The Riches of a Creative Life (Even When the Checks Don’t Cash)

I was born into something of a showbiz family: my dad was a successful TV and radio announcer, and my mom was a Columbia Studios starlet and model. As for me, I was a creative little kid—always being silly, always making people laugh, always keeping folks entertained. But I truly fell in love at age eleven—not with a person, but with a Super 8 camera. It was 1974, and that little machine opened a door to a world where imagination ruled. My friends and I made movies with cardboard props and wild ideas, edited them with tape and scissors, and screened them for anyone willing to watch. We weren’t chasing fame or fortune. We were chasing joy.

At Beverly Hills High School, I found my tribe. The film and TV department was a dream factory, and for four years, I lived inside it—writing, directing, acting, editing, even building sets. The school had its own cable channel, broadcasting our work across parts of Los Angeles. We were kids, but we were creators. And that mattered.

After high school, I kept going—live theater, more video productions, and a stint in the film industry as a still photographer, grip, and even a stuntman. I met cool people, learned the rhythm of a set, and soaked in the energy of storytelling. Did I make a fortune? Not even close. But I made memories, friendships, and art. That’s a different kind of wealth.

In the ’90s, I turned to screenwriting. Working at a talent agency and major studios gave me access to hundreds of scripts. I studied them like sacred texts. Eventually, I optioned one. Sold another. Saw my first film produced in 1999. That moment—seeing something I wrote come to life—was electric. Not because of the paycheck, but because I had added something to the world I loved.

The journey hasn’t been smooth. Scripts have been shelved. Projects have fizzled. There were days I considered giving it all up and becoming a potato farmer. But the spark never died. I kept writing. Kept dreaming. A couple more of my scripts have been produced—though not yet released. Still, they exist. They were made. And recently, I discovered the joy of novel writing—two books so far. No royalties (well, nothing you could call life-changing), but endless creative freedom—and wow, unbelievably fun to write.

And yes, it’s important to pay the bills. I’ve worked plenty of “regular” jobs—waiting tables, hauling boxes in warehouses, doing security at major film studios, even grinding through mindless tasks at big Beverly Hills talent agencies. None of it was terribly glamorous, but it kept me (and my family) fed and afloat. The point is: you can do both. You can work to survive and still carve out time to create. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

And I’m still writing screenplays. In fact, I’ve got three new scripts—each in a different genre—currently being sent out, or about to be sent out, by my manager. The thrill of crafting something new and watching it find its way into the world hasn’t faded one bit.

So, to the young dreamers out there: if you’re wondering whether to follow your creativity even when the money’s uncertain—do it. The world needs your voice, your vision, your weird little stories. I’ve lived a life rich in meaning, even if the bank account didn’t always agree. And the only regret I’d have is if I’d ignored that eleven-year-old kid with a camera and chosen something “safe.”

Create boldly. Love the process. And trust that joy is its own reward.

Three rules...

 

SUNSHINE TERRACE - A Novel by Jim Vines...

Available at Amazon!

Q: With your previous novel, Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen—which was based, at least in part, in your early years as a screenwriter—you claimed that 97% of it was a work of fiction. So, what percentage of Sunshine Terrace is a work of fiction? 

JV: All the central characters—Denny, Katrina, Billie, Matt, Gretchen, Lana, Daniel, and even C. W. Strathmore—are based on actual people, so there are miniscule bits of truth with each of them. But I’m sure the real question you want me to answer is: Am I Jace Deckard? Again, there are bits and pieces of me in that character. Yes, I was, and still am, a photographer. Yes, I did shoot the nude pictures for the guy and his girlfriend. Yes, I performed a sketch on stage with two of my friends; and yes, we got a great review. Yes, I worked at a restaurant atop the hill in Universal City. Yes, I had both those apartments in Studio City that I shared with friends. So, yeah, quite a bit happened in real life, or at least had some truth to it—just not necessarily the way I tell it in the book. That’s the fun of writing a novel: you can take real-world facts and rearrange them and take characters and situations in a completely different direction. 

Q: I don’t want to offer any spoilers, but the girl Jace ultimately falls in love with—she isn’t based on an actual person? 

JV: Well, no. I mean, I did meet my former wife in a somewhat similar manner to what I detailed in the story, but other than that one sliver of truth, the rest of it is pretty much complete fiction. 

