You’ve been a working screenwriter for a number of years. What inspired you to write your novel, Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen? How did you come up with the premise?
I had become pretty burned out on the whole screenwriting thing. Not just the writing of scripts, but all the wheeling and dealing with filmmakers, agents, and managers. I was just worn out. As much as I really enjoy writing screenplays, I needed another creative writing outlet. I had written all sorts of things—a play, a web series, a non-fiction book, blogs—but I had yet to tackle a novel. It would have to be about something I knew well. So I came up with a story about a young guy who goes to L.A. to become a screenwriter. Once I started writing, the story just poured out of me. Many have asked, “Is the novel autobiographical?” I always say, “Ninety-seven percent of it is a work of fiction—and no, I’m not telling you which 3% is truth.” But Luigi’s is a real Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride through Hollywood, and readers seem to be enjoying it.
How was writing a novel different from your experiences as a screenwriter—and did you enjoy the experience?
When you write a screenplay, you have to stay within certain parameters, and it all tends to be fairly rigid. It can also be difficult exploring a character’s inner feelings and inner thoughts. As I wrote Luigi’s, I felt free to go anywhere I wanted. I could really delve into Trent’s emotions and I could explore moments in his existence that I would never be able to do in a screenplay. I loved every bit of writing that book, I really did.
Do you plan to turn your novel into a screenplay—and have you ever adapted a book before?
I’ve had a few people tell me it would make a cool cable or web series. I did have a producer contact me about a year ago, expressing an interest in adapting the novel into some sort of series, but I never heard back from him after that initial contact. Well, as they say, that’s show biz! As for adapting books: Yup, I’ve adapted four novels into screenplays. One was an early experiment, just to see if I could do it, and the other three were paid assignments. It’s a real challenge boiling a 350-page novel into a 110-page screenplay. It’s fun, but definitely a challenge.
Do you plan to write more novels in the future?
Yup, I sure do! In fact, right now I have three novels in various stages of development, including a sequel to Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen, which is presently about one-fourth of the way completed.
Do you have other books available?
In 2006 I published a book entitled Q & A: The Working Screenwriter – An In-the-Trenches Perspective of Writing Movies in Today’s Film Industry. It’s a compilation of interviews I did with 16 working screenwriters, including David J. Schow (The Crow), Stephen Susco (The Grudge) John Rogers (The Core) and Brent Maddock (Tremors and Short Circuit). It’s available as a paperback and e-book on Amazon, The Writer’s Store…all the usual places.
Do you have advice for other screenwriters who are considering writing a novel?
Just keep in mind that you’re doing an awful lot of writing. A screenplay is typically in the 17- to 18,000-word range, give or take. A novel is a minimum of 60,000 words; and depending on the genre you’re writing, you could easily surpass 100,000 words. But if you love what you’re writing—as I did—word count isn’t a huge problem. So if you feel you have a novel in you, you should definitely go for it!
Jim Vines has been a professional screenwriter and script consultant since the early 1990s. He has optioned and sold several of his screenplays and has been commissioned to pen and rewrite scripts for numerous U.S. and Canadian producers. His thriller The Perfect Tenant has aired regularly on American and foreign cable television since its release in 2000. In 2006 he published Q & A: The Working Screenwriter, a book of interviews with 16 professional screenwriters. Jim is the author of The Working Screenwriter and Jim Vines Presents, two popular writing blogs. His comedic 2-act play Downwind of the Cannery has been staged by three separate theater companies. He also created and wrote a Web series, was a guest speaker at the Scriptwriters Network in Los Angeles, and won the Best Writer award at the 2014 Shockfest Film Festival. Also in 2014: a movie produced from his horror screenplay House at the End of the Drive was completed and currently awaits distribution. In 2015, he published his first novel, Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen, which is the saga of a young man trying to make his mark in Hollywood. He presently has three other book projects in development and occasionally takes on screenwriting assignments.
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