January 5, 2025 • 45 mins
Zola Fontaine, a ghostwriter known for her work in serialized fiction, discusses the challenges and rewards of writing for others while striving for her own creative fulfillment. She shares insights on the financial realities of the ghostwriting industry, the importance of mentorship, and her exciting projects, including a unique urban fantasy romance.
• Zola's background as a ghostwriter and her work in serialized fiction apps
• The intricate business model behind serialized fiction and monetization strategies
• The financial aspects of being a writer today and the need for multiple income sources
• The transition to independent publishing and personal creative fulfillment
• Current projects, including an urban fantasy romance featuring vampires and political intrigue
• The value of mentorship in the writing industry and opportunities for diverse voices
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
hey y'all.
Hey, you are watching andlistening to lakes between the
lines and, of course, I am yourhost, lex um.
So let's go ahead and get intothese trigger warnings so we can
go ahead.
I'm so excited about the gueststhat we have today.
So there may or may not beadult content discussed.
There may or may not be alittle bit of cussing, because,
(00:39):
you know, when I get excited orI feel some type of way about
things, they just start comingas they may.
Whatever come up, come out.
So take this as your triggerwarning.
There may or may not be adultsexual content described or, as
we like to call smut, talkedabout.
So if you are still rollingwith us at this point, we're
(01:04):
gonna go ahead and introduce ourco-host.
I'm going to let her introduceherself.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Hello, hello, thank you for having me, lex.
My name is Zola Fontaine, notmy real name, that's my
ghostwriting name.
I am a writer.
I write screenplays, stories,novels.
Writer.
I write screenplays, stories,novels.
(01:29):
I live in Louisiana.
I'm very Black and verySouthern and also very happy to
be here today.
I don't have any work publishedunder my actual legal name, for
reasons that you know youmentioned in the trigger warning
.
Some of this stuff is verysmutty.
It's very adult.
I'll tell you about some of thecraziest stuff that I've, uh,
had the pleasure of writing.
(01:51):
But if you peruse through anytype of serialized fiction app
the big ones out there, um, likegood novel, or um kiss good
novel, um, re-addict, thingslike that uh, you might see some
of my work out there.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
so now is it under it's, under zola?
That's where we can find it no,no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I'm not telling you to go find it, I'm just telling
you that it's there because,because some of it is so, so
crazy.
But you know, take it.
If you go to one of those appsto read a book, you'll be
supporting another author.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So so are you writing for these authors and they
making money from it?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
so the way that it works, you have like different.
I need to be careful about whatI say, because with these
companies you might actuallyhave to bleep out their names
that I'm thinking about.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Well, no, because you know what we just mentioned.
So it's actually advertisingfor them, because we're just
listening to some of them thatyou can find people writing on,
so we haven't gone or talkedabout them or anything like that
.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
It's specific.
It's specific.
You're right.
You're right.
Hold on.
What was the question?
I forgot the question.
It's the ADHD kicking in.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Shoot.
You just made me forgot becauseI got nervous for a second like
shit.
I don't want nobody to sue me.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I'm just starting to get up.
No, I'm joking.
What was the question?
I'm nervous myself, oh.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
I got it now.
Have you been writing?
Are you?
Have you been writing foranybody on the?
Are you writing for yourself orare you writing for um other
authors on these platforms, orcan we find your work on these
platforms?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
agreement with these companies.
It's a little bit differentthan just being like you know,
there's somebody who wants towrite a book but they can't
write and they hire me.
That does exist, but not in mycase.
So to explain a little bit,these serialized fiction apps,
they work by monetizing yourcontent.
(04:07):
I think on some of the apps youcan go in and purchase tokens
and then it allows you to readup to a certain limit and you
purchase more and you have alimit with what you can read for
free.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So you buy the tokens and it allows you to read, I
guess, as much as you want topay for hold on, because that's
how a couple of them got me um,and it depends on how long the
chapter or the little chapter is.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
It takes so many, like if I buy 500 coins but then
one chapter costs like 125coins yeah, and so they put it
in that format, I guess to lurereaders in and just to keep the
audience hooked.
But in my case, the reason whyyou can go to these different
(04:59):
apps and you can they canpromise you like a new chapter
every day at 12 pm is becauseyou have people like me behind
the scenes just churning outthat content, like as quickly
and as often as possible.
So the way I understand it, themodel that they have, they have
(05:21):
and this may not be true foreverybody, but I know in at
least in some of the cases forthe companies that I've done
work for you either come in asan established author and you
split like say, there's a reallysuccessful person who likes to
write romance novels They'vebeen on the New York Times
bestseller list.
(05:41):
Well, they'll license out theircontent to the company and then
they break it down into likebite-sized chapters for a
different audience, for anaudience that you know, for a
person you like to read, right,but like for somebody who's like
they they're not the peoplethat would go to a bookstore or
a library and check out a bookbecause they have it on their
(06:03):
mobile phone.
It's like okay, let me get intothis let me read about chapter,
chapter by chapter.
So you'll have establishedauthors who do that, and then
you have other people who mightstart out on platforms like uh,
wattpad, just writing, you knowto, to get their story out there
do.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Do you have to pay for Wattpad?
I just heard about Wattpad whenI joined BookTok.
I had never heard of Wattpadbefore.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I've never used Wattpad.
I've had some friends that haveused it, but it's a good place.
To my understanding, don'tquote me on it.
Well, you're going to bequoting me on it anyway, because
I'm going to be on this butit's like a good.
I think when it started out itwas a good platform for people
(06:52):
that couldn't go the traditionalpublishing route, so it gave
them a way to build an audienceand write what they pretty much
want without restriction.
So that's the second case wherethey'll have somebody who has
an established online audienceor, like they have a completed
novel and they'll license theirbook out to that company.
And in the third case, let'ssee how can I say this without
(07:19):
breaking my okay, so preexistingmaterial that they want to have
adapted for a Western audience.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So it goes through the process of localization.
So basically, what happens inthis case?
You'll have like a verysuccessful book in another
country maybe China, maybe Indiais written in that native
language.
Well, they'll get the rights tothat book.
They'll translate it intoEnglish and then somebody can
(07:50):
come in and do they do what theycall localization.
So you basically take that, takeall the cultural nuances that
exist in that book and you adaptit for the American audience so
they can consume it.
So it's like recycling material.
And then I know I said that wasthe last one, but the last one
(08:11):
is that, okay, they'll have likean outline or story idea, a
general vague idea, and youbasically just take that
material and make it come tolife.
But you do it within theconfines of what they actually
want for that platform.
So they would say to me okay,we want a story about a woman
(08:34):
who is secretly a princess, butshe doesn't know, and she falls
in love with a billionairewerewolf alpha.
We need to make that love storyhappen.
We need to make it happen inthis amount of chapters it's
usually around 80 or so and weneed to make sure that it
follows all of the, theimportant and expected beats
(08:58):
that our audience wants.
And then we have to have cliffhangers for every chapter,
because if we don't have thosegood cliffhangers, the people
are not going to pay for thenext episode.
So I've worked like that in acapacity you have some that are
very rigid in what they want andhow they want it to be done,
(09:26):
rigid in what they want and howthey want it to be done, and
then others where you knowyou're pretty much given a lot
of creative freedom to do whatyou want I'm gonna get in your
business a little bit.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Does that pay well?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
it pays.
Now what I will say?
Like, okay, um, when I there'sone company that I was working
for and I'm glad you asked thatbecause right now the industry
writing industry as a whole notjust like with fiction and on
(09:55):
apps, but like in televisionit's experiencing some
challenges right now, somechallenges right now.
So a lot of times you'll havewriters that are writing in
(10:16):
different medium, medium, medium.
I should know what the pool forthat is but so, okay, like,
I've worked with people thathave worked on Netflix, tv shows
, movies, just like all in theindustry, but these are like
television and film writers, butthey're doing like the work
that I'm telling you about rightnow.
They're doing that as well.
(10:37):
So I would say it's prettydecent pay, depending on what
the company is, because you'llhave some that come in and try
to low-ball you.
But if you're working for acompany that has a lot of other
established writers in it,they'll give you pay that's
comparable to what they would bemaking or what they would be
(10:57):
making outside of that app.