Q: Pretty much? 

JV: Ha ha. Nice try. 

Q: What about the somewhat unhinged—but hella sexy—Maya? 

JV: Somewhat unhinged? No, Maya wasn’t someone I knew, not really. Though I wish she had been—or at least certain aspects of her! 

Q: I thought the character of Daniel was especially interesting; tragic, but interesting. 

JV: There was more truth to that character than most of the others. Sad, but true. 

Q: What reason did you have for setting your story in the early 1980s? Why couldn’t it all have been updated for present day? 

JV: For one thing, all of it did happen in the early ‘80s! That’s what made it so much fun for me to write, going back to that period. I also think it’s more interesting for younger people today to know a little of what the world—or at least life in Los Angeles—was like 40 years ago. There were no computers, no cellphones, no Uber or Lyft. If you needed the number of a neighborhood restaurant, you looked it up in your copy of the Yellow Pages. If you were supposed to meet a friend at a movie theater and they were late, you couldn’t call them and say, “Hey, where are you?” No, you had to wait until they showed up; or you had to find a payphone, drop a couple dimes into it and hope you could reach them. If you were a professional photographer, as I was, you shot on film and then took the film to a lab to have it processed, then add another day or two before you got back the prints or a proof sheet. Anyway, it was a lot of fun for me to recall that period: being so young, on your own for the first time, trying to make a living, hanging with friends, finding your way, the dating scene… 

Q: You told me you had finished this novel three or four years ago. Why has it taken you so long to finally publish it? 

JV: Yeah, I did finish it about four years ago—well, about 98% of it—but then I felt like I had to set it aside for a while, get some distance, before I did my final edits. I also got busy with a screenplay of mine that went into production. There were also other projects I was working on— and all of this took my creative energies and time away from Sunshine Terrace. 

Q: Whether what you wrote in Sunshine Terrace is true, semi-true, or completely fictionalized, you must’ve spent quite a bit of time reliving your past... 

JV: Oh, yes, definitely! 

Q: So, what was that like for you? 

JV: Well, I’m a person who typically spends a certain amount of time thinking about the past. What can I say? I had a great time! It wasn’t all roses, but most of it was pretty great. There were lots of adventures, lots of laughs, lots of creativity. I’ve been lucky. But I had to immerse myself in those times. I had to recall the music, the styles and fads, the relative simplicity of it all. I also had to recall the people I knew, the friends I hung out with, some of the relationships I had, and the creative projects I worked on. For the most part, it was a blast being so deeply entrenched in it all! 

Q: What was your biggest takeaway from writing Sunshine Terrace? 

JV: It’s funny, you don’t ever realize quite how good things are, how much fun you’re having, when you’re living through it. You have to look back over many years—in this case, forty years—to say, “Wow, those were some fun, interesting times.” I’m also amazed by how much energy I had back then. I still have a good amount of energy—c’mon, I’m not that old!—but a great fun day in 2024 is a lot different than what it was in 1982. These days, taking a nice, long walk (especially in the rain), sitting in a coffeehouse, and doing some writing or reading a book, roaming around town and taking some good photographs—for me, that’s pure bliss! 

Q: Your last novel, Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen, was similar in tone—perhaps even in theme—as Sunshine Terrace. 

 JV: These are the types of stories I like to tell. Intimate stories about people going about their daily lives, trying to get through it all, trying to succeed…the highs and the lows. These are the types of movies I prefer as well. I’d rather watch Midnight Cowboy than Star Wars. I’d rather watch The Accidental Tourist than Alien. Nothing wrong with those other movies, of course—Star Wars and Alien are both great—but I like stories—whether a novel or movie—to be more down to earth, more personal, more intimate. 

 Q: Why do you write? 

JV: For the same reason I enjoy photography—the act of creating something. And sharing the work is the cherry on top. I hope I can give people something to think about; and I hope I can provide some entertainment. 

Q: Writing wise, what have you got on the horizon? 

