Dan Bessie
Interview by Sammi Hide
Dan Bessie was an award winning Hollywood filmmaker, and screenwriting teacher before turning his hand to writing books instead. He is the author of January’s book of the month, ‘Reeling Through Hollywood’.
First off, how did you make the leap from screenwriter to author?
Well, screenwriting is a very, very difficult business – the odds of writing a successful screenplay are tiny. Although with writing a book it can be hard to get published, there’s more options open to you because you can self publish instead. I also liked the fact that when you’re writing a book you’re not restricted with what you can say in the same way you are with a screenplay. That, and writing a book was something new and challenging.
Your book ‘Reeling Through Hollywood’ is a memoir of your experience in the film industry. What advice would you give to others looking to write their own memoir?
Talk to people conversationally, and be straightforward and honest. It’s also important to give the book a focus, don’t ramble and aim the book at a specific audience. My book is a cautionary tale aimed specifically at those looking to go into the media industry.
Decide what purpose your book serves, and make sure your audience will get something out of it, as well as being entertained. Lastly, it doesn’t matter if your life hasn’t been big and exciting; it’s about making the most out of what happened and telling it in such a way that interests the reader.
You previously lived in Santa Cruz, and now live in the Dordogne region of France. Do you find that your surroundings help you to write, or would you be equally happy writing in a tower block in a busy city?
Well, I could live anywhere, although there are certain places that are preferable of course – it’s nice to write in the country where it’s peaceful and quiet. I’ve lived in tiny apartments in San Francisco and New York, and I think it’s about what you do with where you find yourself, and not grumbling about it. Although I am very lucky to live in a nice, rural area of France!
‘Rare Birds’ is about your family history. What inspired you to write it down, and how long did it take in total, including research?
Well, the main reason is that my family were pretty scattered around, and I saw this book as a way of bringing everyone together. I was also lucky to find out that some of my family lived pretty exciting lives, although hopefully I’ve also demonstrated that you can make an interesting story out of ordinary peoples lives as well.
It took a lot of research, finding out names and places that sort of thing. In total it took about two years of writing, but that wasn’t continuous. It was probably about six months of just writing.
Thanks very much your time Dan, it’s been great talking to you.
More on Dan Bessie's books
Dan Bessie’s books ‘Reeling Through Hollywood’, and ‘Rare Birds’, are available to purchase from Blue Lupin press at www.bluelupinpress.com, or you can win a copy of ‘Reeling Through Hollywood’ in this months competition!