The downside is that a lot oftimes it is contract work, so
you're classified as a 1099employee, meaning you don't get
insurance, Okay, and then yourtaxes are not automatically
(11:17):
taken out.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
So you got to pay them on your own.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, you got to pay them, or or I think they call it
a.
What is it?
I'm having a brain fart rightnow, but a lot of times like a
loan company, so basic, not anactual loan company.
But they set it up so that yourtaxes are taken care of upfront
, so that when April rollsaround you don't be hit with no
(11:43):
big ass tax bill.
You be like, well, you know,damn bitch, I barely got any
money in the first place andy'all trying to take the little
bit that you get.
So now what I would say forsomebody who is like, if you
want to get experience as awriter doing that, I'm not going
(12:05):
to encourage you to not do it,but I will say that it might be
more lucrative to just like dothe stuff on your own because
it's a good, it's good trainingfor, like, you want to meet your
dead minds and, um, you justwant to have an idea of what,
(12:27):
like, the marketing side of itis, but you may not be
creatively fulfilled with it.
And I think the reason that alot of people write in the first
place is because they have astory inside of them that wants
to be told.
You're not going to be able totell that story doing that for
other people, because you haveto follow all of their
(12:49):
guidelines.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
That's a lot of guidelines to to go by right.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
So you, you, sometimes you might have the
creative freedom, especially ifyou're you know, you've been
doing it for a while and you'remore established and you have to
prove that you know you canwrite a hit, you can lure the
audience in and they'll continueto pay for it.
But otherwise, you know, baby,just a worker bee, have you?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
tried the route of um of indie publishing, or have
you just strictly stuck, or areyou in the process of indie
publishing anything or any ofyour work?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I am actually.
So one of the lessons that I'velearned, especially in the past
year, with, like I said,everything in the industry kind
of getting shaken up to thepoint where you mentioned the
people that work in televisionthey do these jobs as well and
for people who are writing inHollywood that you know how do I
(13:53):
say this, so I'm trying not tolike step on any toes, but it's
hard out here for everybody andwhat I've learned with the way
that I've had to pretty much Forone company in particular, I
had such a stressful experiencewith it that I'm like I'm
(14:17):
thinking, okay, I'm giving myall, I'm writing anywhere from
25,000 to 50,000 words in a week, in a week.
Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am.
So you put that intoperspective.
Like, let's say, two weeks ofwriting like that, that's a full
time, that's like a full novel.
(14:39):
Yes, and the whole time I waswriting like this, stressed out,
you know, my skin breaking out.
I'm wanting to pull out my hair.
I'm like, damn, so I could havebeen.
I could have been working on myown stuff and writing my own
stuff and writing what I want towrite at my own pace.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Wait.
So you write in like that thiswasn't, this was the ghost
writing, without thestipulations and the guidelines.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
It was one of them.
Like I said, I've worked for afew, so in that particular
instance, with them wanting usto write like that, you have to
be able to turn those chaptersout.
You have to do it because ofthat.
If you have some heifer inmiddle america that's on an app
scrolling and she, you know,washing her dishes, and she
(15:27):
wants to.
She want to know what happenedwith the alpha and the princess
girl that don't know she'llprint.
Are they going hunch or not?
You have to turn out thatcontent so that they keep paying
for it.
That's why the amount of wordsexpected and the amount of
chapters you expected to writeis so high.
(15:49):
Going back to your question waslike damn, I'm doing this for
them and they're making like,like I said, they pay comparable
to what you would get, like youknow industry standards for
writing, but the money that theymake hold on because I'm I'm
like writing illiterateate.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
So what's the pricing for industry standard?
Is it enough to work?
Well, we already know theeconomy is a little off right
now.
So is it enough to sustain ahousehold, or do you have to
have like a second job to write?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
You don't okay as a single person and depending on
your cost of living, the areathat you, if you live in a high
cost of living area, you'regonna need more money.
But if you live, like in the inthe south um, depending on
where you live in the south, itcould be okay.
(16:46):
So the way that it works withme and other writers is you
don't do just like one writingjob, like at one point I had
like multiple contracts so I didmake a decent living with it.
Usually it goes by.
Cents per word is what I'vedealt with.
(17:08):
Cents per word is Is what I'vedealt with.
So you can do anywhere fromlike Five to ten cents per word.
I think so like they werepaying it at one place, they
were paying around.
What was it?
It was like forty, fivehundred500 a month.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
And it's from one contract.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, from one contract.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, that's not bad, especially if you have multiple
contracts, paying that, at leastthat on top of other contracts.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Mine have been anywhere from $3,600 to like
$4,600.
So somewhere in that range.
So, like I said, if you're asingle person, don't expect to
be able to hundred.
So somewhere in that range.
So, like I said, if you're asingle person, don't expect to
be able to raise a family withthat.
Or, if you like, in a high likethat's the problem because,
like in places like los angeles,and that's that's poverty, that
(18:05):
them is poverty wages.
So that's why, like I said, yousee, like a lot of people that
work in television them aspoverty wages.
So that's why, like I said, yousee, like a lot of people that
work in television these jobs aswell.
But to answer your question, Iknow I'm getting long-winded,
but to answer your question, Ithought about all the work that
I was put into it.
I was like, damn, I could bewriting my own stuff.
So, yeah, I am working on a fewmanuscripts right now, actually
(18:28):
in the process of liketransforming some of the
screenplays, the televisionscreenplays that I've written,
into novel format, because I dothink I have really good ideas
and you know, the idea is tohave one of my screenplays, or
multiple screenplays of mine,produced and then that way I can
(18:48):
own all of my intellectualproperty so we're gonna hold
that thought just for a second.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
We're gonna take a quick commercial break and then
we will be right back where wecan dive into um what you're
working on, what kind of genres,what kind of tropes, and get a
little bit more in your business.
So we will be right back out,okay, and then we just wait a
second and then we can dive um.
So now I'll just go in andactually um, like the work, the
(19:22):
manuscripts that you're workingon, have you ever sent them out
to like any producers oranything to get picked up?
And then I'll ask you um,what's like the actual genres,
or can you give us a little bitlike a, an epilogue or a little
blurb?
So that's why I go okay, I'mgonna say um, okay, we are back.
(19:44):
Thank you for hanging in therewith us, and then we'll roll
into it.
Okay, so let me know whenyou're ready I was ready all
right, you guys, we are back toget back up in our business.
So the the question that Iwanted to ask was um you were
(20:07):
telling us about yourmanuscripts, um that you have
been working on, have you sentany of those out to producers
for your screenplays?
Have you sent any of those outto any like production companies
or any producers, or what arewe planning on doing with those?
Speaker 2 (20:22):
so I have.
I actually was fortunate enoughto um get a mentor in Hollywood
who taught me a lot about it.
I usually send my samples tohim and he provides feedback.
It's like with screenplays.
(20:43):
It's going to be a little bitdifferent than novels.
When I get my manuscriptwritten or completed and edited,
I'm going to or completedrather and edited, I'm going to
take the self-publishing route.
But as far as my scripts andscreenplays, a lot of times they
recommend doing the contestroute.
(21:04):
But in all honesty, he justtold me you know the opportunity
is going to come, just have toget it into the right hands.
So he said just make sure thatwhen your opportunity does come,
that you have like your reallygood samples ready to go, and
(21:27):
I'm pretty sure I do.
I got about like 10 going rightnow, just various different
screenplays and then mymanuscript, of course.
Um, this are they large?
Speaker 1 (21:39):
enough to be novellas , or actual or um actual books,
or how or what do you plan ondoing?
Speaker 2 (21:46):
when you say you have 10 of them I have 10
screenplays, okay, but I want totake those screenplays and, and
you know, switch them into likea novel format, a novella at
the the least.
But, like I have, I have sofreaking many 10 ready to go.
But the the actual manuscriptthat I'm working on right now is
(22:11):
how would I describe this?
Okay, so it's kind of like inthe industry they call it a comp
.
I don't know if they do thatlike when you with you guys, but
a comp is where you say thisbook is x meets y.
So, like mine, I was gonna say Iain't never heard it okay so I,
(22:35):
I and I, I don't like to dolike the whole comparison thing,
but you do it so that theaudience can you know, the
audience kind of knows whatthey're getting into.
So like I'm writing one rightnow that I think is like it's
like it's like true blood meetsscandal, ooh, so, oh, tell us
about hold on.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Tell us about that Cause.