JV: Well, that movie I wrote, the one that got made not long ago, is still in post-production. I’m hoping it wraps up soon and it can hit the festival circuit in the fall. We’ll see. The interesting thing about that movie is that two movies were shot simultaneously—one in English and one in Hindi. I’m also working on a screenplay that my manager and I have high hopes for. We’ve already got some strong interest. Again, we’ll see. As far as novels go, I recently finished writing the sequel to my [2015) novel, Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen. It’ll be a while before I get it into shape for publishing, but it’s on the way! 

Q: Where can we find you online? 

JV: I’m kind of all over the place. If you want to check out some of my photography, look up @JimVinesPresents on Instagram. Also, stop by Jim Vines Presents on YouTube and check out my videos—including one from 1981 where I give Nicolas Cage his very first film award! If you like movies from the 1960s and 1970s, come visit me on Facebook at Hollywood & Vines. I also have a screenwriting blog, which I’ve neglected badly in the last couple years, called The Working Screenwriter. 

Q: Thank you for taking the time to chat with me, Jim. 

JV: My pleasure, my friend. I appreciate it!

Get your copy of Sunshine Terrace at Amazon!

For those of you who also write screenplays...

A Beast Is Born! 

A Screenwriter's Journey from Script 

to Award-winning Short Film

A Beast Is Born! chronicles a writer’s arduous eleven-year journey to develop his short horror script Susie’s Beast from nascent idea to award-winning film. Compiled from emails, text messages, phone conversations, and personal journal entries, A Beast Is Born! demonstrates just how dogged perseverance and sheer determination are the screenwriter’s truest allies when searching for a filmmaker who can transform words on a page into a captivating cinematic entertainment. A Beast Is Born! is an absolute must-read for any screenwriter who believes their stories were meant for the big—or small—screen. 

A Beast Is Born! 

A Screenwriter's Journey from Script 

to Award-winning Short Film

A Kindle eBook!
(Also available from B&N, Apple Books, 
KOBO...pretty much everywhere!)

The exciting life of a writer!

Over the years I've been asked, 

"Jim, what's your typical writing day like?" 

I usually give some long-winded response. 

But actually, it can all be boiled down far more succinctly.

Click here to watch the exciting video!







# # # 

No witches, no warlocks, no vampires. 

Just a sexy, rollicking tale about a guy trying to hit it big in Hollywood. 

 "A great summer read!" 

"A sexy Hollywood tale!" 
"It's WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN for the 21st century!"

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen

Probably the BEST piece of writing advice there is...

so you want to be a writer?

if it doesn't come bursting out of you

in spite of everything,

don't do it.

unless it comes unasked out of your

heart and your mind and your mouth

and your gut,

don't do it.

if you have to sit for hours

staring at your computer screen

or hunched over your

typewriter

searching for words,

don't do it.

if you're doing it for money or

fame,

don't do it.

if you're doing it because you want

women in your bed,

don't do it.

if you have to sit there and

rewrite it again and again,

don't do it.

if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,

don't do it.

if you're trying to write like somebody

else,

forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of

you,

then wait patiently.

if it never does roar out of you,

do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife

or your girlfriend or your boyfriend

or your parents or to anybody at all,

you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,

don't be like so many thousands of

people who call themselves writers,

don't be dull and boring and

pretentious, don't be consumed with self-

love.

the libraries of the world have

yawned themselves to

sleep

over your kind.

don't add to that.

don't do it.

unless it comes out of

your soul like a rocket,

unless being still would

drive you to madness or

suicide or murder,

don't do it.

unless the sun inside you is

burning your gut,

don't do it.

when it is truly time,

and if you have been chosen,

it will do it by

itself and it will keep on doing it

until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

-- Charles Bukowski




# # #

No witches, no warlocks, no vampires. 

Just a sexy, rollicking tale about a guy trying to hit it big in Hollywood. 

 "A great summer read!" 

"A sexy Hollywood tale!" 
"It's WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN for the 21st century!"

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen

John Updike interview...

Hope you'll check out this excellent interview 

with novelist John Updike. 

Poetry: "A Thought Away"...

“A Thought Away”

The man on the corner

Stooped now

Memory shrouded in the purple-gray of decades past

Watches the small boy

Grasp a mother’s hand

But remembers well he does

That crystalline moment once upon a time

Of a mother’s touch

Of an all-enveloping smile

Of a perfect love

All so very long ago

But today...

...simply a thought away

Photo and Poetry by Vines

Another nice review for my Hollywood novel!

