Donna Janell Bowman: Customize Each Character’s Voice
KidLit Craft is back with another Snack-Sized Author Interview. In this series, we ask authors five quick questions that give us insight into their craft and process. Today we’re talking with author Donna Janell Bowman.
I met Donna Janell Bowman in person for the first time at an SCBWI Oktoberfest conference where she spoke about school visits. Her presentation was comprehensive, informative, and generous, just like Donna. We’ve known each other online through VCFA circles, and even from a computer screen, her generosity of spirit and writing smarts shine through. –Anne-Marie
Welcome, Donna!
Question 1: What's your writing superpower?
Oh gosh, the thought of a “superpower” makes me chuckle because it implies that I came into the world with a writing super-cape (I wish!).
In reality, anything I excel at today came from reading and studying craft for years — long before my first publication and before I pursued my MFA through VCFA.
That said, during years of writing good and bad manuscripts and dissecting countless books, I certainly strengthened some muscles more than others. For example, I consider character development and voice to be my strengths, but curiosity and tenacity are the fuel sources that help me sustain the creative life.
Question 2: What’s an element of craft you explored in your latest project and what tips can you share with other authors for growing in their use of that particular element?
Unlike my other books, I crafted Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills with a lyrical voice and metaphorical language. It was an intentional choice.
For context, Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) is the only American ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000-meter event (1964) and one of only two Native American athletes ever to win gold in any Track & Field event (the first was Jim Thorpe). His perseverance against tremendous obstacles inspires me.
I researched and wrote the manuscript that would become Wings while I was an MFA student, but the fate of the book rested on Billy’s feedback and approval. I spent more than four years trying to reach him for an interview. I finally got a chance to spend a day with him in 2020, and our collaboration was soon assured. What followed were frequent conversations that allowed me to get to know him, his voice, his essence, and his culture. I ran every revision by Billy to ensure personal and cultural authenticity. As for the voice, Billy often uses metaphors during his speeches around the world. Similarly, Indigenous oral storytelling is full of metaphorical language. So, infusing Wings with a poetic voice was a way to honor both Billy Mills and his culture.
That’s my tip for writers: Customize each character’s voice so they feel real to the reader, and tailor the overall narrative voice to establish an intended overall tone.
Question 3: If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new author?
Sheesh, hindsight is 20/20, so I wish I really could pop back in time. Here are a few practical advice nuggets:
Don’t assume that your books will financially support you. They likely won’t, so plan for a separate income source.
Embrace the pre-published apprenticeship period for what it is: a necessary time of skill development and growth.
Give yourself grace when life requires your full attention and a break from your writing routine.
Writing is not easy, but if you can remember to play with words, it will be easier to find joy in it.
Question 4: What inspires you as a writer?
Oh, gosh, so much inspires me! People (especially kids), nature, history, my concern for society and the planet. It might sound trite, but I’m driven to write by the child I used to be, the children I raised, and other curious or angsty young readers who turn to books for answers, adventure, or hope.
Question 5: What’s one book you think every kidlit author should read?
Ah, the impossible question! I can’t possibly be prescriptive because every author is unique and in a different stage of their own journey. The “one book” that made a difference in my own writing life won’t necessarily resonate with others.
But, for what it’s worth, I have re-read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic several times because it always grounds me in creativity and reminds me that the value of writing as an art form should not be conditioned on publication.
BONUS Q: What can fans look forward to?
I have more books coming. Alas, I must remain mysterious until I’m free to share news. Till then, I am writing, freelance editing, coaching, and I will soon have new online class offerings listed on my website.
Donna Janell Bowman is an award-winning author of books for young readers, including Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills, co-authored with Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota); Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness; Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words; King of the Tightrope: When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagara; and others. Donna’s books have garnered such accolades as starred reviews, state book awards, a Robert F. Sibert Award Honor from ALA, and awards and honors from NCTE, NCSS, ALSC, TLA, Oprah Daily, Library of Congress Great Reads, Best-Of-The-Year lists, and more. Armed with an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, she writes from her Central Texas home and enjoys speaking at schools around the country, freelance editing, and coaching writers.
Visit her online at www.donnajanellbowman.com and on Instagram @donnajbbwrites.
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