First of all, I love true bloodand I love scandal.
How do you mesh the two All?
Speaker 2 (23:02):
right, let me.
Let me read you my littlesynopsis I got on my website,
which I'm going to give y'all mywebsite at the end of this this
conversation.
So let me see, johnny, I needto put on my little professional
voice however, we're gonna takeit, however you give it okay.
Amara thompson, a small towngirl with a unique gift for
uncovering truths, moves to neworleans for a fresh start and a
(23:26):
new pr job.
Her first day she's thrust intothe glittering world of New
Orleans politics at a gala formayoral candidate Nichelle
Fontenot.
But Amara quickly realizesshe's stepped into a world far
more complex and dangerous thanshe imagined.
Nichelle is not just acharismatic politician, but a
(23:46):
powerful vampire hiding in plainsight.
As Amara grapples with hergrowing attraction to Nichelle
and the dark secrets of NewOrleans' supernatural underbelly
, she discovers her ownabilities may be more
extraordinary than she ever knew.
Caught between vampire politics, ancient societies and her own
burgeoning powers, amara mustnavigate a city where nothing is
(24:08):
as it seems and everyone hashidden agendas.
Can she uncover the truth aboutmichelle, new orleans and
herself before she's in too deepher?
Speaker 1 (24:21):
listen, one thing about me is I'm gonna beg.
Okay, I ain't too proud to beg.
Can I like is that alreadywritten or is there what we can,
because I would pay for thisshit right here?
I would pay for it, like is isthis out already or is this one
of the things that you'reworking on?
This is one of the.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I'm editing it right now.
You know I'm an artist and I'msensitive about my shit, so I
gotta get it.
So this one falls into thecategory of like urban fantasy
romance.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
And then did I hear that is is this a?
Speaker 2 (24:58):
queer.
It's like okay, it's gonna beFMF like threesomes.
You know that.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
This is my type of shit.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Wait a minute not an actual now.
Now I can give you like alittle spoiler.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
There's like I have to tell you like off camera,
what inspired the, the actualstory let me find out you out
here, because I like to askpeople are these like real life
experiences?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
no, it was a dream.
It was a dream, so, and thedream was like, I'll go ahead
and tell you that.
So the dream was like it wasyour, your presidential uh,
candidate, and then Usher, soyou have a politician and a
(25:54):
senator.
Wait, which?
Speaker 1 (25:55):
presidential candidate Kamala.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So Kamala is an inspiration for Michelle, but
she's a vampire.
And then this guy comes in andhe's going to seduce Amara.
He's like Usher, so it's likeKamala and Usher fighting for it
sounds crazy, but a lot oftimes my inspirations for my
stories and my books and myscreenplays are just some crazy
(26:22):
dreams that I had Another one.
Let me read you this one.
Hold on.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm fucking weak right now so.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
So let me tell you about this one.
So I'm gonna give you.
This is the synopsis of the.
It's like a fantasy, alternatefiction, and this one is called
it's like why, but it's theadventures of sinjata of the
south.
So this is somebody else, andjohn is a teenager that has
spiritual abilities.
(26:51):
She sees and feel things thatothers can't.
So she and her best friend goon this trip.
Uh, it's the year's 1876 andit's like an alternate history
where the united states civilwar didn't turn out the way
(27:12):
civil war didn't turn out theway that it did.
It's also in a world where,like the, the veil between the
spiritual and the material worldhas been lifted.
So you see, like a lot of weirdstuff, um, and they have this,
uh companion who is an imp, andthe inspiration for that was
(27:32):
like this really weird dreamthat I had a few years back,
where me and Beyonce what iswith you?
Speaker 1 (27:37):
and these damn stars, these?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
celebrities, I'm just a consumer of pop culture.
But me and Beyonce were in thewoods and she was like the size
of Tinkerbell and we broke intothis giant house and we had to
go steal something and then shehelped me on my way.
So I was like, and I, I wake upand I write down what happened
in the drain.
I'm like, okay, how can Istring this together?
(28:00):
Because this is like good, letme string this together to make
something interesting.
So, like I, I create from thatlittle like the weird cabins of
my subconscious mind, I was ableto create, you know, the
makings of a really interestingstory.
So you know, we all crazy, weall have like a little
(28:24):
strangeness to be able to writeand do some of the things that
we write about and we talk about.
You speechless.
Now what's going on?
Speaker 1 (28:38):
I am I think it was the Beyonce in the woods.
I think I'm trying to pictureher in the woods, imagine
Beyonce.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
but Tinkerbell size with fairy wings and everything.
Because I'm trying to I thinkI'm trying to picture her in the
woods.
So no, imagine like beyonce,but like tinkerbell size with
fairy wings and everything, andjust like you know, being like
tinkerbell, like hey, go thisway.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
so what the hell was y'all stealing?
Speaker 2 (29:04):
so it was oh, I know what it was.
So it was like this big giantand you know, the giant is like,
probably like living a gianthouse, 20 feet tall.
She wanted his uh, his whiskey,but she couldn't go in and get
it and see how look at howtimely that is, because I had
(29:24):
this dream years ago and nowhe's gonna be selling her
whiskey to people.
But she wanted to go in get hiswhiskey in exchange for me
helping her steal the whiskeyout of his house.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
She would help me go on my journey and it's giving
jack and the beanstalk a littlebit yeah yeah, exactly.
So that's why that one turnedinto like a ya fantasy adventure
type deal I would read that too, like where can we read now, do
you have anything that we?
Because now you got me wantinglike I need to get my hands on
(29:57):
some of your work.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
So now I do have a website.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
This one serves more like a resume for anybody who
wants to represent me orpurchase one of my scripts to
produce or even publish it.
But I have a bunch of samplesof my work.
I got the first chapter of thename of the book I was telling
(30:26):
you about.
True Blood Meets Scandal iscalled Crescent City Chronicles
and the first in that book isthat sounds like a series.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Is it going to be a series?
That sounds like a series.
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
And the first book is La Lumiere, which is French for
the light.
We got to dip into that wholeFrancophile Louisiana Creole.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
I heard that fun tonight.
What was the name again?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Michelle Fontenot.
Now you get more into her story.
I'm going to send you a copy ofthe manuscript when it's ready
to be, like I said, when I getyou editing it.
But her story is veryinteresting because she the
vampire, she actually predatesthe United States.
(31:17):
Like you know, we had somepeople here in louisiana.
Louisiana was was establishedbefore the united states proper
was established.
So her people have been in theunited states and her kind black
people and vampires have beenhere for a very long time.
But I'm not gonna spoil toomuch.
(31:38):
I have to let you read it andget some feedback from you from
there.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
But so do you have like a hold on?
Do you have like a date or umin mind of when you thinking
that you're gonna wrap it up soit, so it can be put out there
to like ARC readers?
January Are you going to haveARC readers?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Girl, what's an ARC reader?
You're going to have to editthis because I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
That's what this is for too.
So an ARC reader is basicallyan advanced reader copy?
Oh, yeah, but don't pay nobodyto read the damn book because we
do it for free.
Okay, and then you don't wantpaid reviews?
Yeah, but you want to give itto get it in the hands of so
many arc readers, even though Iknow a lot of people have been
(32:31):
um getting.
Uh, that's all I've been seeinggoing on is pirated work, but
what they're doing now isputting it directly in book
funnel, where they have to readit in book funnel instead of um
being able to download it andsend it to your kindle, because
that's where it started gettingfucked up at and people start
stealing your shit.
So a lot of people have beenlike the orcs that I have um
(32:52):
been reading over the lastcouple of days.
They've been only available ineven the um.
The advanced listener copy isonly available in book funnel,
so it can't be copied orduplicated or it can't be
pirated.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Well, it looks like it can't, but a scam is gonna
scam girl, you're gonna have toedit that out, because I feel
like I sound kind of slow comingon no well ask me.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Ask me the question again, because I'm january, I
promise you are fine.
I was just asking are you gonnahave like advanced reader
copies out there, just so peoplecan get a feel of it and do
like reviews?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
yeah, january, like I'm, I'm gonna spend the next uh
few months just really gettingit cleaned up now.
