J. M. Venturini Interview Published on: 07, Oct 2024

Advertising is problem solving. One must find a distinctive, innovative story and/or multiple stories to sell a brand, service, or product. Attracting attention, evoking positive response, and making a lasting impression, in as few words and images as possible to the consumer, is the key to a successful ad campaign. Everything you create must keep to the advertising strategy. Fiction writing, I discovered, is the same: come up with a basic premise or strategy, then make it simple, appealing, and intriguing to the consumer or reader.

That’s easy to answer, convincing myself that I could write more than 80 words, that’s the amount in a thirty second commercial. I actually found that creating a full-length cohesive and enticing story was, and is, an unbelievably freeing experience.

Every copywriter or art direction I’ve met over my career had a book or movie script in their desk drawer or computer, I was no exception. Mine was a file of multiple thrillers and mystery concepts that I kept promising myself I would get to write someday. The concept for DEADLY MOVES grew from my experiences growing up as a Catholic Church altar boy in NYC . The mysticism and religious fervor revolving around the ancient rites seemed ripe for interesting scenarios and characters. The Catholic liturgy and the church buildings reeked of mystery and drama.

I found that adapting the individual quirks and mannerisms of people I've come across in real life makes fictional characters come alive. Their dialogue must ring true. The way people communicate to one another is not grammatical, it’s the convenient shorthand we use everyday that creates depth, real emotion, and instant likability or dislikability. Showing human flaws and follies is incredibly essential to make the character relatable.

My routine is having a very flexible one. These days as a new, indie author I find that promoting book sales is eroding the time I should spend writing and polishing. I do find that I write best after noon for some unfathomable reason.

I believe in the old performing adage: “Always leave them wanting more.” To that end, I frequently end chapters leaving the reader with an unanswered conflict. Without conflict there is no drama or tension.

The complexities of life and the fumbling way we all attempt to deal with modern or timeless problems. John Lennon said it best: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans."

Google. I rely heavily on it for research. Of course like many many fiction writers since the dawn of time I simply make it up.

Well it’s certainly not the money. Seriously though, being a creative creature and having a restlessly exploring mind, writing is the opiate that satisfies my lifelong creative addiction.

I started my ad career an art director mainly because I could draw. This was the days before computers made creating the comps for storyboards and print ads obsolete. I was paired with an excellent senior copywriter, Penny, who was my supervisor. We had created a commercial for Nabisco Shredded Wheat selling the original ’Big Biscuit’ not the more familiar ‘Mini' version. The spot playing up the product's unique feature that consumers had to break apart the biscuit into pieces to eat it. The commercial had an extended family having breakfast in a wheat field merrily singing the praises while ’smashing, mashing, bashing’ the product. The client love the spot but neither Penny or myself could come up with an appropriate tagline. About a week before the ad was to air, I came into Penny office and discovered she was eating a bowlful of the Shredded Wheat for lunch. Naturally I asked her how it was. She answered, “Taste pretty good." I immediately and without thinking said, “You mean it’s everything it’s cracked up to be?” We both realized I created the perfect tagline. Was it lurking in my subconscious all along who knows? That was the beginning of my writing talent.

I’ve had very few if ever of either since I starting approaching any creative challenge by absorbing as much knowledge as I can about the problem then NOT THINKING about it for several days. When I sit down to write the ideas and words just flow. Should I realize I’ve painted myself into a literary corner, I stop and go for a walk, run, or any other distraction. The solution just happens while I don’t try to solve it. I’ve come to realize the subconscious is a creative persons best ally. You just to have the courage or ego to follow your gut instincts.

Don’t. Not trying to be funny, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to face a blank page without fine tuning my creative chops and developing a steel-plated ego from my previous career.

Marketing’s the most frustrating part of the whole writing experience, I’m a savvy marketer with years of experience selling stuff to consumers, but I’m still trying to find my way in the independent publishing night. There are too many evil people preying on new writers out in the FB, Instagram, X world.

Tell the planet, I’m about halfway through the next Dante Bartoli Thriller. Yes Dante and crew will be back!

I am enjoying the AllAuthor user experience, It’s a great site. I don’t see any reason I would abandon it in the future.