Stephen Jared talks to Jessica Hastings of Suite101 about his new book, and the writing industry.
Stephen Jared on his Book Jack and the Jungle Lion
Suite101: Tell us about your first published novel; Jack and the Jungle Lion?
Stephen Jared: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas inspired my great passion for movies. I think the ten years between 1975 and 1985 were as good a ten-year period as Hollywood ever had, and that’s largely thanks to them. Most of the big films of that era would not have been made prior to the success of Spielberg and Lucas. One of the films from that time was Romancing the Stone. For some reason I was off from school the day it was released and thought I’d go to a matinee. I opened the newspaper and saw this incredibly exciting ad for this adventure film.
You have to remember that this was before the avalanche of movie and celebrity news we’re accustomed to today. I had never heard of this movie. I went and had one of the best movie experiences of my life. I was probably just barely sophisticated enough to begin considering the construction of the story. At its core, Romancing the Stone was about Joan Wilder summoning the courage within her to become the person she wished to be. Peel the layers off Jack and the Jungle Lion and you find a very similar core story.
Frightening circumstances allow movie star, Jack Hunter, to become like the hero he had been pretending to be in films. As he rises to the occasion, he finds true love. There are many influences in Jack and the Jungle Lion, from Indiana Jones to the old Paramount Road Pictures to the slapstick comedies of Cary Grant. But the biggest influence of all would be Romancing the Stone.
Stephen Jared on the Writing Industry
Suite101: Why do you write and how did you start?
Stephen Jared: “Why do you write” is a mighty big question. Tough to answer. I can’t get enough of watching movies… and reading books. From an early age I decided to be involved in these things non-stop. As to how I started, I started writing long before I had anything to write about, and long before I had any ability to express the emptiness in my young head. I just started writing.
Suite101: How did you break into the writing industry?
Stephen Jared: I’m not sure I have. I was writing screenplays for a long time, kept feeling I was getting close to success, only to then see a door slam in my face. Nowadays there aren’t many original stories bought by Hollywood. Everything is based on something else—a comic, a graphic, a toy, a board game, a video game. Or, a remake, a reboot, a sequel, a prequel, a squeakuel … I don’t want to be the guy who writes Lincoln Logs: The Movie.
I thought it wise to go back to the stories that inspired me early on. Jack and the Jungle Lion is self-published because I didn’t want anyone standing in my way. I have had journalistic pieces about things I care about published—movie industry figures, artists, etc. It’s best to write about what you care about. It’s important to make money as an artist, but you have to be careful about losing sight of the whole reason you became an artist in the first place.
For a review of Jack and the Jungle Lion view this article or click here to see what Stephen Jared has to say about acting and advice for other aspiring writers.
Jessica Hastings - Jessica Hastings is a published author/poet, professional reviewer, and avid reader. Schooled in journalism and creative writing, she ...
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