I can send you a copy before Ido that, I don't mind it not
being cleaned or misspelledwords.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
I'll actually like I do um alpha and beta reading,
and so alpha reading kind ofhelps with plot holes or if the
characters aren't fullydeveloped or we feel like
something is missing or lackingor if it doesn't make sense.
That's where the alpha readergoes in and lets the author know
, like hey, give us a littlefeedback back on it.
And then after it passes thealpha, then the beta reader gets
(34:06):
it and then that's, and afterthe beta is when the art reader
gets it.
Okay january, okay, january 2025is when I'm, I'm really, you
know, at the latest, and I'masking because I really want to
bring you back so that we can doan update of like, so we can go
full on, full black, becausethat's what the purpose of this
(34:28):
podcast is.
It's not only to let readersknow.
I'm hoping that some big namepeople or some publishers or
some producers or somescreenwriters see this.
Like you said, you have yourwork and you're trying to get it
into the hands of people.
That's one of the purposes ofthe podcast.
So hopefully someone sees itand the story sound good as book
(34:50):
.
So if they don't like reallyshitty, and y'all heard the
story.
But that that's another thing,not only to connect readers but
to connect authors withdifferent resources.
And then, like you said, youdidn't know what an ARC was.
A lot of people don't know whata lot of stuff is.
A lot of people don't know whattropes are and stuff is
(35:12):
changing.
I don't know if you're on thebook talk side of TikTok, but I
learn so much stuff every daylike these acronyms and these
initials and abbreviations andstuff.
So I'm just going to bring youhere so we can all be on one
accord and we're just going tolearn together.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
OK yeah, I'm a little bit on book talk.
What is it?
What is it?
Dnf did not finish.
Is that DNF Did not finish?
Is that the-.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
The DNF.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
I see a little bit, but my algorithm is crazy
because all I've seen on myTikTok lately is Grandma and
Gizmo.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Now what is-?
Speaker 2 (35:55):
You don't know, grandma and Gizmo.
I don't know Grandma and Giz.
No, I don't what's her name?
Lena, miss Lena be on theresinging to her cat and now she
beefing with her granddaughter.
She made a whole diss track toher granddaughter, saying that
Teddy Pendergrass in thebackground made a whole diss
track to-.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
The grandma made the diss track.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Yes Saying you're not my biological granddaughter.
Anyway, that's what my albumrhythm is.
So you already see how my mindworks, based on my dreams.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
So mine is obviously going to be a little bit
different you can tell what sideof the tiktok I be on, because
I don't see no book stuff andbook mess and all I see is book
stuff.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I'm going to have to get over that end if I want to
be in this, included in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Yes, or at least make a um, because you don't have a
zola, fontaine, because I know Idon't follow you on tiktok as
zola, we're not gonna give outyour name, but I know I don't
follow you please don't, because, look, I'm gonna tell you the
whole reason.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Not only do I choose the the pen name because you
know I do ghost writing, butbecause some of the stuff like I
hope to be an oscar-winningscreenwriter, filmmaker someday,
but they're claiming it, they,they do not need to see, I don't
need to have, like my vampirethreesome and my werewolf and,
(37:27):
um, you know, billionaireromance mms.
I don't need, I don't need noneof that to be associated with,
like my, my oscar night.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
So I don't blame you.
That's why mine's is lakesbetween the lines and like my um
, tiktok and stuff.
I don't have a pitch.
Somebody was like why don't youhave a picture of yourself and
stuff on the um on your thing sowe can know who you are?
You're gonna get that aipicture that I made and if I see
(37:59):
, if you see me in your fyp andyou click on it, you know it
lets you know the people whohave made views your stuff or
come across your stuff and likethe people you may know, I go
and block all the people becauseI don't need y'all this side of
the.
Yeah, big, all big.
I call them real people.
I don't need the real worldpeople up in my book top.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Those worlds don't need to merge at all.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
At all and I've been talking so much shit on these
podcasts and stuff and I said Ihope my mama or my family don't
see this because I've beenspilling some tea.
So I'm just like I hope nobodythat I know, don't really?
You know?
Speaker 2 (38:42):
yeah those worlds don't need to converge at all.
They don't need to know me likethat and if you see me on here,
no, you don't that's it, rightthere.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
I blocked my mama.
I just told them um, the last,um thing I had.
I went and blocked my mama.
She was like oh, I followed youon tiktok and I was like, which
one?
And then, and when she showedme which one, she sent me a
screenshot.
I went and blocked her on mylegs between the lines, because
I don't need you over here baby.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
What happened to your I don't know mama?
I don't know it.
Must they banned me?
Speaker 1 (39:20):
that's all it was so she on my other one, but
definitely not on this one.
I do not need you on this one.
Well, I appreciate you joiningme today.
Um, so january is our expected,our expected time, so that
(39:42):
means we're gonna have to bringyou back so that we can do a
full blast and get your name outthere now.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
You didn't want me what you was about to say I was
about to say I almost hit youwith a, with a charade, spring,
spring, summer we're not gonnabe she by.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
It's not gonna be a she by charade moment no, ma'am,
it's not january.
That's what we got and I'mgonna check back in because I'm
gonna hold you and don't have mecall you out.
Oh, and I see I can't even callyou out on tiktok because you,
I can't use, your, I can't usethat name, but I still will call
you out, I still will call youout and and we will hashtag zola
(40:30):
fontaine to death hey, man, anykind of encouragement, any, any
kind of anything to get thefire lit under my ass.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
I'm not even going to be mad at you, but I'm.
You know it's already lit.
So that's why I was excitedabout coming on here in the
first place, so I could justkind of you know, get out here
and then find my audience, soyou know can you give us your
website on where we canno-transcript?
Speaker 1 (41:11):
Well, if you just want to be known, that's fine.
That's all I want to do.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
The website is ZolaFontecom.
That's Z as in zebra, o as inOscar L, as in Lima A as in
Alpha F as in Foxtrot, o as inOscar N as in Nancy.
Tango, alpha, indigo,nancyechocom.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Thank you, we appreciate it.
And until next time, becausewhen I tell you, we're going to
hold you accountable and we'regoing to call you out and we're
going to have you back beforethe release so we can get you
some arc readers.
Ok, so I thank you for joiningme today, for taking time out.
Oh, I did want to ask how didyou get your Hollywood mentor?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
I did want to ask how did you get your Hollywood
mentor?
So they actually there was atthe height of COVID or at the
beginning of COVID there wasthis you know, like they had all
these conversations aboutdiversity and equity and
(42:17):
inclusion in various differentindustries, and all of that was
that was spurred by, like theGeorge Floyd murder.
You had a lot of people thatwere like, well, hey, maybe we
need to make up for some ofthese places where there's like,
not enough diversity orrepresentation.
So there's an organization, areally good organization, called
(42:39):
Start With Eight, and I'm goingto pull up the website right
now, but basically it's by womenof color, okay, who want to
help shift the landscape ofbehind the scenes in Hollywood,
and so they put out a call forpeople who are already
(43:01):
established in the industrysaying, hey, let's, why don't
you?
You know you've made it thisfar why don't you try to help
somebody on your way up but alsohelp people who are, who don't
have the privilege to be in thespaces that you're in, and offer
(43:21):
mentorship to aspiring writers,aspiring directors, aspiring
producers.
So it start with eight.
I believe their website isstart with eight.
Start with eight, like thenumber eight uh yes, so it
(43:42):
started with eight um and thenso it's actually like an um, an
offshoot of women of colorunited and cheryl bedford, a
lovely black Women of ColorUnited, and Cheryl Bedford, a
lovely Black woman, hollywoodlady, she's the one who
(44:02):
spearheaded all this.
So basically they put out thecall and then anybody who was
like I want to get in thisindustry, what can you help me
with, you get chosen as a menteeand you get your mentors and it
was a really good experience.
And I'm not sure they've yeah,they've had like four cycles so
(44:31):
they've been able to match like1700 women of color to like 550
mentors.
So for each Hollywood personthey get like each mentor gets
like eight women of color tolike 550 mentors.
So for each hollywood personthey get like each mentor gets
like eight women of color thatthey're able to be a mentor to.
so that's how that's nice yeah,it's worth checking out for
anybody who um, who wants tohave any type of um, even just
(44:57):
having a good experience, youknow, figuring out like the ins
and out of like making it as awriter, a producer, director,
anything behind the scenes inhollywood.
