Let's start off with something simple. Who are you?
As it's an interview for aspiring authors, we'll leave that as an obvious answer. Let's run down the vitals: Josh Vogt. 27. Male. Denver resident, and general air-breather. I am an organ donor, and I am also made out of meat (points for those who get the reference!). I'm a voracious reader, mostly in the scifi/fantasy genres, which is also what I write. Most of my jobs since college have also had to do with writing or publishing. I was at Simon & Schuster for two years and got to see behind the curtain of a major publisher. I'm also a freelance copywriter, with the goal of being able to do that full-time alongside my fiction in the coming years. I signed on with an agent last year, Scott Hoffman from Folio Literary Management, and we're currently shopping an urban fantasy novel to publishers.
Could you tell us a little bit about your work in progress?
The one being shopped to publishers right now is Enter the Janitor, about a company of magical sanitation workers, to sum up the basic premise. The manuscript I'm currently drafting is Parasomnia, where a group of permanent insomniacs act as the border patrol between our realm and the dreaming one.
What is the first story you remember writing? What was it about?
I was 8. I attempted to write a scifi space opera, where a bunch of spaceship pilots attempt to overthrow an evil computer that ruled the galaxy. Got about a third into it and then couldn't figure out what happened next.
Are you more of a “plotter” or a “pantser”?
Definitely a plotter. I have a particular technique I learned early on from another author that I use for most drafts. The Snowflake Model. I wrote a bit about it here. It's difficult for me to just make things up on the fly. I need at least a loose outline from point A to Z, and then I figure out the specifics as I go along. It gives me mini-goals to hit and helps me know where the story is headed.
All writers need encouragement. Who first encouraged you to write, and who is it that encourages you today?
My parents greatly encouraged my writing, for starters. My mom is actually a journalist, editor, and author, so it's been fun having something to connect with beyond the usual mother/son dynamic. A couple of college professors were also highly encouraging of my desire to write, and I hope to someday be able to tell them exactly how big of an impact they made.
Which authors have had a significant influence on your writing?
Quite a few. Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, to spotlight some bigger names. C.S. Lewis and Tolkien are also big factors in there.
What music, if any, do you enjoy listening to while you write?
An eclectic mix. Really depends on the mood. Jazz to Celtic to Broadway tunes to movie scores. Sometimes I switch it up depending on the type of scene I'm working on, but pretty much anything is game except for country.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a writer?
I feel like I get dialogue down pretty naturally, and I try to focus on making my writing as "visual" as possible. Past martial art experience definitely helps for any fight scenes. As far as weaknesses, I tend to forget to put emotional depth on the page and have to go back in and add it after the fact. I also overwrite, so most first-run revisions involve cutting a hefty portion of the wordcount. Anywhere from 10-25%.
What do you hope to achieve with your writing?
Make a career out of it. The longterm goal is being a full-time writer, mixing my freelance copywriting with fiction while working from home (or the nearest bookstore/coffee shop). I'm not really a office/corporate-oriented person, so the sooner I escape from the cubicle maze the better.
What was once traditionally a print medium is now rapidly branching out into many digital formats. What do you think of this trend?
I love ebooks and the digital trends. Tons of potential there. I hardly think traditional print is going to go extinct or anything...at least not for a couple generations...but I want to take as much advantage of virtual platforms and distribution as I can. It's such a quickly evolving field, and I'm excited to see all the great innovation and advancements being made. We're barely scratching the surface, to use a cliche.
What was the last sentence that you had to re-read over and over again because of its awesomeness? What struck you about it?
"I must say you have an amazing persistence of vitality, if not a presence of mind." This comes from Terry Pratchett's Carpe Jugulum, and is spoken by the character of Death. Pratchett is an author I consistently come back to. He always delivers solid laughs mixed with satirical insight, and even if you know the plot backwards and forwards, it doesn't lose its quality.
What book(s) have you recently read that you would recommend to the readers of this blog?
Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes is a good one, as is Midnight Riot, a UK urban fantasy release by Ben Aaronovitch. Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear is coming out soon, and if you haven't read The Name of the Wind, get to it quick! If you want more ideas, I post somewhat regular genre reviews, news, and the occasional author interview as the Speculative Fiction Examiner.
What advice do you have to other aspiring authors out there?
Persistence is a good quality to have, but only if you back it up by constantly learning and growing as a writer at the same time. Persistence without growth is just obstinacy. See this little bit I wrote about skulls and brick walls.
An apocalypse destroys the entirety of human literature, apart from the work of three authors that you can magically save with your wizardry – what do you save from imminent destruction?
I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. One of the few vampire novels that actually stands out from the crowd. Plus, it links back to Bram Stoker's original Dracula. Well worth a read. The Chronicles of Narnia would be a must, since I'd need something to read for bedtime stories. Also, Dan Simmons duology, Olympos and Ilium. You want the Trojan war on Mars? You got the Trojan war on Mars, and a pretty screwed up sci-fi tale besides.
Our time is at an end. For our curious readers, how can we follow your progress?
Couple of options there. JRVogt.blogspot.com is where I keep things personal and update on my writing adventure. I'm also on Twitter @JRVogt. As a side project, I've recently launched Write-Strong.com, where I compile writing resources and tools that I've found useful and that other aspiring authors might be able to enjoy as well.
I hope these answers work well for the interview. All the best!
Josh Vogt
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