Pals, Pens, and One’s Anam Cara by Janelle Baldwin and Alan Anderson

 

An Introduction to Anam Cara

 

We, Janelle, and Alan, would like to introduce our readers and fellow writers to the value of an anam cara to share your writing with and speak into your life. You will notice we focus on our relationship in this post.

 

Anam cara is an ancient Celtic term for “soul friend.” One blog post cannot cover the gift of an anam cara, but we hope this post will encourage you.

 

Janelle’s words

I first heard the words ‘anam cara’ at the Inscribe fall conference in 2012 from the keynote speaker, Nancy Rue. The words have always resonated with me.

 

My ‘soul friend’ is someone I met initially through Inscribe. Alan and I established our connection through a shared friend in the organization via social media. She felt we had similarities that would allow us to be an avenue of support for each other. Who knew that simple introduction would lead to genuine support and encouragement, not only in writing, but in many other avenues of life as well? God did, I expect.

 

My ‘anam cara’ is someone I can ask for a critique knowing it will be honest, gentle, and encouraging—something too often missing in my circle of writer friends. We also bounce ideas back and forth and swap life stories. This is a delightful blessing I didn’t know I was seeking, but needed. The Lord has always provided what I need, when I need it, and it has been no different here. I am infinitely thankful for my anam cara.

 

Alan’s Words

What is friendship? What do we mean when we call someone a friend? How much do I care for my friends? How much do my friends care for me? These are some questions flowing through my mind as I consider the value of an anam cara.

 

An anam cara is a unique relationship to embrace and cherish. Such a friendship can teach us how genuine a relationship can be. For instance, if Janelle asks me how I am doing, I don’t respond with flippant words like, “I’m good or not bad.” I am open with her.

 

Our Anam Cara Relationship

 

We haven’t met each other in person yet, live miles away from each other, and are part of different generations. These facts do not reduce the strength of our bond. We chat on social media a few times every week. We include discussions on our writing and personal matters. This is because we care for each other.

 

An Anam Cara Blessing

 

We close this post with a blessing from poet John O’ Donohue from his classic, “Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom.”

 

“A Friendship Blessing. May you be blessed with good friends. May you learn to be a good friend to yourself. May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness. May this change you. May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you. May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging. May you treasure your friends. May you be good to them and may you be there for them; may they bring you all the blessings, challenges, truth, and light that you need for your journey. May you never be isolated. May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.”

 

 

 

Janelle lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta, with husband, Sandy, their three mostly grown kids and two Shelties. She has been a member of Inscribe for over ten years and has served in the past as FellowScript Editor and webmaster.

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home, where he finds inspiration for his writing. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. His website, https://scarredjoy.ca, is under construction.

Romancing the Word(s) — Janelle M. Baldwin

We are pleased to have Janelle Baldwin, InScribe's webmaster, join us once again as our Guest Blogger.

Words stir in me a vigorous passion to learn, explore, feel, and inspire. Books are among my dearest friends, glad to take me on whichever adventure I choose. I can run with Anne in Prince Edward Island, dive into justice issues with Atticus Finch, explore a Pet Sematary, or investigate the boundaries of lands that do not exist (but should)—like Middle Earth, Narnia and Og. I appreciate story in all its forms, whether it’s expressed through music, art, poetry, theatre or books. Story exposes us to worlds that we may not see otherwise.

I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember, concocting stories of my own long before I could print them on paper. I’d line up dolls and stuffed animals and speak my tales to them. When my little sister couldn’t sleep at night, I’d put socks on my hands, turning them into a pair of striped Brontosaurus who would spin a cheerful yarn until she fell asleep.

I was hardly more than a baby when I first discovered my love of words. One of the first books my mother read to me was a book about birds. She read it to me everyday. By the time I was two years old, I was identifying birds like the blue heron at the Calgary Zoo, much to the surprise of the other patrons. Fiction books, like The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Scuffy the Tugboat and the Poky Little Puppy soon captured my imagination, further developing my delight with the written word. I was fortunate, my mother read to me a lot. Soon I took over the reins myself, exploring fanciful fables about Frog and Toad, Dorrie the little witch, a curious monkey named George, a magical chocolate factory, a giant peach, and a pig with a friend named Charlotte.