So that's how I was matchedwith my uh, my mentor okay.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Well, I thank you for that information and again,
thank you so much for sittingdown to talk with us today and
until next time, make sure youguys um subscribe.
I am going to collect all ofher information, but in the
meantime, make sure that youdownload you like and subscribe
(45:31):
to the podcast until next timetime.
hey y'all.
Hey, you are watching andlistening to lakes between the
lines and, of course, I am yourhost, lex um.
So let's go ahead and get intothese trigger warnings so we can
go ahead.
I'm so excited about the gueststhat we have today.
So there may or may not beadult content discussed.
There may or may not be alittle bit of cussing, because,
(00:39):
you know, when I get excited orI feel some type of way about
things, they just start comingas they may.
Whatever come up, come out.
So take this as your triggerwarning.
There may or may not be adultsexual content described or, as
we like to call smut, talkedabout.
So if you are still rollingwith us at this point, we're
(01:04):
gonna go ahead and introduce ourco-host.
I'm going to let her introduceherself.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Hello, hello, thank you for having me, lex.
My name is Zola Fontaine, notmy real name, that's my
ghostwriting name.
I am a writer.
I write screenplays, stories,novels.
Writer.
I write screenplays, stories,novels.
(01:29):
I live in Louisiana.
I'm very Black and verySouthern and also very happy to
be here today.
I don't have any work publishedunder my actual legal name, for
reasons that you know youmentioned in the trigger warning
.
Some of this stuff is verysmutty.
It's very adult.
I'll tell you about some of thecraziest stuff that I've, uh,
had the pleasure of writing.
(01:51):
But if you peruse through anytype of serialized fiction app
the big ones out there, um, likegood novel, or um kiss good
novel, um, re-addict, thingslike that uh, you might see some
of my work out there.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
so now is it under it's, under zola?
That's where we can find it no,no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I'm not telling you to go find it, I'm just telling
you that it's there because,because some of it is so, so
crazy.
But you know, take it.
If you go to one of those appsto read a book, you'll be
supporting another author.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So so are you writing for these authors and they
making money from it?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
so the way that it works, you have like different.
I need to be careful about whatI say, because with these
companies you might actuallyhave to bleep out their names
that I'm thinking about.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Well, no, because you know what we just mentioned.
So it's actually advertisingfor them, because we're just
listening to some of them thatyou can find people writing on,
so we haven't gone or talkedabout them or anything like that
.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
It's specific.
It's specific.
You're right.
You're right.
Hold on.
What was the question?
I forgot the question.
It's the ADHD kicking in.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Shoot.
You just made me forgot becauseI got nervous for a second like
shit.
I don't want nobody to sue me.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I'm just starting to get up.
No, I'm joking.
What was the question?
I'm nervous myself, oh.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
I got it now.
Have you been writing?
Are you?
Have you been writing foranybody on the?
Are you writing for yourself orare you writing for um other
authors on these platforms, orcan we find your work on these
platforms?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
agreement with these companies.
It's a little bit differentthan just being like you know,
there's somebody who wants towrite a book but they can't
write and they hire me.
That does exist, but not in mycase.
So to explain a little bit,these serialized fiction apps,
they work by monetizing yourcontent.
(04:07):
I think on some of the apps youcan go in and purchase tokens
and then it allows you to readup to a certain limit and you
purchase more and you have alimit with what you can read for
free.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So you buy the tokens and it allows you to read, I
guess, as much as you want topay for hold on, because that's
how a couple of them got me um,and it depends on how long the
chapter or the little chapter is.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
It takes so many, like if I buy 500 coins but then
one chapter costs like 125coins yeah, and so they put it
in that format, I guess to lurereaders in and just to keep the
audience hooked.
But in my case, the reason whyyou can go to these different
(04:59):
apps and you can they canpromise you like a new chapter
every day at 12 pm is becauseyou have people like me behind
the scenes just churning outthat content, like as quickly
and as often as possible.
So the way I understand it, themodel that they have, they have
(05:21):
and this may not be true foreverybody, but I know in at
least in some of the cases forthe companies that I've done
work for you either come in asan established author and you
split like say, there's a reallysuccessful person who likes to
write romance novels They'vebeen on the New York Times
bestseller list.
(05:41):
Well, they'll license out theircontent to the company and then
they break it down into likebite-sized chapters for a
different audience, for anaudience that you know, for a
person you like to read, right,but like for somebody who's like
they they're not the peoplethat would go to a bookstore or
a library and check out a bookbecause they have it on their
(06:03):
mobile phone.
It's like okay, let me get intothis let me read about chapter,
chapter by chapter.
So you'll have establishedauthors who do that, and then
you have other people who mightstart out on platforms like uh,
wattpad, just writing, you knowto, to get their story out there
do.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Do you have to pay for Wattpad?
I just heard about Wattpad whenI joined BookTok.
I had never heard of Wattpadbefore.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I've never used Wattpad.
I've had some friends that haveused it, but it's a good place.
To my understanding, don'tquote me on it.
Well, you're going to bequoting me on it anyway, because
I'm going to be on this butit's like a good.
I think when it started out itwas a good platform for people
(06:52):
that couldn't go the traditionalpublishing route, so it gave
them a way to build an audienceand write what they pretty much
want without restriction.
So that's the second case wherethey'll have somebody who has
an established online audienceor, like they have a completed
novel and they'll license theirbook out to that company.
And in the third case, let'ssee how can I say this without
(07:19):
breaking my okay, so preexistingmaterial that they want to have
adapted for a Western audience.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So it goes through the process of localization.
So basically, what happens inthis case?
You'll have like a verysuccessful book in another
country maybe China, maybe Indiais written in that native
language.
Well, they'll get the rights tothat book.
They'll translate it intoEnglish and then somebody can
(07:50):
come in and do they do what theycall localization.
So you basically take that, takeall the cultural nuances that
exist in that book and you adaptit for the American audience so
they can consume it.
So it's like recycling material.
And then I know I said that wasthe last one, but the last one
(08:11):
is that, okay, they'll have likean outline or story idea, a
general vague idea, and youbasically just take that
material and make it come tolife.
But you do it within theconfines of what they actually
want for that platform.
So they would say to me okay,we want a story about a woman
(08:34):
who is secretly a princess, butshe doesn't know, and she falls
in love with a billionairewerewolf alpha.
We need to make that love storyhappen.
We need to make it happen inthis amount of chapters it's
usually around 80 or so and weneed to make sure that it
follows all of the, theimportant and expected beats
(08:58):
that our audience wants.
And then we have to have cliffhangers for every chapter,
because if we don't have thosegood cliffhangers, the people
are not going to pay for thenext episode.
So I've worked like that in acapacity you have some that are
very rigid in what they want andhow they want it to be done,
(09:26):
rigid in what they want and howthey want it to be done, and
then others where you knowyou're pretty much given a lot
of creative freedom to do whatyou want I'm gonna get in your
business a little bit.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Does that pay well?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
it pays.
Now what I will say?
Like, okay, um, when I there'sone company that I was working
for and I'm glad you asked thatbecause right now the industry
writing industry as a whole notjust like with fiction and on
(09:55):
apps, but like in televisionit's experiencing some
challenges right now, somechallenges right now.
So a lot of times you'll havewriters that are writing in
(10:16):
different medium, medium, medium.
I should know what the pool forthat is but so, okay, like,
I've worked with people thathave worked on Netflix, tv shows
, movies, just like all in theindustry, but these are like
television and film writers, butthey're doing like the work
that I'm telling you about rightnow.
They're doing that as well.
(10:37):
So I would say it's prettydecent pay, depending on what
the company is, because you'llhave some that come in and try
to low-ball you.
But if you're working for acompany that has a lot of other
established writers in it,they'll give you pay that's
comparable to what they would bemaking or what they would be
(10:57):
making outside of that app.
The downside is that a lot oftimes it is contract work, so
you're classified as a 1099employee, meaning you don't get
insurance, Okay, and then yourtaxes are not automatically
(11:17):
taken out.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
So you got to pay them on your own.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, you got to pay them, or or I think they call it
a.
What is it?
I'm having a brain fart rightnow, but a lot of times like a
loan company, so basic, not anactual loan company.
