Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I began writing stories and screenplays in high school and continued through college during which time my first stage play was produced at the Organic Theater in Chicago. After moving to Los Angeles, I won a screenwriting award and began working in the film industry. I wrote several projects that were produced for film and television, then revisited some of the stories and poetry that I had written for my daughters to author a few books for children.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a middle-grade fantasy novel called “The Gondoliers: The Secret Journals of Fanticulous Glim.” I’d often visited Venice, Italy, as a child, and years later when I returned with my daughters, I found myself wandering with them through the labyrinth of narrow alleyways and canals as the sun was quickly fading. The adventure in my novel evolved from that moment and from the notion that there was something magical and mysterious that would rise in the twilight of Venice.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so, but then normal to a writer might seem unusual to some. I try to “inhabit” the characters I am writing, which sometimes requires that I speak their dialog out loud, in their voice, as I write it. Is that unusual?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have enjoyed Tolkien and Rowling most recently, but I am always blown away by the masterful use of language by Austen and Dickens, where, in a few sentences of description, a character’s entire personality, his/her past and present, is revealed in stunning detail.
What are you working on now?
New stories, a few film projects, a new children’s book and a new middle-grade adventure.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still learning the ins and outs of promotion.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write because you have a story to tell, not because you want a story to sell.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Writing is finally about one thing: going into a room alone and doing it.” William Goldman
What are you reading now?
I read my friend Ronald Colby’s thriller, “Night Driver,” and I have an assortment of books on my nightstand, including “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Hope Never Dies.”
What’s next for you as a writer?
The same as it is for most writers: keep trying, word by word, to tell the story in your head.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Well, that’s kind of not fair, because on a desert island I might be most interested in survival, so I’d probably want a few “How-To” books.
Author Websites and Profiles
Paolo Mazzucato Website
Paolo Mazzucato Amazon Profile
Paolo Mazzucato’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile