Now on to the interview!
QUESTIONING JOSH
SCOTT: Does having little to no experience make it hard to write a
book?
JOSHUA:
Shipwreckers is actually my fourth or fifth book (they just haven’t all been
released yet), but I think it’s hard writing any book because it’s always THAT BOOK’S first time being written. Every book is different and has
its own needs. Books can be VERY BOSSY, demanding things their authors don’t
necessarily feel like writing. I have found that experience is not as useful or
as helpful as BLIND OPTIMISM and DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR; believing you can do
something whether you’ve ever done it before or not. There’s a bit of Captain
Kevin in that and I think living that way can be much healthier and more fun
than approaching the world with cynicism.
SCOTT: Since you were a little boy, you wanted to draw. When did that
dream die?
JOSHUA: When I
found out HOW MUCH MORE WORK IT WAS than writing! Both require A LOT OF TIME
and effort, but storyboard artists absolutely have the hardest, most
labor-intensive jobs in animation. Before that step in the process, cartoons
are just words on paper, and after a board artist has done their job, there’s
something for every other department to work from and react to. My favorite
part of being an artist and storyboard artist was MAKING STUFF UP, and as a
writer, I get to do more of that, and I get to do it faster, and therefore more
often. It’s WIN-WIN for me.
I still draw AND
storyboard, but now that TV writing is my primary source of income (I pay the
bills with BAD JOKES – YAY!) I can draw more for myself and be more
selective about what storyboarding work I take on (like the work I did for
Mystery Science Theater 3000 – dream come true!).
SCOTT: In my experience, few true artists are adept at writing and few
true writers are talented at illustration. What makes you think you can do
both?
JOSHUA: Like I
mentioned earlier: DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR! I’ve been doing both since I was a
very small, poorly dressed child with long legs and curly hair, so I find it
difficult to separate the two disciplines. I do think I’m a better writer than
I am an illustrator/storyboard artist, but I still love doing both. And I think
both of them are tied directly to my desire to be a STORYTELLER; sometimes a
drawing is better at communicating an idea or moment, other times it’s a
particular line of dialogue or dramatic moment succinctly described that sells
the drama, but often its BOTH working in concert that really makes magic,
whether that’s in comics, illustrated novels, TV animation or feature film!
SCOTT: Your two adorable moppets are the perfect ages for Shipwreckers.
What do they think of it? And did you write it just to keep them occupied for a
few hours?
JOSHUA: I am very
lucky that my son, eight, and my daughter, ten, are THE PERFECT age to dive in
and enjoy SHIPWRECKERS. They actually quote the book back to me from time to
time, which is a surreal experience, but an absolute joy too. True story; I
actually tested some of Captain Kevin’s sillier journal entries out on them as
we were writing the book. In fact, one of my favorite memories of the book was
reading the Captain’s first journal entry to them out-loud. Any joke they
didn’t laugh at I took out. So, if there are jokes in the book you don’t think
are funny, it’s TOTALLY THEIR FAULT!
And yes, reading
the book we spent four years writing is a GREAT way to keep your kids busy for
a few hours!
SCOTT: You often tell the story of putting your all into a storyboard
test - which was then completely rejected.
That’s a funny story. Tell that
one.
JOSHUA: I once did
a storyboard test for a big animation studio and the evaluator hated my work and
for some reason decided to take it personally. I didn’t get that job,
obviously, and was VERY discouraged. I was out of work and had a Wife and two
small kids at home to take care of. But I took that same test to the team at
the original LEGO MOVIE and Dan and Swampy at PHINEAS AND FERB and got two job
offers off that same “failed” storyboard test IN THE SAME WEEK. I went with
Phineas because I’d get WRITING CREDIT for the work I was doing and my whole
life and career changed after that. Taught me a valuable lesson; we shouldn’t
depend on others to define our self worth. I did my best, and then found folks
who really responded to my best. People who don’t respond to your best aren’t
worth your time.
SCOTT: Despite the dreary reality of your life and career, you maintain
a very positive, pro-active outlook. Why?
JOSHUA: Mostly I
do that in order to combat the morose cynicism YOU bring to every day, and
every project we work on together. It’s a survival tactic. I’m the bright
sunshine in your dreary doldrums. The peanut butter in your bland baker’s
chocolate, the crunchy cereal in your spoiled milk. Makes us a good team.
Real answer: my
Dad died when I was nineteen and it changed how I looked at the world and in
particular, how I approached my career. He was a DREAMER like I am, and I try
and remember how important it is to use the time we’re given to make things,
bring light and love people. I also really like inflicting laughter on others.
