SCRIPT INDUSTRY EXPERT Q&A: Meet Jose Prendes of ‘Zen in the Art of Screenwriting’

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This week, we take you behind the scenes of Script to get to know Jose Prendes, author of the column Zen in the Art of Screenwriting.

Jose's Bio: Born to a family of Bigfoots and orphaned due to the great Loch Ness Wars of 1984, Jose Prendes emigrated to Tibet where he studied with fellow intellectuals of the Ernest Borgnine Fo’eva Club to craft great American stories, and such has been his quest since the bionics were implanted. While spreading the Zen of screen craft and carving a place in binge-watching history, he has written multiple films and novels, including his latest film The Divine Tragedies and novel Sharcano, which is as awesome as it sounds and can be found here with his other books. Current whereabouts are unknown...

What was the first movie you ever remember seeing or the one that made the most impact on you as a child?

My father took me to see SUPERMAN 2, and I fell in love with the magic of movies. I saw the audience having a blast, and I knew I wanted to hold that kind of sway over an audience and give people joy like I was feeling.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

It’s a tie between two very different films, but they both mean so much to me. It’s JAWS, because I saw how powerful a film can be, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, because it was the first movie that moved me to tears of joy and it does so to this day.

What word or scenario do you never want to see in a screenplay again?

Anything can be interesting, I don’t discount anything.

What profession did your parents want you to have?

Something that pays better than being a starving artist.

What profession, other than your current one, would you like to try if you could have a do-over?

I’d be a spy, or samurai.

What drew you to the entertainment industry and specifically, why did you want to help writers?

I was drawn here because crazy attracts crazy, and I want to help writers, because who knows crazy better than crazies!

Tell us something we don’t know about you.

I’m a father of two wonderful kids, a girl named Abby and a boy named Remington, which makes me a pretty lucky guy.

What do you wish you knew about the industry before you jumped in?

I wish I knew how much criticism stings. Growing a thick skin is part of it, but man it smarts along the way.

If you could impart only one piece of knowledge onto writers, what would it be?

Write for you.

If you could go back in time and talk to your 18-year-old self, what advice would you give?

Don’t give up. It’s a slow climb, but the view is worth it.

If you have any other fun tidbits you want to add, go for it!

Don’t swim in the ocean, it’s full of sharks.

Read Jose's column, Zen in the Art of Screenwriting
Follow Jose on Twitter: @JosePrendes