But they set it up so that yourtaxes are taken care of upfront
, so that when April rollsaround you don't be hit with no
(11:43):
big ass tax bill.
You be like, well, you know,damn bitch, I barely got any
money in the first place andy'all trying to take the little
bit that you get.
So now what I would say forsomebody who is like, if you
want to get experience as awriter doing that, I'm not going
(12:05):
to encourage you to not do it,but I will say that it might be
more lucrative to just like dothe stuff on your own because
it's a good, it's good trainingfor, like, you want to meet your
dead minds and, um, you justwant to have an idea of what,
(12:27):
like, the marketing side of itis, but you may not be
creatively fulfilled with it.
And I think the reason that alot of people write in the first
place is because they have astory inside of them that wants
to be told.
You're not going to be able totell that story doing that for
other people, because you haveto follow all of their
(12:49):
guidelines.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
That's a lot of guidelines to to go by right.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
So you, you, sometimes you might have the
creative freedom, especially ifyou're you know, you've been
doing it for a while and you'remore established and you have to
prove that you know you canwrite a hit, you can lure the
audience in and they'll continueto pay for it.
But otherwise, you know, baby,just a worker bee, have you?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
tried the route of um of indie publishing, or have
you just strictly stuck, or areyou in the process of indie
publishing anything or any ofyour work?
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I am actually.
So one of the lessons that I'velearned, especially in the past
year, with, like I said,everything in the industry kind
of getting shaken up to thepoint where you mentioned the
people that work in televisionthey do these jobs as well and
for people who are writing inHollywood that you know how do I
(13:53):
say this, so I'm trying not tolike step on any toes, but it's
hard out here for everybody andwhat I've learned with the way
that I've had to pretty much Forone company in particular, I
had such a stressful experiencewith it that I'm like I'm
(14:17):
thinking, okay, I'm giving myall, I'm writing anywhere from
25,000 to 50,000 words in a week, in a week.
Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am.
So you put that intoperspective.
Like, let's say, two weeks ofwriting like that, that's a full
time, that's like a full novel.
(14:39):
Yes, and the whole time I waswriting like this, stressed out,
you know, my skin breaking out.
I'm wanting to pull out my hair.
I'm like, damn, so I could havebeen.
I could have been working on myown stuff and writing my own
stuff and writing what I want towrite at my own pace.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Wait.
So you write in like that thiswasn't, this was the ghost
writing, without thestipulations and the guidelines.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
It was one of them.
Like I said, I've worked for afew, so in that particular
instance, with them wanting usto write like that, you have to
be able to turn those chaptersout.
You have to do it because ofthat.
If you have some heifer inmiddle america that's on an app
scrolling and she, you know,washing her dishes, and she
(15:27):
wants to.
She want to know what happenedwith the alpha and the princess
girl that don't know she'llprint.
Are they going hunch or not?
You have to turn out thatcontent so that they keep paying
for it.
That's why the amount of wordsexpected and the amount of
chapters you expected to writeis so high.
(15:49):
Going back to your question waslike damn, I'm doing this for
them and they're making like,like I said, they pay comparable
to what you would get, like youknow industry standards for
writing, but the money that theymake hold on because I'm I'm
like writing illiterateate.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
So what's the pricing for industry standard?
Is it enough to work?
Well, we already know theeconomy is a little off right
now.
So is it enough to sustain ahousehold, or do you have to
have like a second job to write?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
You don't okay as a single person and depending on
your cost of living, the areathat you, if you live in a high
cost of living area, you'regonna need more money.
But if you live, like in the inthe south um, depending on
where you live in the south, itcould be okay.
(16:46):
So the way that it works withme and other writers is you
don't do just like one writingjob, like at one point I had
like multiple contracts so I didmake a decent living with it.
Usually it goes by.
Cents per word is what I'vedealt with.
(17:08):
Cents per word is Is what I'vedealt with.
So you can do anywhere fromlike Five to ten cents per word.
I think so like they werepaying it at one place, they
were paying around.
What was it?
It was like forty, fivehundred500 a month.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
And it's from one contract.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, from one contract.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, that's not bad, especially if you have multiple
contracts, paying that, at leastthat on top of other contracts.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Mine have been anywhere from $3,600 to like
$4,600.
So somewhere in that range.
So, like I said, if you're asingle person, don't expect to
be able to hundred.
So somewhere in that range.
So, like I said, if you're asingle person, don't expect to
be able to raise a family withthat.
Or, if you like, in a high likethat's the problem because,
like in places like los angeles,and that's that's poverty, that
(18:05):
them is poverty wages.
So that's why, like I said, yousee, like a lot of people that
work in television them aspoverty wages.
So that's why, like I said, yousee, like a lot of people that
work in television these jobs aswell.
But to answer your question, Iknow I'm getting long-winded,
but to answer your question, Ithought about all the work that
I was put into it.
I was like, damn, I could bewriting my own stuff.
So, yeah, I am working on a fewmanuscripts right now, actually
(18:28):
in the process of liketransforming some of the
screenplays, the televisionscreenplays that I've written,
into novel format, because I dothink I have really good ideas
and you know, the idea is tohave one of my screenplays, or
multiple screenplays of mine,produced and then that way I can
(18:48):
own all of my intellectualproperty so we're gonna hold
that thought just for a second.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
We're gonna take a quick commercial break and then
we will be right back where wecan dive into um what you're
working on, what kind of genres,what kind of tropes, and get a
little bit more in your business.
So we will be right back out,okay, and then we just wait a
second and then we can dive um.
So now I'll just go in andactually um, like the work, the
(19:22):
manuscripts that you're workingon, have you ever sent them out
to like any producers oranything to get picked up?
And then I'll ask you um,what's like the actual genres,
or can you give us a little bitlike a, an epilogue or a little
blurb?
So that's why I go okay, I'mgonna say um, okay, we are back.
(19:44):
Thank you for hanging in therewith us, and then we'll roll
into it.
Okay, so let me know whenyou're ready I was ready all
right, you guys, we are back toget back up in our business.
So the the question that Iwanted to ask was um you were
(20:07):
telling us about yourmanuscripts, um that you have
been working on, have you sentany of those out to producers
for your screenplays?
Have you sent any of those outto any like production companies
or any producers, or what arewe planning on doing with those?
Speaker 2 (20:22):
so I have.
I actually was fortunate enoughto um get a mentor in Hollywood
who taught me a lot about it.
I usually send my samples tohim and he provides feedback.
It's like with screenplays.
(20:43):
It's going to be a little bitdifferent than novels.
When I get my manuscriptwritten or completed and edited,
I'm going to or completedrather and edited, I'm going to
take the self-publishing route.
But as far as my scripts andscreenplays, a lot of times they
recommend doing the contestroute.
(21:04):
But in all honesty, he justtold me you know the opportunity
is going to come, just have toget it into the right hands.
So he said just make sure thatwhen your opportunity does come,
that you have like your reallygood samples ready to go, and
(21:27):
I'm pretty sure I do.
I got about like 10 going rightnow, just various different
screenplays and then mymanuscript, of course.
Um, this are they large?
Speaker 1 (21:39):
enough to be novellas , or actual or um actual books,
or how or what do you plan ondoing?
Speaker 2 (21:46):
when you say you have 10 of them I have 10
screenplays, okay, but I want totake those screenplays and, and
you know, switch them into likea novel format, a novella at
the the least.
But, like I have, I have sofreaking many 10 ready to go.
But the the actual manuscriptthat I'm working on right now is
(22:11):
how would I describe this?
Okay, so it's kind of like inthe industry they call it a comp
.
I don't know if they do thatlike when you with you guys, but
a comp is where you say thisbook is x meets y.
So, like mine, I was gonna say Iain't never heard it okay so I,
(22:35):
I and I, I don't like to dolike the whole comparison thing,
but you do it so that theaudience can you know, the
audience kind of knows whatthey're getting into.
So like I'm writing one rightnow that I think is like it's
like it's like true blood meetsscandal, ooh, so, oh, tell us
about hold on.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Tell us about that Cause.
First of all, I love true bloodand I love scandal.
How do you mesh the two All?
Speaker 2 (23:02):
right, let me.
Let me read you my littlesynopsis I got on my website,
which I'm going to give y'all mywebsite at the end of this this
conversation.
So let me see, johnny, I needto put on my little professional
voice however, we're gonna takeit, however you give it okay.
