Write Now with Julian David Stone

What do you know about the early days of Hollywood? Today’s Write Now interview features Julian David Stone, Author of It’s Alive!, a chronicle of behind-the-scenes details that created monster movie mania. Enjoy Julian’s interview.

Who Are You?

I was born in New York City, but I lived in the San Francisco Bay area from the age of four. I moved to Los Angeles when I was 18 to go to film school and, after graduation, started writing screenplays as a way into the film business. I was fortunate that it worked, and I spent the next 15 years making films and writing screenplays for various studios and independent producers. Then I transitioned to writing books with my latest one, It’s Alive!, which came out on May 17th.

What Do You Write?

As I mentioned above, I started writing screenplays as a way into the film business, which worked, and I had a career as a screenwriter for about 15 years. I transitioned to novels and particularly enjoy writing historical fiction. I love discovering interesting stories from the past and, through researching and, ultimately, my writing, fleshing them out into a novel.

Where Do You Write?

I usually write either sitting on a couch or in a large chair, with my laptop resting on one of the armrests. I’m usually in my office, though sometimes in the other rooms in our house if it’s quiet enough. I do very little writing freehand; everything is typed and usually in a standard word processor program like Word or Pages.

When Do You Write?

I have no set schedule when I write. During the day, it’s when I know I have a couple of free hours that I can be left undisturbed that I go to work. I have no goal in front of me when I start. I just go at it and see how much I can get done. I also write at night and find night writing usually the most productive.

Why Do You Write?

The desire to tell stories. I love discovering something fascinating from the past and finding a way to share it with others who I think will also find it fascinating.

How Do You Overcome Writer’s Block?

I’ve always been lucky that I never really get writer’s block. I can go through periods of indecisiveness when I can’t decide which story I want to focus on, but I’m always able to write when I finally sit down to do it.

Bonus: What Do You Enjoy Doing When Not Writing?

My family, going to movies, sporting events, live music.

My thanks to Julian David Stone for today’s interview.