The Storyteller: An Interview with Janella Angeles
Hi and welcome to Issue #9 of The Storyteller!
If you aren't yet subscribed to the newsletter, you can change that here.
Today I'm chatting with Janella Angeles whose debut novel, Where Dreams Descend pubbed on August 25. Janella and I go right back to my first year in Boston when I volunteered for the Boston Teen Author Festival and worked with her on the day (she was a board member and advisor). A year later, in 2018, I was part of the organising team and got to work with this fellow Emerson alum yet again. The publishing and writing industry can be tiny at the best of times, particularly in the Boston-Cambridge area, but it's usually full of lovely folks like Janella and I'm so grateful for the friendships I've forged within this world.
On that note, thanks Janella for finding the time for this chat in the midst of all of your book promotion events for Where Dreams Descend and your deadlines for book 2! I'm thrilled to celebrate your debut on The Storyteller.
AN: Let’s talk writing journey so far–how did you become a writer, highlights and lows, what was surprising and what exactly like you expected?
JA: I’ve always been a storyteller at heart, but I didn’t truly envision myself as a writer until I got into fanfiction and was lucky enough to really thrive as a reader during the golden age of YA. The combination of both hitting me at such a formative young age absolutely fueled my desire to be a YA author, and it was a dream I’d held onto since I was a young adult myself.
I went to college for publishing and writing, but honestly, I learned far more from reading and doing publishing and writing research on my own (especially with the stigma of children’s lit and genre fiction so prevalent in many academic institutions). It was my first lesson in dream chasing that no one is going to just hand it to you or teach it to you in class—more often than not, you have to be the one that chases and proactively do things on your own to gain the skills and knowledge you wish for.
The thing that really changed my writing journey was definitely meeting my writer friends and current critique group. Before, I had sort of been going at this alone—researching and writing and querying without any writing community around me which, as you can imagine, made the journey lonely and a bit miserable as I wasn’t immediately getting offers of representation or promising news in my inbox all the time.
Although I pushed myself plenty, meeting my writing friends pushed me the most and made the journey not easier in a success-rate sense, but more enjoyable despite the lack of success. They absolutely helped me get my second written book and me representation, which still remains one of the happiest moments of my life when I signed with my agent. Although we didn’t end up selling that book together (as is common, but still heartbreaking because we put so much of ourselves into our stories), we did end up selling my third book which was Where Dreams Descend.
Nothing about my journey has even been predictable, and it’s rarely felt smooth either. But from reading author blogs and acknowledgements and all the research I did on the side, I knew this journey would be hard from the get-go—and I’m so glad it never scared me off, but emboldened me to keep going which has helped me keep going even today.
AN: What has it been like being a debut author during the pandemic?
JA: Definitely a ride. I’m not going to lie or sugar-coat it, I truly grieved for months when the pandemic shut down (and continues to) the whole world. I’d worked so hard to get to this year and one day—written multiple books, faced many rejections and failures, dreamed for so, so long—and in such a short time, all of what was supposed to be and planned was suddenly gone. Events were cancelled, opportunities no longer applicable, excitement was understandably taking a backseat just due to the universal despair. I also experienced a tough family loss due to COVID, while under deadline for Book 2, so on top of feeling super defeated, I was truly worn out and exhausted and grieving in many ways.
It’s absolutely been very wonderful to see all the support coming out for debuts, and all the ways we can now make events virtual and accessible for all. And honestly, the success and enthusiasm for Where Dreams Descend has really taken me by surprise, and I’m so very grateful!
But overall, it’s an experience that has brought me so much and that I know I’m learning from, but am ultimately still healing from because of just the weight of this year overall.
AN: Writing fanfiction–what are some takeaways from that experience that have really helped you in your writing?
JA: Fanfiction taught me that writing is a joyful place. I started reading a lot of fanfiction when I was 12 or 13, and it was just so much fun to participate in a fandom, see characters you know well in situations that are not canon (or you wish were canon), and almost feeling the joy and thrill ooze from the words of the writer behind the fanfic. I figured that if reading fanfiction was so much fun, then writing it had to be—and I was absolutely right.
While my first attempts, like all first attempts, resulted in some gloriously bad stories, fanfiction truly helped me develop my love of writing and storytelling voice. It was the perfect platform to explore writing, as it was first and foremost purely for me, there was the experience of online reactions and critique through the comments, and it just felt like a comfortable place to dig into writing at my own pace rather than creating to get any of that writing published.
