Dedham Author Balancing New Book, Latest Screenplay

Sitting in with the screen of his MacBook reflecting off his face and Justin Bieber pumping into his headphones, Nick Iandolo drafted and redrafted his screenplay – a work that he hopes, one day soon, will hit the silver screen.

A Dedham husband and father, Iandolo has written several screenplays, and although he hasn’t had one picked up yet, he hopes his newest creation will raise eyebrows when he travels to Los Angeles this summer.

“I am psyched to get in front of those Hollywood executives and throw my swords at them,” he exclaimed.

His latest movie, Daddy Daughter Day, is about a father trying to get his daughter ready for a school Christmas play, but he has a slew of comedic obstacles that try to stop him from getting to the show with his daughter’s costume.

When he goes to L.A., he’ll have his current project, and three other screenplays he’s written – including a romantic comedy titled Opportunity Knockout. 

“I figured that should just about cover everything,” Iandolo said in a recent interview.

Last time he went out to the West Coast, in 2009, he returned without any deals, but with motivation to blog, write and teach about screenplay writing to aspiring writers. 

“I was full of writing energy and spreading the word,” said Iandolo, a 1991 graduate of UMass Amherst.

After pooling his resources and realizing how much he had to say on the subject, he turned his pen away from crafting scenes of a screenplay to crafting pages of a book. 

“I had the makings of a book on my hands,” he said. “I realized I had a lot to say.”

Iandolo’s book differs from other books on the subject, he said, because it is lighter and less formulaic than others. 

“It fills that void for people who want to write, but don’t know how to get started; and also those that have the desire, but don’t have the motivation,” he said.

Hence the title of the book: “Cut the Crap and Write That Damn Screenplay!”

“You need to be motivated to do it,” he said. “That’s what this book is. It is a drill sergeant.”

Newest Creation

Besides ferociously crafting the daughter-father movie, Iandolo is preparing the debut of his second book called “Cut the Crap and Follow Your Passion.” That book will expand on lessons he gave in his first book.

The new book weaves profiles, wisdom, movies and philosophy all together with a fictional tragedy roped throughout.

“Part of my book is finding your passion, and finding the insights,” Iandolo said. “I couldn’t write this book any other way. It is a labor of love.”

Iandolo plans for the second “Cut the Crap” book to hit bookshelves in July.

He has spent an estimated 300 hours on the second book. He also serves as his own publisher, as he said, it’s impossible to get a good publishing deal unless you’re an established author.

“Now I have an audience, and a platform [from the first book],” Iandolo said.

Catching a Break

Iandolo’s new book describes obstacles and excuses many people make for not following their passion – and he said he’s overcome those same obstacles.

“A person will say, ‘I can’t do this because of my family.’ I say, ‘Do it because of your family,’” he said.

His work with the screenplays, the two books and the half-dozen other projects pays the bills, and he knows he will keep working hard until his big break comes.

“But that’s not stopping me. I’m not disappointed. Every time I write something new and I get people to look at it, that’s a win,” he said.

Balancing family and the pile of projects might overwhelm some, but Iandolo said because he is doing what he loves, it never bothers him.

“You have to be able to split up your mind and focus on what you are working on,” he said.

His iTunes isn’t always set to Radio Disney, but instead the project also dictates his music choice.

“When I listen to music, I tend to listen to something that fits with the tone and style of what I’m writing,” he said. “I can’t write unless I’m listening to music – keep the brain working and the wheels turning.”