Welcome to my blog, where I will talk about myself, my writing journey, and my experiences in Puerto Rico. I plan to delve deeper into the rich culture and history of the island, as well as the world of the Cats of Old San Juan. I will post more videos and photos as I document my journey in writing these stories.
A Bump In The Road
In 2011, I hit a rut, a bump in the road. Fresh out of college with a film degree from the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts, I had just produced an expensive thesis film, KING OF THE ROAD, which had a feature screenplay to accompany it. I thought I was poised to make an indelible mark upon the world. However, the economy was languishing, and the competition was fierce. My career wasn’t going quite as well as I had expected. So, to take stock and regroup, I left Los Angeles and visited my mother in Puerto Rico. This short vacation turned into a wellspring of inspiration.
My mother lives on the quaint satellite island of Culebra, which is about 14 miles away from the “big island.” Usually, on visits, that is where I spend most of my time. However, this particular year, Mom and I explored more of the big island—the rainforest, El Yunque, the winding roads through the mountains, and the city of Old San Juan with its magnificent, historic architecture. We walked beside El Morro between the great wall and the sea. Then, I met the cats that would become the characters in my story. They were everywhere, hopping from rock to rock, running along the path, climbing up the wall, on the streets, lounging in bushes, and basking in the warm Caribbean sun with the breeze wafting through their fur. They seemed purrfectly content to while away their day in the warm Caribbean sun. This encounter sparked the idea of a children’s book featuring each of the cats with their unique traits and duties, living happily along the great wall of El Morro.
How the Story Evolved
At first, I conceived of a picture book for toddlers. The idea quickly evolved when my friend Patrick, who starred in my thesis film, expressed a desire to do a web series and was looking for concepts. Inspired, I drafted a proposal centered around the cats of Old San Juan. He read it and was excited by the possibilities. Other than my mom, he was the first to champion the idea and bolster my confidence in the concept.
Almost immediately, the web series concept evolved into an entire television concept. I dedicated a year to scriptwriting, immersing myself in the characters and their world with invaluable insights from my writing group (Group 610), to whom I will always be thankful for their wisdom, creativity, and insight.
The series had a very episodic structure, with each show imparting life lessons and values, punctuated by explanations and narrations of a central human character called “the Wizard on the Beach” or “Wandering Wizard.” This character lived in a hut near Old San Juan and was one of the few humans who could still speak the language of cats. His best friend was a little kitten named Carlito, who would lounge in his broad-brimmed sunhat. This character was actually based on Patrick, and I’ve always intended that he should play the part.
I’m sharing two teleplays with newsletter subscribers to offer a glimpse into this world. In the scripts, you will find the origins of certain story elements, such as the Cat of Nine Tails, and sneak peeks at things that may appear in later novels.
Project-Based Learning Concept
While the TV show appeared to have a lot of potential, gaining the interest of Hillary Salzman and other creatives who encouraged me with the idea, producing an animated show in Hollywood presented us with specific challenges at the time. I was about to shelve the stories when my friend and colleague, John Guernsey, encouraged me to pivot and incorporate the stories into a project-based learning product for kids. The idea was to teach kids things like science, math, and literature through the lens of creative storytelling. To raise money for our project, we began a web design company to help actors and small businesses achieve their dreams. Sadly, rather than spending much time on our project, we worked on many websites.
The Novel
Time passed, and in 2017, I found myself again in Puerto Rico, staying with my mom. Only this time were we visited by two terrifying hurricanes, Irma and Maria. Hurricane Maria caused the most damage and left many without water, electrical power, internet, and food. On Culebra, I lost cell service for three months, though we were lucky enough to have an island generator which provided us with power from 6 PM to 6 AM. During this time, I began to work more intently on things. Because we had a limited window of electrical power, I would get up at 2 AM to write and work. It became my routine. I finished an animated book app called THE CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS CAT, which is still on iTunes, and the first draft of THE CATS OF OLD SAN JUAN as a novel. Since then, the novel has undergone about ten drafts, including page one rewrites and significant revisions, with various changes and additions to the storyline. It was quite a journey to find my narrative voice. I truly hope you enjoy the finished novel and those that follow.
Stay tuned for more updates, and remember to check out a sneak peek of some chapter readings on my socials.