Connecting with readers means a lot to any writer. Here's a nice review I recently received on Amazon for my novel LUIGI'S CHINESE DELICATESSEN...

"Jim Vines brilliantly captures the Hollywood experience with the acerbic wit and painful truths of a veteran screenwriter and once star-struck hopeful. While he may claim that 97% of this work is fiction, it’s clear that his characters are based on the Sunset Boulevardians he knows, and that he himself has suffered the peaks and valleys of a fickle industry. “Luigi’s Chinese Delicatessen” is hard to put down, as we keep hoping that [main character] Trent will get his big break.... Anyone who has ever thought of trying this game should read this book twice before heading out for L.A. Well done!"

"The Words"

There’s this glorious and astounding magic that happens when I put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard...

I go to this alternate realm of consciousness. 

It’s where I meet characters who speak to me, who take me to interesting places, and who introduce me to compelling situations. 

I’m not certain where any of this comes from because none of it was there when I sat down, when I was convinced I didn’t have any words in me. 

But still, it's all there. 

So even when the thought of a blank page makes me feel a little queasy, I force myself into that chair anyway... 

...and it's after a minute or two of laying down those once elusive words that I have to wonder what all the fuss was about. 

The words come...

...they always do.

Copyright © 2017 by Jim Vines

A HALLOWEEN POEM...

THE STEPS

The thin silvery blade

thrust brutally into me,

piercing flesh and sinew,

and I mounted the stone steps

with a great and heavy despair,

heaving, clawing,

depositing a warm, crimson trail in my wake…

Above me, my world,

my sanctuary;

beneath me, his looming, hideous form,

that sniggering, taunting laugh,

that grim, ghastly voice intoning:

“Dead before you reach the top,

dead before you reach the top,

dead before you reach the top.”

Presently I became enveloped by a pervasive, all-consuming

void,

and it weakened me;

and my eyes faltered;

and, as the steps took me, a vague, distorted image:

my left hand, its feeble digits

against cold, damp stone…

This—this—was my end;

this night,

this place,

and his laugh—it tore through me yet again

as the void gently, inexorably,

stole all that I was,

all I ever was,

all I ever would be.

(Poetry and photography © 2017 by Jim Vines)

Psst. Like a good Hollywood story?

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines

On being a writer...

Vines

“A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Writing is important to men and women who do it well. When you’re writing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” 

-- Jim Vines (with an assist from Steve McQueen)

A good day for a writer is...

Handwritten pages vs. Typewritten pages

For some people a good day is going shopping.

For some people a good day is a round of golf.

For some people a good day is a day at Disneyland.

For me, a good day is writing 1,945 new words for my next novel!

Whatever YOUR idea of a good day is, make it happen!

“Back in the Saddle”

Cowboy Jim

I’ve been mired in a significant amount of screenwriterly duties during the last few months. There were a couple of rewrite gigs, four script critiques, and a spec web series pilot. I was happy and enthused to work on each of these assignments, and I’m thankful for the money I made on the paid gigs, but lemme tell ya…it’s soooooo wonderful getting back to my prose writing. As I discovered with my first novel a few years ago, it’s the most gratifying type of writing I’ve ever done. Seriously. I love the freedom of it. When I’m writing a novel, I feel like a horse-mounted cowboy riding the wide open, endless prairie. I’ll admit, I’ve been kinda grouchy and a little moody these last few months, but now I’m back in the saddle (pun intended) with the two novels, cranking out word after word, sentence after sentence, page after page…and it’s truly glorious! 

Whatever type of writing YOU prefer—screenplays, novels, poetry, short stories, extensive grocery lists—I wish you the same sense of fulfillment!

Some words of wisdom...

“Writing a novel is a very hard thing to do because it covers so long a span of time, and if you get discouraged it is not a bad sign, but a good one. If you think you are not doing it well, you are thinking the way real novelists do. I never knew one who did not feel greatly discouraged at times, and some get desperate, and I have always found that to be a good symptom." 

                                                                

—Maxwell Perkins (1884-1947), Charles Scribner's Sons 

(editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald, 

Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe)

Writerly quote for the day...

"Go blacken some pages 

with your good words." 

      — Jim Vines

 

Like a good Hollywood story?

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines