Tamara T. Gregory: novelist offers a valuable lesson in passport diaries

TAMARA T. Gregory, the former Hollywood writer-producer-turned-novelist, has some advice for aspiring writers: Don't talk about becoming a writer. Do it! "Some jobs have mandatory requirements that must be met before a person claims to be a [insert job of choice here]," she says. "Doctors must complete their residencies, lawyers must pass the bar, but the second you begin writing--be it a poem, a song, or a short story--you are a writer."

She should know. Gregory recently wrote her first novel, Passport Diaries, and received critical acclaim. "Oh, the places you'll go with debut novelist Tamara Gregory's Passport Diaries," popular author Veronica Chambers says. "This cool, bubbly romance is the next best thing to being upgraded to first-class."

Diaries is the story of Kia Carson, a talented assistant district attorney in Los Angeles who quits her job and sets off to Europe for a long-needed vacation, which quickly evolves into a life-defining journey. The salacious story comes complete with a tempting menage a trois in London, a hook-up with an old flame in Paris, and a romantic all-nighter in Greece, all of which teach the protagonist the valuable lesson that being alone doesn't mean being lonely.

Before becoming a novelist, Gregory worked for years as a feature film executive in Hollywood, spending time at the Walt Disney Company, Hollywood Pictures and Magic Johnson Entertainment. She turned to writing with the idea of developing material that could be produced in Hollywood.

Writing was easy for Gregory, although books and movies are different disciplines. "Filmmaking is a collaborative process. Writing, with rare exceptions, is a solo project," she says. "Films by their very nature are littered with limitations, including casting, location and budgeting issues. Novels are limited only to the writer's imagination."

The mechanics of writing, including plot development and creating an interesting protagonist, were even a cinch for Gregory. "My protagonist can fearlessly prosecute a rapist on Friday and shop till she drops on Saturday," she says. "I wasn't interested in spending six months or so writing about a character that was only interested in finding a man, or the next sample sale. I spent a lot of time making sure her work and family issues were equally explored."

Not only was writing easy for Gregory, it was also easy for her to garner a book deal. "I was extremely blessed in that I was able to use my film connections to get my book deal. So I thankfully did not suffer from some of the horror stories I've heard other writers share," she says.

Still, she urges aspiring writers to persevere. "Getting paid to write may require enrolling in an extension course, reading as many 'how-to' books as possible, and/or joining a writer's group," she says. "The journey is different for everyone, but the road traveled is the same. Keep writing."

What's up next for Gregory? "My second novel is titled, 5 O'clock Cocktails. It's the story of Sadie King, a woman suffering from a broken heart and a bad case of writer's block. Depressed and frustrated, she begins partaking in different happy hours all over town. Before long her woes are history, just like a well-chilled, three-olive martini."

COPYRIGHT 2005 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group