Amara thompson, a small towngirl with a unique gift for
uncovering truths, moves to neworleans for a fresh start and a
(23:26):
new pr job.
Her first day she's thrust intothe glittering world of New
Orleans politics at a gala formayoral candidate Nichelle
Fontenot.
But Amara quickly realizesshe's stepped into a world far
more complex and dangerous thanshe imagined.
Nichelle is not just acharismatic politician, but a
(23:46):
powerful vampire hiding in plainsight.
As Amara grapples with hergrowing attraction to Nichelle
and the dark secrets of NewOrleans' supernatural underbelly
, she discovers her ownabilities may be more
extraordinary than she ever knew.
Caught between vampire politics, ancient societies and her own
burgeoning powers, amara mustnavigate a city where nothing is
(24:08):
as it seems and everyone hashidden agendas.
Can she uncover the truth aboutmichelle, new orleans and
herself before she's in too deepher?
Speaker 1 (24:21):
listen, one thing about me is I'm gonna beg.
Okay, I ain't too proud to beg.
Can I like is that alreadywritten or is there what we can,
because I would pay for thisshit right here?
I would pay for it, like is isthis out already or is this one
of the things that you'reworking on?
This is one of the.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I'm editing it right now.
You know I'm an artist and I'msensitive about my shit, so I
gotta get it.
So this one falls into thecategory of like urban fantasy
romance.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
And then did I hear that is is this a?
Speaker 2 (24:58):
queer.
It's like okay, it's gonna beFMF like threesomes.
You know that.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
This is my type of shit.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Wait a minute not an actual now.
Now I can give you like alittle spoiler.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
There's like I have to tell you like off camera,
what inspired the, the actualstory let me find out you out
here, because I like to askpeople are these like real life
experiences?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
no, it was a dream.
It was a dream, so, and thedream was like, I'll go ahead
and tell you that.
So the dream was like it wasyour, your presidential uh,
candidate, and then Usher, soyou have a politician and a
(25:54):
senator.
Wait, which?
Speaker 1 (25:55):
presidential candidate Kamala.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
So Kamala is an inspiration for Michelle, but
she's a vampire.
And then this guy comes in andhe's going to seduce Amara.
He's like Usher, so it's likeKamala and Usher fighting for it
sounds crazy, but a lot oftimes my inspirations for my
stories and my books and myscreenplays are just some crazy
(26:22):
dreams that I had Another one.
Let me read you this one.
Hold on.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm fucking weak right now so.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
So let me tell you about this one.
So I'm gonna give you.
This is the synopsis of the.
It's like a fantasy, alternatefiction, and this one is called
it's like why, but it's theadventures of sinjata of the
south.
So this is somebody else, andjohn is a teenager that has
spiritual abilities.
(26:51):
She sees and feel things thatothers can't.
So she and her best friend goon this trip.
Uh, it's the year's 1876 andit's like an alternate history
where the united states civilwar didn't turn out the way
(27:12):
civil war didn't turn out theway that it did.
It's also in a world where,like the, the veil between the
spiritual and the material worldhas been lifted.
So you see, like a lot of weirdstuff, um, and they have this,
uh companion who is an imp, andthe inspiration for that was
(27:32):
like this really weird dreamthat I had a few years back,
where me and Beyonce what iswith you?
Speaker 1 (27:37):
and these damn stars, these?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
celebrities, I'm just a consumer of pop culture.
But me and Beyonce were in thewoods and she was like the size
of Tinkerbell and we broke intothis giant house and we had to
go steal something and then shehelped me on my way.
So I was like, and I, I wake upand I write down what happened
in the drain.
I'm like, okay, how can Istring this together?
(28:00):
Because this is like good, letme string this together to make
something interesting.
So, like I, I create from thatlittle like the weird cabins of
my subconscious mind, I was ableto create, you know, the
makings of a really interestingstory.
So you know, we all crazy, weall have like a little
(28:24):
strangeness to be able to writeand do some of the things that
we write about and we talk about.
You speechless.
Now what's going on?
Speaker 1 (28:38):
I am I think it was the Beyonce in the woods.
I think I'm trying to pictureher in the woods, imagine
Beyonce.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
but Tinkerbell size with fairy wings and everything.
Because I'm trying to I thinkI'm trying to picture her in the
woods.
So no, imagine like beyonce,but like tinkerbell size with
fairy wings and everything, andjust like you know, being like
tinkerbell, like hey, go thisway.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
so what the hell was y'all stealing?
Speaker 2 (29:04):
so it was oh, I know what it was.
So it was like this big giantand you know, the giant is like,
probably like living a gianthouse, 20 feet tall.
She wanted his uh, his whiskey,but she couldn't go in and get
it and see how look at howtimely that is, because I had
(29:24):
this dream years ago and nowhe's gonna be selling her
whiskey to people.
But she wanted to go in get hiswhiskey in exchange for me
helping her steal the whiskeyout of his house.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
She would help me go on my journey and it's giving
jack and the beanstalk a littlebit yeah yeah, exactly.
So that's why that one turnedinto like a ya fantasy adventure
type deal I would read that too, like where can we read now, do
you have anything that we?
Because now you got me wantinglike I need to get my hands on
(29:57):
some of your work.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
So now I do have a website.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
This one serves more like a resume for anybody who
wants to represent me orpurchase one of my scripts to
produce or even publish it.
But I have a bunch of samplesof my work.
I got the first chapter of thename of the book I was telling
(30:26):
you about.
True Blood Meets Scandal iscalled Crescent City Chronicles
and the first in that book isthat sounds like a series.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Is it going to be a series?
That sounds like a series.
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
And the first book is La Lumiere, which is French for
the light.
We got to dip into that wholeFrancophile Louisiana Creole.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
I heard that fun tonight.
What was the name again?
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Michelle Fontenot.
Now you get more into her story.
I'm going to send you a copy ofthe manuscript when it's ready
to be, like I said, when I getyou editing it.
But her story is veryinteresting because she the
vampire, she actually predatesthe United States.
(31:17):
Like you know, we had somepeople here in louisiana.
Louisiana was was establishedbefore the united states proper
was established.
So her people have been in theunited states and her kind black
people and vampires have beenhere for a very long time.
But I'm not gonna spoil toomuch.
(31:38):
I have to let you read it andget some feedback from you from
there.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
But so do you have like a hold on?
Do you have like a date or umin mind of when you thinking
that you're gonna wrap it up soit, so it can be put out there
to like ARC readers?
January Are you going to haveARC readers?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Girl, what's an ARC reader?
You're going to have to editthis because I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
That's what this is for too.
So an ARC reader is basicallyan advanced reader copy?
Oh, yeah, but don't pay nobodyto read the damn book because we
do it for free.
Okay, and then you don't wantpaid reviews?
Yeah, but you want to give itto get it in the hands of so
many arc readers, even though Iknow a lot of people have been
(32:31):
um getting.
Uh, that's all I've been seeinggoing on is pirated work, but
what they're doing now isputting it directly in book
funnel, where they have to readit in book funnel instead of um
being able to download it andsend it to your kindle, because
that's where it started gettingfucked up at and people start
stealing your shit.
So a lot of people have beenlike the orcs that I have um
(32:52):
been reading over the lastcouple of days.
They've been only available ineven the um.
The advanced listener copy isonly available in book funnel,
so it can't be copied orduplicated or it can't be
pirated.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Well, it looks like it can't, but a scam is gonna
scam girl, you're gonna have toedit that out, because I feel
like I sound kind of slow comingon no well ask me.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Ask me the question again, because I'm january, I
promise you are fine.
I was just asking are you gonnahave like advanced reader
copies out there, just so peoplecan get a feel of it and do
like reviews?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
yeah, january, like I'm, I'm gonna spend the next uh
few months just really gettingit cleaned up now.
I can send you a copy before Ido that, I don't mind it not
being cleaned or misspelledwords.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
I'll actually like I do um alpha and beta reading,
and so alpha reading kind ofhelps with plot holes or if the
characters aren't fullydeveloped or we feel like
something is missing or lackingor if it doesn't make sense.
That's where the alpha readergoes in and lets the author know
, like hey, give us a littlefeedback back on it.
And then after it passes thealpha, then the beta reader gets
(34:06):
it and then that's, and afterthe beta is when the art reader
gets it.
