We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Van Landingham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.
Alright, Andrea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
The idea for Hollywood Horrors had always been in the back of my mind, but had never occurred to me as something I could materialize on my own. And, in a way, that turned out to be true.
I’ve always loved Old Hollywood and its scandalous stories, but it wasn’t until I went back to school for Media Studies that I realized I wanted to enter the space myself as a storyteller. I remember the moment it dawned on me that my love for Hollywood history was more than a passive preoccupation – it was a genuine passion. I sat in the darkened Film History screening room and had a very simple thought: ‘I could tell these stories.’ I never would have guessed that I’d be writing an entire book.
Years later, I found myself in conversation with a publisher on the East Coast who was interested in developing a project about Old Hollywood scandals. They’d gotten in touch with me based on a recommendation from one of my professors at Cal State LA, a writer who had witnessed firsthand the fervor with which I told these kinds of stories. To me, to have even been having that conversation at all was huge. I couldn’t believe my luck. I was completely over the moon at the mere possibility of it all.
I cobbled together a proposal and sample chapter and, giddy with anticipation, sent it in. The next few days waiting for an answer were agonizingly long! But a few days later I got an email notification. To my utter shock, the project was greenlit. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to contribute to the Old Hollywood storyscape myself – as a published author.
I’d never written a book before – I had no idea where to begin. All I knew was I’d have to get organized. As a visual person, I knew that having a spatial sense of the stories would be immensely helpful in visualizing the entire project come together as a whole. So I went out and bought a stack of poster boards from the dollar store – one board for each story. I affixed them to my wall and, with my story outline in hand, decided on a corresponding color for each story to help me ‘see’ the world of each story, independent of the others.
I also picked up a plain composition notebook that I divided into sections for each story (and also color coded accordingly) so that I could keep notes of all of my research in one place. That notebook went everywhere with me. And with that I was on my way – I ordered a ton of books for my research, collected archival newspaper clippings, kept stacks of index cards and colorful post-its within reach, and kept filling in my wall of research posters until it began to resemble the tropey lair of an obsessive detective from old crime films. That was essentially my writing process.
No amount of organization and color coding, however, could save me from my self doubt. I was so filled with fear and insecurity about myself and my ability to pull this off. If I got too wrapped up in the idea that I was trying to write a whole book (which admittedly happened a lot), I basically had to psych myself out, telling myself I was only writing some papers for school. I was so nervous and so unsure if I was doing this right, if I’d have enough time, if the end product would be any good, on and on and on.
It helped that I loved doing the research, but it was the support and encouragement of my friends and family that really helped me to push through those anxieties and keep going. Little by little I chipped away at that seemingly insurmountable word count goal. Little by little I kept pushing, kept researching, kept writing. And finally, when it came time to send in my manuscript, I realized I’d become empowered as a storyteller.
Launching Hollywood Horrors was one of the best days of my creative career. The same people who had championed me, who had encouraged me and formed a community of support around me, came together once again to help me celebrate the newness of this achievement.
Hollywood Horrors came out in late 2021, and to say that it has changed my life would be an understatement. As of this writing, I have another writing project on the way. I have my poster boards and my index cards, and I’m ready to do it all again.
Andrea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into writing based on a love of storytelling. Growing up in LA, I was always surrounded by media history and had such a deep curiosity about everything around me – the buildings, the people, the industry, the stars on the ground on Hollywood Boulevard. I knew there were stories everywhere and I just wanted to unearth them all.
For my day job, I work in TV production as a set dresser or decorator. It’s my other love – creating spaces and world building. It’s what I went to school for and I’ve been so lucky to have helped create amazing sets for some incredible shows. The entertainment industry is intense and definitely not for everyone, but it lights me up and inspires me every day.
The duality of it all suits me well – I like having these two very different creative avenues. It’s like I have two lives that don’t often cross: set decorator by day, Hollywood historian by night. I’m so blessed to be able to do both. I have to admit I’m not completely sure of where it’s all going, but one thing I do know is that I want to see Hollywood Horrors developed into a series. Maybe that’ll be my next writing endeavor!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
It’s so rewarding when work doesn’t feel like ‘work.’ That’s the dream, isn’t it?
I’ve had countless moments in my career when I’ve looked around, taken stock of my immediate situation and thought, ‘I can’t believe this is work right now.’ It is such a privilege to feel that way. My TV days spent in dusty prop houses, building furniture and giant toys, hastily assembling a quick floral arrangement to dress up a barren coffee table, joking around with friends while packing a truck – those are days well spent for me. My research and writing days as well: cozied up with a book, some post-it notes, a cup of tea and my dog nearby. It’s surreal to be able to do that.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Freelancing can be scary! It’s a huge sacrifice to give up the regularity of a biweekly paycheck, job security, retirement and health plans, all of that. I can understand why it might seem kind of nuts to let go of that predictability, to strike out and embark on a whole new journey where the only certainty is uncertainty. I understand it because, out of my immediate family, I’m the only one who has done it.
Coming from a single parent household, I was witness to the allure of predictability. My mom came here from Mexico and was kept from going to college because of older gender norms, so her prospects were unfortunately somewhat limited by that circumstance. Like so many immigrant families, going to college was seen as the key to upward mobility, a necessary milestone we all must complete to honor the sacrifices of those before us – to make their struggle worth it. In turn, we would also advance the prospects of future generations, which is the whole point of coming to the U.S. in the first place. In my family, it wasn’t even a question. We all would pursue higher education.
I suppose it was more implied than stated that, upon graduation, we would all seek full-time jobs in the public service sector, settle down and enjoy that well-earned job security. I’m not knocking it, but I just knew that wasn’t going to be my journey. The way I saw it, a full-time job only had so much potential, and my future opportunities would generally be decided by someone other than myself. It wasn’t even really a conscious decision – I just knew I wouldn’t be going that route.
This caused a bit of friction in my relationships with my family early on, with my mom in particular often lightly suggesting I “go into medicine” or something else ludicrously unlike me. While this frustrated me at the time, I can look back on it now and 1. laugh, and 2. understand where she was coming from. It has to be scary to witness your child embarking on such an unknown road!
Now that my journey has brought me to where I am now, I see this whole dichotomy so differently. I believe that by taking the gamble I did, by betting on myself and taking the road less traveled, I’ve opened myself up to a world of possibility I might not have accessed otherwise. It definitely hasn’t been easy, but that decision changed everything.
Now I’m lucky enough to be able to honor my ancestors in a different way – by daring to reach for my highest potential, and by believing that I can actually get there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.andreavanelle.com
- Instagram: @andreavanelle
Image Credits
Portraits: Hilda Centeno Book cover art: Lyons Press Black & white photo w. book: Hollywood PhotoBooth