Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim D’Andrea.
Hi Jim, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was always a writer. I remember writing my first horror story in the seventh grade–it was called “Pumpason Man”. I have friends to this day that still talk about it. He was a monster that I created, Pumpason Man, like a Jason Vorhees or Freddy Kruegger.
Anyway, years later, in my early 20’s, I found a job working on a movie that was filming in Pittsburgh. I drove there and lived in a hotel and worked 20 hour days for $100 a day. It was brutal, but it taught me about the film business. Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson were the stars, so it was a legit Hollywood production. I read the screenplay and thought to myself, “I can write like this”. That’s how it started.
After several years of pushing screenplays to agents and producers and managers, I grew frustrated and decided I’d do what I had always wanted to do, which was to write a novel. Specifically, horror. I figured if I couldn’t get it published, I could always self-publish. As it turned out, I found a great publisher and after signing a deal with them last year the book has finally hit shelves.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to get here has not been smooth, no. Bumpy would be a better description. Even fraught with mines. But that was mostly due to the unpleasant nature of the movie business. Once I pulled away from my obsession with getting a movie made and just wrote what I wanted to write, things opened up. This is my first novel and it’s gone really smoothly. The publisher has been great to work with, and the process was time-consuming, but enjoyable in a lot of ways. When you know people are going to be reading your work, you want to put in the time to smooth out all the little question marks in the story.
I reference Marcus Aurelius in the novel because some of his philosophy is what led me to change my focus from screenwriting to writing prose. I saw the quote, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way”. God, I ruminated over that statement for so long, thinking how it pertained to my writing. That’s when I decided to find a different path to share my storytelling, and that became the way for me. The obstacle is the way!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I worked as a member of a film crew for several years off-and-on. I would do a movie for three months, live in a hotel, save my money, and then come home and write a screenplay while living at my parents summer house on cape cod. They weren’t thrilled about it, and it wasn’t fun or easy. It’s hard to put yourself out there and really take a chance in life. You feel vulnerable. Failure is a very real possibility, and nobody is coming to save you. I am most proud of the fact that I never quit. No matter how many doors were closed in my face, I would go back and knock again. I always believed in myself and I still do. I’m just getting started, I feel like a whole universe has opened up for me.
My second novel is completed. It’s another horror story–I call it a psychological horror. I have begun the process of sending query emails to publishers and agents. I am confident it will get published, and the story is perfect for a low-budget indy horror film. Novels, movies, and TV shows, writing, producing and directing, those are my goals and I’m seeing them come to fruition. It feels great.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If you’re a true artist, you’ll keep going no matter what. I hear people say “failure is not an option”, but that’s the most untrue statement in the world. Failure is always an option. Quitting is the easiest thing in the world to do. People will encourage you to quit. “You did your best. It’s time to get a real job. You have responsibilities now. There’s no shame in failing, you tried your hardest”, all that kind of stuff. It’s the devil whispering in your ear. That off-ramp is always right there, just pull off the road and give up on the whole thing. Especially when success doesn’t come quickly, or as easily as you’d hoped. You can’t predict luck or timing. But if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to be who you believe you are, then you’ll never stop. If I end up homeless sleeping on a park bench, I’ll be fine with it. People will know I gave it everything I had. They’ll know I never quit. There’s been a lot of great writers that never saw a dime of money or a sliver of recognition while they were alive. But at least they didn’t live as frauds.
Pricing:
- paperback $11.99 on Amazon
- digital book $4.99 on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Website: https://HollywoodBloodletter.com
- Instagram: hollywoodbloodletter
- Facebook: Jim D’Andrea
- Twitter: @MrBloodLetter