Okay january, okay, january 2025is when I'm, I'm really, you
know, at the latest, and I'masking because I really want to
bring you back so that we can doan update of like, so we can go
full on, full black, becausethat's what the purpose of this
(34:28):
podcast is.
It's not only to let readersknow.
I'm hoping that some big namepeople or some publishers or
some producers or somescreenwriters see this.
Like you said, you have yourwork and you're trying to get it
into the hands of people.
That's one of the purposes ofthe podcast.
So hopefully someone sees itand the story sound good as book
(34:50):
.
So if they don't like reallyshitty, and y'all heard the
story.
But that that's another thing,not only to connect readers but
to connect authors withdifferent resources.
And then, like you said, youdidn't know what an ARC was.
A lot of people don't know whata lot of stuff is.
A lot of people don't know whattropes are and stuff is
(35:12):
changing.
I don't know if you're on thebook talk side of TikTok, but I
learn so much stuff every daylike these acronyms and these
initials and abbreviations andstuff.
So I'm just going to bring youhere so we can all be on one
accord and we're just going tolearn together.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
OK yeah, I'm a little bit on book talk.
What is it?
What is it?
Dnf did not finish.
Is that DNF Did not finish?
Is that the-.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
The DNF.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
I see a little bit, but my algorithm is crazy
because all I've seen on myTikTok lately is Grandma and
Gizmo.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Now what is-?
Speaker 2 (35:55):
You don't know, grandma and Gizmo.
I don't know Grandma and Giz.
No, I don't what's her name?
Lena, miss Lena be on theresinging to her cat and now she
beefing with her granddaughter.
She made a whole diss track toher granddaughter, saying that
Teddy Pendergrass in thebackground made a whole diss
track to-.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
The grandma made the diss track.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Yes Saying you're not my biological granddaughter.
Anyway, that's what my albumrhythm is.
So you already see how my mindworks, based on my dreams.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
So mine is obviously going to be a little bit
different you can tell what sideof the tiktok I be on, because
I don't see no book stuff andbook mess and all I see is book
stuff.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I'm going to have to get over that end if I want to
be in this, included in thisworld.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Yes, or at least make a um, because you don't have a
zola, fontaine, because I know Idon't follow you on tiktok as
zola, we're not gonna give outyour name, but I know I don't
follow you please don't, because, look, I'm gonna tell you the
whole reason.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Not only do I choose the the pen name because you
know I do ghost writing, butbecause some of the stuff like I
hope to be an oscar-winningscreenwriter, filmmaker someday,
but they're claiming it, they,they do not need to see, I don't
need to have, like my vampirethreesome and my werewolf and,
(37:27):
um, you know, billionaireromance mms.
I don't need, I don't need noneof that to be associated with,
like my, my oscar night.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
So I don't blame you.
That's why mine's is lakesbetween the lines and like my um
, tiktok and stuff.
I don't have a pitch.
Somebody was like why don't youhave a picture of yourself and
stuff on the um on your thing sowe can know who you are?
You're gonna get that aipicture that I made and if I see
(37:59):
, if you see me in your fyp andyou click on it, you know it
lets you know the people whohave made views your stuff or
come across your stuff and likethe people you may know, I go
and block all the people becauseI don't need y'all this side of
the.
Yeah, big, all big.
I call them real people.
I don't need the real worldpeople up in my book top.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Those worlds don't need to merge at all.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
At all and I've been talking so much shit on these
podcasts and stuff and I said Ihope my mama or my family don't
see this because I've beenspilling some tea.
So I'm just like I hope nobodythat I know, don't really?
You know?
Speaker 2 (38:42):
yeah those worlds don't need to converge at all.
They don't need to know me likethat and if you see me on here,
no, you don't that's it, rightthere.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
I blocked my mama.
I just told them um, the last,um thing I had.
I went and blocked my mama.
She was like oh, I followed youon tiktok and I was like, which
one?
And then, and when she showedme which one, she sent me a
screenshot.
I went and blocked her on mylegs between the lines, because
I don't need you over here baby.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
What happened to your I don't know mama?
I don't know it.
Must they banned me?
Speaker 1 (39:20):
that's all it was so she on my other one, but
definitely not on this one.
I do not need you on this one.
Well, I appreciate you joiningme today.
Um, so january is our expected,our expected time, so that
(39:42):
means we're gonna have to bringyou back so that we can do a
full blast and get your name outthere now.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
You didn't want me what you was about to say I was
about to say I almost hit youwith a, with a charade, spring,
spring, summer we're not gonnabe she by.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
It's not gonna be a she by charade moment no, ma'am,
it's not january.
That's what we got and I'mgonna check back in because I'm
gonna hold you and don't have mecall you out.
Oh, and I see I can't even callyou out on tiktok because you,
I can't use, your, I can't usethat name, but I still will call
you out, I still will call youout and and we will hashtag zola
(40:30):
fontaine to death hey, man, anykind of encouragement, any, any
kind of anything to get thefire lit under my ass.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
I'm not even going to be mad at you, but I'm.
You know it's already lit.
So that's why I was excitedabout coming on here in the
first place, so I could justkind of you know, get out here
and then find my audience, soyou know can you give us your
website on where we canno-transcript?
Speaker 1 (41:11):
Well, if you just want to be known, that's fine.
That's all I want to do.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
The website is ZolaFontecom.
That's Z as in zebra, o as inOscar L, as in Lima A as in
Alpha F as in Foxtrot, o as inOscar N as in Nancy.
Tango, alpha, indigo,nancyechocom.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Thank you, we appreciate it.
And until next time, becausewhen I tell you, we're going to
hold you accountable and we'regoing to call you out and we're
going to have you back beforethe release so we can get you
some arc readers.
Ok, so I thank you for joiningme today, for taking time out.
Oh, I did want to ask how didyou get your Hollywood mentor?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
I did want to ask how did you get your Hollywood
mentor?
So they actually there was atthe height of COVID or at the
beginning of COVID there wasthis you know, like they had all
these conversations aboutdiversity and equity and
(42:17):
inclusion in various differentindustries, and all of that was
that was spurred by, like theGeorge Floyd murder.
You had a lot of people thatwere like, well, hey, maybe we
need to make up for some ofthese places where there's like,
not enough diversity orrepresentation.
So there's an organization, areally good organization, called
(42:39):
Start With Eight, and I'm goingto pull up the website right
now, but basically it's by womenof color, okay, who want to
help shift the landscape ofbehind the scenes in Hollywood,
and so they put out a call forpeople who are already
(43:01):
established in the industrysaying, hey, let's, why don't
you?
You know you've made it thisfar why don't you try to help
somebody on your way up but alsohelp people who are, who don't
have the privilege to be in thespaces that you're in, and offer
(43:21):
mentorship to aspiring writers,aspiring directors, aspiring
producers.
So it start with eight.
I believe their website isstart with eight.
Start with eight, like thenumber eight uh yes, so it
(43:42):
started with eight um and thenso it's actually like an um, an
offshoot of women of colorunited and cheryl bedford, a
lovely black Women of ColorUnited, and Cheryl Bedford, a
lovely Black woman, hollywoodlady, she's the one who
(44:02):
spearheaded all this.
So basically they put out thecall and then anybody who was
like I want to get in thisindustry, what can you help me
with, you get chosen as a menteeand you get your mentors and it
was a really good experience.
And I'm not sure they've yeah,they've had like four cycles so
(44:31):
they've been able to match like1700 women of color to like 550
mentors.
So for each Hollywood personthey get like each mentor gets
like eight women of color tolike 550 mentors.
So for each hollywood personthey get like each mentor gets
like eight women of color thatthey're able to be a mentor to.
so that's how that's nice yeah,it's worth checking out for
anybody who um, who wants tohave any type of um, even just
(44:57):
having a good experience, youknow, figuring out like the ins
and out of like making it as awriter, a producer, director,
anything behind the scenes inhollywood.
So that's how I was matchedwith my uh, my mentor okay.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Well, I thank you for that information and again,
thank you so much for sittingdown to talk with us today and
until next time, make sure youguys um subscribe.
I am going to collect all ofher information, but in the
meantime, make sure that youdownload you like and subscribe
(45:31):
to the podcast until next timetime.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.