Makes me feel good too.
SCOTT: When you were late for a deadline on Shipwreckers, you often
said, “My home office flooded.” What will your excuse be on the inevitable
sequels?
JOSHUA: I have a
whole laundry list of BRAND NEW excuses just waiting to be applied, all the way
up through “SHIPWRECKERS BOOK TWENTY THREE: NO THANKS, THERE’S NO MORE. GO
HOME.”
SCOTT: Do you have any other scribblings printed up that we can read?
JOSHUA: For older
kids who like horror and weird fiction, I have a collection of short stories
called THE MISERY COMPANY on Amazon. For HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON fans, there’s
a special POP UP book that covers the whole trilogy that I wrote some words
for, out June 4th. Then next year, a scrapbook set in Nickelodeon’s
AVATAR universe focusing on Uncle Iroh and the Fire Nation!
SCOTT: What other books do you have in the works?
JOSHUA: I’ve got a
BIG, FUN and SILLY, Douglas Adams-like
take on a Greek Mythology MIDDLE GRADE ADVENTURE EPIC making the rounds right
now, trying to find a home and an editor! And some weirder ones behind that…
And you and I have
a few things coming, the first of which is a SCARY MIDDLE-GRADE, STRANGER
THINGS-esque THRILLER with monsters that we’re editing now, and preparing to
launch on an unsuspecting world soon! (*LAUGHS MANIACALLY, CHOKES, THEN LAUGHS
AGAIN*).
SCOTT: Do you have any ideas for Shipwreckers 2?
JOSHUA: I have WAY
TOO MANY IDEAS, for that book plus at least thirty-two others in the series AND
a separate trilogy of HOLIDAY THEMED Shipwreckers books too! If you let me
write the Christmas one, I’ll let you write the Halloween one. Deal?
SCOTT: Self-promotion is a big part of being an author. When you market
yourself, why do you still rely on a Halloween costume from nearly a decade
ago?
JOSHUA: Because it
was an ALIEN CHESTBURSTER with my nine-month-old daughter as the bloody yet
adorable xenomorph and we got a WIN on FAILBLOG. I’m internet famous, kind of.
Search EPIC WIN DAD in Google images. We’re there. Promise.
SCOTT: Your wife is an avid reader and part-time ice skater. My wife knows precisely where my half of the
book starts because I’m a better writer.
Thoughts?
JOSHUA: Your wife
is a lovely person but I can’t really vouch for her TASTE. I mean, she MARRIED
YOU, didn’t she? Nuff said.
SCOTT: You rarely stop prattling on about Dr. Who and MST3K. Why do these two franchises get your nerd
heart racing?
JOSHUA: MYSTERY
SCIENCE THEATER 3000 is my favorite show of all time. DOCTOR WHO is my favorite
show of all TIME AND SPACE.
I saw MST3k for
the first time at like three in the morning at a friend’s house when I was thirteen
and was HOOKED; still have my fan club membership card and everything. It
really was a major influence on my creative life and my sense of humor too. It
was also a bit like a film school; I still contend you can learn much more from
a BAD MOVIE than a GOOD one. And while it was making fun of bad movies and big,
dumb rubber monsters, it had a warmth and optimism and good natured-ness I
really responded to. Plus sassy robots and hand-made sets!
Getting to
actually write and storyboard on the new show was a mindboggling bit of bucket
list actualization.
I first caught
Doctor Who while visiting my Dad in New York and it SCARED ME SO MUCH. I hid
behind the couch and everything. Tom Baker, the guy with the long scarf, was my
first Doctor. When the modern series returned in 2005 it blew my mind and
changed my life. It was so full of love and life and hope and WRECKLESS
OPTIMISM. I read the books from BBC and Penguin UK and listen to the audio
dramas produced by BIG FINISH. Writing for DOCTOR WHO is next on my bucket
list.
SCOTT: Do you own any clothes other than movie-themed T-shirts? If so,
where are they?
JOSHUA: They’re in
a box because they’re all long sleeved, button up shirts I can never wear
because we live in California and we don’t have COLD anymore. Also, I think I
made you take me to Costco so I could buy a few of them, so THANKS BUD; should
have saved that money for DVDs.
I do only wear
horror movie and pop culture t-shirts, and they’re mostly all black; according
to my Wife Amanda, I have thirty-two black shirts. She counted.
SCOTT: Why do you mix two, and sometimes three, sodas into one cup?
