Jonathan Janz didn't read a single book until he was 14. He'd convinced himself he wasn't smart enough. Then he picked up a Stephen King novel β one King himself doesn't particularly like β and was completely transported. He's now written over a dozen horror novels, been championed by Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, and Joe Lansdale, and still pumps his fist alone in his office every time he writes something he's proud of. He encourages this in others.
Jonathan Janz is the author of more than a dozen novels including The Siren and the Spectre, Children of the Dark, and Wolfland. His work has been championed by Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and Brian Keene, and recognised by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. He's also a full-time teacher β and that dual life shapes everything about how he reads, how he writes, and how he thinks about other people.
This is one of the most openly human conversations in the archive. Jonathan talks about self-doubt, mentorship, the mechanics of writing six hours a week during term time and going wild in the summer, and why the best advice he ever received was two words from a man who's no longer here to say them.
π What we get into:
* How a cold letter to Brian Keene in 2010 or 2011 became one of the most important relationships of Jonathan's writing life
* Jack Ketchum's two-word philosophy on fear β and why Jonathan returns to it every time he sits down to write
* Joe Lansdale's 90-minute phone call: the gut-punch of honest mentorship and why you need someone who tells you the truth in a Texas twang
* Why Jonathan still wakes up in the shower mentally cataloguing every mistake he's ever made β and what he does with that
* The Tommy Knockers, Robert McCammon, and how Jonathan learned that beautiful prose and immersive storytelling aren't mutually exclusive
* Writing six hours a week during the school year and still finishing a novel β the maths of constrained productivity
* Why first drafts are train wrecks and editing takes three times as long as writing
* Ryan Lewis, Josh Malerman, and the permission to celebrate the small wins without waiting for the big ones
* Reading diversely as a craft decision β and why Jonathan is honest about how narrow his reading used to be
* Using Marvel movies, Captain America, and Thor to have the conversations with his kids he doesn't know how to start otherwise
Links & Resources:
* Jonathan Janz's website: https://jonathanjanz.com
* Jonathan Janz on Instagram: @jonathan.janz
* Jonathan Janz on Twitter/X: @JonathanJanz
* Brian Keene: briankeene.com
* Joe R. Lansdale: https://joerlansdale.com
* Robert McCammon: https://robertmccammon.com
* Spin a Black Yarn (Malerman/Lewis): https://spinablackyarn.com
* Scares That Care Convention: https://scaresthatcare.org
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π About Jonathan Janz
Jonathan Janz is the author of more than a dozen novels and numerous short stories. His work has been championed by authors like Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and Brian Keene; he has also been lauded by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal. His ghost story The Siren and the Specter was selected as a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Horror. Additionally, his novel Children of the Dark was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Horror Book of the Year. Jonathanβs main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter, and you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.
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