I often miss fanfic writing and the pure fun that came with it, but I’m forever grateful for how it helped build such a strong writing foundation for me that carried me into the realm of original fiction writing years later. Without a doubt, I would not be where I am today without fanfiction.
AN: What was the hardest and the most joyful part about writing your first novel?
JA: The hardest part was absolutely the fact that it was my first book, a YA dystopian which I’d written during the saturation of dystopias (so as you can imagine, no one wanted it!). Before then, I’d written fanfiction and was one of those monsters who abandoned everything (I’m sorry!), so writing to the end of my first novel took about four years.
Then there was the revising, which I’d also never had to do before, so I was pretty lost there too. Even though I felt pretty lost and frustrated in my efforts with this book, I’m so proud of myself for finally reaching the end. That had to be the most joyful part, because before that I’d never really finished anything. And while this book ultimately went nowhere (and will forever go nowhere), the act of finishing it was so impactful on me and definitely made me believe that I could write books from beginning to end if I worked hard enough at it.
AN: What motivates you to write and tell the stories that you do?
JA: I write what I’d love to read, and especially what younger me would love to read. Those are how the ideas catch me, but what makes them cling is when I connect to the heart of them. If I’m not super emotionally connected to a story, then I won’t be motivated to write it. My characters are the ones who draw me back, and often times, I put a lot of my heart into them as they face situations that help me feeling like I’m writing myself out of my own tough situations. While it can be tough to confront those emotions in such a way, I find it so rewarding when it brings me that much closer to my characters and to the story.
AN: Let’s talk process – what sort of a writer are you? How do you work with an idea from start to finish? (Does the plot come first or the characters, for example; do you plot everything out beforehand, etc.) Has this process changed from when you first started?
JA: I’m a very chaotic and messy writer. Honestly, I think my agent and CPs are horrified of my process because I am not the most organized, and I also have very pantser tendencies. As such, each book I’ve written has come to me differently, and the elements that come first always change.
For Where Dreams Descend, I’m pretty sure concept and character came to me first, and even those evolved in the process of writing it. What does remain the same, however, is that I love to gather ideas and let them sit in my head for however long they can.
Often my books are not just the burst of inspiration from one idea, but from many—and many times, I don’t see how those many ideas sitting in my head might click with each other to create that mega idea that can become a story.
This was exactly what happened with Where Dreams Descend, and it was my most galaxy brain moment when I realized how many ideas I’d been keeping in the back of my mind harmonized together when I’d always believed them to be so separate. I love that sense of discovery and inspiration, which I try to keep with me even as I write under contract and deadlines now.
AN: How do you balance a full-time publishing job and being a writer?
JA: It’s definitely a struggle. There’s never enough time in the day for anything, so you really have to make the time to get anything done. Thankfully my job doesn’t touch much on creative energy so I have my brain primed and ready to jump back into a story when I’m off the clock, but it’s tough to find any energy most days.
I’ve really found a good rhythm with blocking off about two hours before work to write, sometimes writing through my lunch break, and then using the night to write if I’m not too drained. It often feels like I’m in a never-ending hamster wheel of work, but I’m happy to have the security of consistent pay with the high of getting to create for a living as well so the pros far outweigh the cons for me personally.
AN: What are your favourite parts about being a writer – whether behind the scenes, during publicity/promo campaigns, or otherwise?
JA: My favorite part about being a writer is absolutely that moment when the story is all coming together. After finishing a draft it’s often overwhelming to look at the story as a whole because it’s just a mess of moving parts that haven’t found their harmony yet. The words are not sharp, the story isn’t clean, and so everything feels like an impossible mountain to climb. But eventually, there is that moment you get to where you see the light at the end of the tunnel, where all of the pieces you planted are started to pay off in the story, when the characters start talking to you, and when the book as a whole feels like a book. It takes a while to get there sometimes, but when I’m there, I’m at my happiest.
AN: Walk us through your world-building for Where Dreams Descend. How do you balance real-life and fantasy elements and what were your inspirations?
JA: For Where Dreams Descend, I wanted to create a world that could slip into the seams of its core comps: Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, and The Night Circus. All of those stories have so much overlap from lush aesthetics and atmospheres to deeply romantic stories to settings that carried such majesty and magic to them. For this book especially, which is framed almost like a show in and of itself, I loved that feeling of setting the stage with all the different backdrops we see from Hellfire House to the Dire Woods to Glorian and beyond. None of these places look the same, but woven together, they create such a transportive energy that I wanted the reader to feel as they were going deeper into the story.
AN: What are some of your favourite diverse reads? Especially by Filipino authors?
JA: Some Filipino authors I’d love to shout out first and foremost are Rin Chupeco, Roshani Chokshi, Erin Entrada Kelly, Randy Ribay, K.S. Villoso, and Roselle Lim. These authors write brilliant works across all genres and age categories. Some of my other favorite and fantastic reads by diverse voices include Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno, The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton, and Alyssa Cole’s romances.
AN: Any advice you wish you’d gotten when you first started out? Or just any advice for aspiring authors from your own experience, something that’s really helped you in your writing and publishing journey so far?
JA: One of my biggest pieces of advice is for writers to really cultivate their love and joy of writing, and to protect it. The farther along you get in your writing journey, the more that passion gets tested because there are so many obstacles along the way. Doubt creeps in so easily and often makes us question why we’re doing this writing thing in the first place (especially when you aren’t succeeding as quickly as you’d like, or if the words aren’t flowing as well as they used to), so it’s important to have that writing joy to fall back on. There’s so much we can’t control in this business, but writing is the thing we can control so we must do our best to cultivate our passion and joy for it as best as we can.
AN: What next?
JA: When Night Breaks, which is the sequel to Where Dreams Descend and end of the duology, coming out next summer! And hopefully, a nice, long nap whenever I’m off deadline…
---
1. What's the last book that you read that you'd recommend and why?
I listened to All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson on audio months back and still think about it. I rarely gravitate toward memoirs, but I’m so glad I did because the author’s way of telling his story is compelling, heartbreaking, and honest. Such a standout in the YA age category.
2. What's the last TV show or movie you watched that you'd recommend and why?
I’m currently making my way through Selling Sunset on Netflix. I love reality television so much, but what sets this one apart for me is how it presents itself as super materialistic and over-the-top aesthetically, but I’m more so intrigued by these women who are powerful, charismatic brokers and get the job done. It’s fun and yes there’s drama, but I love anything with an element of hustle to it!
3. What's the last song you listened to that you'd recommend and why?
Wait for Me from Hadestown. This song is always on repeat because it gets me in the mood for When Night Breaks (inspired by Hadestown, of course!), and I just love the emotion packed behind it. It almost feels like a desperate love song, one filled with longing and determination, which fits the show and the myth behind it and I can’t recommend that whole musical enough.
---
Thank you Janella for agreeing to feature in The Storyteller and for such a great chat! I cannot wait to see what awaits Kallia, Jack, Demarco and the rest in When Night Breaks.
As always, I've included both mine and Janella's social media links below, for you to check out if you so wish. There are buying links as well, which include links through my own online affiliate shop for Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookstores. I have a separate section on there titled "The Storyteller newsletter" so you can access the relevant buying links for all the authors I've had on here so far.
In Issue #10 coming into your inboxes on October 1, we have Heather Martin, the authorised biographer of Lee Child, talking about the upcoming biography, The Reacher Guy (out in the US and UK on September 26), how it all came about, her experience working with Lee on it, her approach to writing a biography, and much more.
If you enjoyed this and know someone who would, as well, please forward this to them! I'm also always up for a book (or general) chat so feel free to turn this into a conversation at any time by replying to the email, even if just to let me know your thoughts on an issue or if you have any feedback, but also if you must share with someone how awesome something is that you've recently read, watched, or listened to.
Thank you and until next time!
Anu
Currently reading: A House of my Own by Sandra Cisneros
Currently watching: Does the trailer for the new Rebecca adaptation count? I've watched it a few times in anticipation of next month.
Currently listening to: Champagne Night by Lady A (last hurrah to summer et al.)
Latest writing: Charlie Davies - Between the Goalposts of Life (Football Paradise)
---
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Buying/pre-ordering links:
https://bookshop.org/shop/anushreenande
https://janellaangeles.com/books-2/where-dreams-descend
https://janellaangeles.com/books-2/2736-2
Â