When I was a little older, I discovered stories that incorporated faith and the works of God. I read heartbreaking tales of prostitutes and addicts who were given a second chance, through the grace of God and the Walter Hoving Home in upstate New York. I experienced the power of redemption in Nicky Cruz’s Run Baby Run and pastor David Wilkerson’s The Cross and the Switchblade. I was entranced by the warm love that flowed through Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series and captivated by His presence in Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. I met my Father through story and now, as I write my own books, I choose to serve Him the same way.

Writing takes me up magnificent mountain peaks, so high I feel like I could embrace the sun, and through dark vales so shadowy and deep that the light nearly becomes a memory. Through it all, He is with me, encouraging me to take another step when I think I can go no further. His Words are the inspiration for so many of mine. In His book, He reveals the truth of His presence and His great and abiding love. He tells us that He rejoices over us with singing. He says He is coming, and reminds us to keep our lamp lit and not hide it under a bushel. I wish to do the same in my books, revealing His light and love to readers that I may never personally meet. I give thanks to my Father for His many blessings, and for placing in me a love for words—especially His. He’s the greatest Author of them all. And the perfecter of our faith.

Showcase Your Current Project — Epitaph, a novel — Janelle M. Baldwin

We are pleased to have Janelle Baldwin, an InScribe member and InScribe's webmaster, join us today as our Guest Blogger.

Janelle, what are you currently working on? I am currently working on a trilogy of novels called Epitaph. The first book is Epitaph, the next two are Mourning Light and Beauty for Ashes.

Is it a new project or something you’ve been working on for a while now? The books have been an ongoing project for about three years, but the idea was born almost ten years ago. When I started writing it, I expected it to be one book, but the characters had other ideas. It became one story spread over three books.

Is this a usual genre for you? Yes, I write mostly fiction. This is the biggest project I’ve undertaken. It’s been a huge learning process.

How did the idea come about? Many years ago, I asked my husband what he would put on my headstone if I died. The answer he gave me was commonplace and bland. I started to wonder about whether my life was really reflecting what I wanted it to and what I wanted my headstone to say in the end. The story was born out of that, but it really became a journey for my protagonist from agnosticism to faith, through love, loss, forgiveness, grace and peace. They are not fluffy books, they tend to lean toward edgy.

What do you want to accomplish by this writing? My hope is that it reflects the love of the Lord, demonstrating that He meets us right where we are. In the midst of joy and suffering, in good times and bad, He is constant and unchanging. He is reliable, He is trustworthy, and we are never alone.

What is giving you joy or frustration at this time? This has been a long process. I am currently revising the books to patch the holes and remove the tumors. So far, the patient hasn’t bled out on the table, so I think that’s positive. The first book’s rewrite is nearly complete, however, there are miles to go until I’m finished. The biggest challenge is not giving up. If I’d known the heights, depths and breadths when I began, I may not have started at all, so it’s been an amazing journey.

What are you discovering about how the writing is unfolding? Any surprises? Well, it’s different from what I thought it would be when I started out. One character I’d originally added as a minor character pressed for a more starring role, so I gave it to him.

Will you share a paragraph or two to give us a teaser? Kyrie (protagonist) has just received news of a friend’s suicide:

My thoughts are scrambled and incoherent as I shamble down the narrow hallway to my living room, footsteps dragging over the cream-colored berber. When I reach the sofa, I collapse against its soft, worn cushions. It offers a musty, emotionless embrace—exactly the kind that I need right now. I don’t want to feel. Or think. Or move.

I despise death. I do not like its taste, its foul stench. The rhythms that come of it are disjointed, lacking harmony. It is ugly. It behaves like a rude guest—one that I wish hadn’t shown up at all.

When do you plan to have it completed? (Laughs) Last year? No seriously, I hope to send the first book to my mentor and editor in the next month or so. Then I’ll work on aligning the next two with the first.



About Janelle: I have known for as long as I can remember that I wanted to be a writer, I was reading very early and have always had a passion for story and words. As a child, my teachers encouraged me to write and I was chosen as the school’s representative at the Young Author’s Conference three years running.

Over the years, I've worn many hats, including graphic artist, business writer, web designer and mother, but now I am finally pursuing what I love most to do—writing fiction. I feel the Lord's presence gently pressing me onward toward the goal. I’ve had moments of heartbreak and joy, and lam learning a great deal about mining, refining, perseverance and faith throughout this journey.