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!