JOSHUA: Something
I picked up at after school day care in the eighties; they called it a SUICIDE,
although we should probably come up with a more responsible name for it. My son
loves using those new-fangled MULTI-DRINK machines at movie theaters to make
his own! Must be a Pruett-thing.
SCOTT: Despite being a grown adult, you still waste a large portion of
your
disposable income on toys, DVDs, and comic books. Explain yourself.
JOSHUA: I am a
huge physical media guy FOR SURE. I didn’t have much growing up, so I’m sort of
making up for lost time. My Wife buys a lot of yarn, so I need DVDs to keep
pace with her. We also LOVE BOOKS. They are our TREASURES, and we’ve been that
way since we were kids, we dream of BUILT-IN BOOKSHELVES.
SCOTT: What’s with that hair?
JOSHUA: Can’t do a
thing with it. But I did have an afro for a bit in High School which made me
popular with the ladies for five whole minutes.
SCOTT: What is your personal writing process like? Give us an idea of
an average day:
JOSHUA: I prefer
to outline what I’m doing first; at least giving myself a ROAD MAP for where
I’m headed in every chapter, but allowing for room to improvise and explore. If
I’m on script, like for MILO MURPHY’S LAW or THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH, I try to
hit a page count, like five or more per day. If I’m working on a new novel, I
try to average 500-2000 words per day. I’m most productive first thing in the
morning and after 9pm at night.
About Scott:
Scott Peterson (aka Scott David Peterson) is currently the Executive
Producer and Showrunner of the upcoming Netflix animated series, "The Last
Kids on Earth."
Scott was
nominated for a primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program for
writing Nickelodeon’s “Escape from Cluster Prime” and for an episode of
Disney's "Phineas and Ferb."
He has worked as a
writer for Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Cartoon Network, and
Nickelodeon, among others, for the last decade. Most recently, Scott has been a
story editor for Disney TV Animation on "Milo Murphy's Law," “Phineas
and Ferb,” “Kick Buttowski,” “The Replacements,” and “Emperor’s New School.” He
has also written for such series as “Brandy and Mr. Whiskers,” “Danny Phantom,”
“The X’s,” “Robotboy,” “Tutenstein,” and “Pet Aliens.” Oh, and “The Sylvester
and Tweety Mysteries.” Remember that one?
Scott is also the
author of many top-selling children’s books including “Phineas and Ferb's Guide
to Life," "Agent P's Guide to Fighting Evil," and "The Book
of Doof." He recently co-authored his first novelization of the recently
released Disney live-action feature of "The Jungle Book" and signed
with Disney Hyperion to write his original middle-grade novel
"Shipwreckers" with writing partner Joshua Pruett. He also pens multi-page
comics for Nickelodeon and Disney.
He has written for
every genre and media imaginable including video games, live action features,
IMAX 3D films, interactive internet projects, amusement park venues,
instructional DVD’s, hotel comedy wake-up calls, and perhaps most importantly,
for the Weekly World News.
He lives in South
Pasadena with his beautiful wife and two occasionally adorable children.
About Joshua:
Joshua Pruett is a
Primetime Emmy Nominated writer and human-author-person who splits his time
unevenly between Gallifrey and Los Angeles with his incredible Wife/High School
Sweetheart/Knitter/Singer Amanda and their boy and girl-shaped children. He is
currently living out a dream come true, writing dialogue for Weird Al
Yankovic's mouth on Disney XD's MILO MURPHY'S LAW (2016).
As a
Writer/Artist, Joshua has over a decade of experience inflicting laughter on
others, with credits on the history making Kickstarter relaunch of MYSTERY
SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (coming to Netflix in early 2017), PHINEAS AND FERB, and
the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON franchise. He has worked as a storyboard artist,
writer and creative consultant for Disney TV, DreamWorks Feature Animation,
Nickelodeon, DreamWorks TV, Awesomeness TV, Sprout/NBC Universal, Disney
China/Beijing, Zombie Bake Shop, Netflix and Paramount Feature Animation. Most
recently, he developed THE HAUNTED MANSION for Disney TV with his friend and
writing partner, Scott Peterson.
His first novel,
THE JUNGLE BOOK: THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK, with Scott Peterson,
adapts the 2016 live action feature film into a fun for all ages novel for
young readers.
Joshua is also
internet famous for getting a WIN on failblog (just type "EPIC WIN
DAD" into Google Image search -- he and his daughter's award-winning
Halloween costume is the first photo to come up).
Giveaway Details:
3 Winners will receive a finished copy of SHIPWRECKERS, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
