missed it, the week before Thanksgiving, I interviewed authors Sequoyah Branham and Anna Rose Johnson.
These are also friends I've been adventuring with for the past four years! I've gotten to see their stories as little baby book ideas, and now I have physical copies of their books on my bookshelf.
It's literally a dream come true--for me, but man, how much more for them?
Sequoyah and Anna Rose had so many cool things to share about their storytelling inspiration, writing journeys, publishing experiences, and more. You won't want to miss these!
The End
Which of these books makes you the most excited?
What's your favorite series where you get to grow up with the characters?
Thank YOU for journeying with ME throughout the years!
Adventurously yours,
Jenny Gossell (Jandalf the Green)
P.S. If you're wondering what's going on with a certain new novel I might have mentioned in recent emails, hang in there! I'm super close to having a big update for you!
You might be about to see some STRANGE things from Jandalf... Hi fellow travelers, I just want you to be aware that some STRANGE sights might be popping up in your inbox pretty soon. Like, the "ushering you into an unknown world of stark white backgrounds and unfamiliar formatting" variety. The "I thought I knew the internet but this is a new realm for me" variety." Don't be alarmed. This is all part of Jandalf the Green's Master Plan. Well, now you're probably more alarmed. Anyway, in...
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What makes a character interesting? Hi fellow travelers, What do you think when you hear the claim, "It's characters' flaws that make them interesting?" Maybe your mind jumps to characters who are supposed to be a "good example"--in other words, they're a mouthpiece for the author's own moralizing. No character development necessary, evidently. Or maybe your mind jumps to characters who are supposed to be exciting because they're the "bad boy" or the "bad girl," but they're really just...
