69. LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS: Writing a novel with his wife's illustrations & preferred audiobook speeds

Let's just call this LiteraryHype Podcast Live. 

I had the opportunity to be Lou Diamond Phillips' conversation partner for his spotlight panel at Indiana Comic Convention 2025 in downtown Indianapolis. Lou published two books which feature illustrations drawn by his wife, so we took the opportunity to talk about writing and recording audiobooks.

This is just a portion of the full panel. You can see the whole thing here.

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Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira
Tinderbox: Underground Movement

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Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira
Tinderbox: Underground Movement

Transcript

00:00:06:15 - 00:00:31:19
Speaker 1
Hello and welcome to a very special episode of Literary Hype podcast. I am Stephanie, your literary hype woman. Let's just call this literary hype live sort of. I had the incredible opportunity to be the conversation partner for Lou Diamond Phillips at Indiana Comic-Con. Lou is best known for being a fantastic actor, starring in projects like La Bamba, Young Guns, Prodigal Son.

00:00:32:02 - 00:00:48:18
Speaker 1
He's been in so many things, but he's also an author. He's got two books published right now. When given the opportunity to ask someone about the books that they've written, I'm going to take it. So here is the bookish segment of my conversation with Lou Diamond Phillips from Indiana Comic-Con. 20, 25.

00:00:53:17 - 00:01:02:15
Speaker 2
So I have a book early, so I do want to talk about your book. Listen, Iraq's somebody who hasn't seen this book already. Here's a little snippet of it as well.

00:01:02:23 - 00:01:23:16
Speaker 3
Yeah, this is this one. I would say about ten years to write off my day job kept getting in the way of and has to the right. My wife is an amazing illustrator. She there's like three illustrations of hers in this. There's a sequel to it that I also have the table of hardcover that came out this last November.

00:01:24:22 - 00:01:46:15
Speaker 3
But when we first started dating, though, she was reading some of the stuff that I'd done, and I was getting to know her and her artwork, and she was like, way cool before anybody else, you know, she she was into manga and anime in the early nineties, you know, and now huge, you know, but she's that you go to the comic book store, you know, her order of, you know, through the mail or whatever.

00:01:46:20 - 00:02:10:15
Speaker 3
I mean, that online didn't exist back then, but she had all these wonderful frames because she was going to do a graphic novel based on Hans Christian Andersen sits in her box and so she chose one of his obscure fairy tales for a reason because all morning and all these other things, those were really well down. So I saw them and because it was manga, you know, obviously a real Japanese influence.

00:02:11:00 - 00:02:31:02
Speaker 3
And it reminded me of Star Wars and, you know, like Obi Wan and all the sort of samurai Akira Kurosawa influence that you know, the day that had on George Lucas. So I said, Well, this movie, let's do this. And Game of Thrones hadn't happened yet. So I set it in space because, you know, you use Facebook, usually do well.

00:02:31:13 - 00:02:49:08
Speaker 3
I wrote it realized after I read that, that it was far too expensive, that nobody was going to give you that much money to direct it. So my manager said, Well, you know, write the book, write the book, and then you will have to move out the world and, you know, put your stamp on it. And so off and on.

00:02:49:08 - 00:03:03:21
Speaker 3
Wrote the book. Greg Johnson, the author of The Long Mind Mysteries. We became very good friends and I gave it to him after a couple of seasons of doing that, I said, Am I wasting my time? You know? And I don't read like three chapters at that point. And he read it and he goes, Duty, I finish this.

00:03:04:04 - 00:03:26:13
Speaker 3
You really have to finish this. And it's interesting, the magnetized, broad scores of this were great idea because I know some really cool. They have your broadsword magnetized, you know, so yeah. And that plays a big of 30 pointing in here, but also a nice plot device in the second book. So at any rate this came out 2019 did really well.

00:03:26:13 - 00:03:56:01
Speaker 3
The reviews were fantastic. A lot of people said that they wanted more from that world and we thought we would like read the fairy tale world again but suddenly out of the blue we want comes up with this idea that literally feels like it was pulled from between the lines of the first book. It was so organic, so authentic to the original story, and I wrote that one in most of the year because I was just kind of came out and she has done a bunch of other illustrations for that.

00:03:56:19 - 00:04:17:09
Speaker 3
It's also an audio book are Steve Bray and Julia Wieland did the first one, the alternate, the male and the Female Perspectives in the chapters. And I do the second book with Erika, I believe, like Steve Johnson. But that was that was a lot of fun, you know, doing a be able to read it myself so far.

00:04:17:22 - 00:04:21:18
Speaker 2
Are very famous for book three in the series of I have.

00:04:22:14 - 00:04:48:12
Speaker 3
I have a concept, the idea but I haven't wrap my brain around how to do it just yet. I think I know what I want to do and I certainly know who the two lead characters of that we would be that that you know, a lot of the characters from this one are obviously the second one so people I of that and then from the second book of the little girl who's on the cover I think would be weird.

00:04:49:02 - 00:05:09:00
Speaker 3
And I look back now and it's like, dude, you know, you were a pretentious 20 year old, you know, you really, you really thought you were all that. And so I go, OK, you as bad as Venus are so that, you know, the idea was always great. The writing was, was not really wants, you know, and it was a bit repetitive and I think I become a much better writer.

00:05:09:00 - 00:05:28:06
Speaker 3
So I'm rewriting it and actually it's going incredibly well. Four plus the story also would afford even the opportunity to do some of amazing illustrations. And I think we would want to go full color with with these, you know, with the new ones. So at any rate, Gene's right. You know.

00:05:28:14 - 00:05:32:18
Speaker 2
The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful. So full color ear for it.

00:05:32:19 - 00:05:33:07
Speaker 3
I know, right?

00:05:33:21 - 00:05:38:08
Speaker 2
It doesn't screenwriting as well. So how does your book or any process compare with your screener? Any process?

00:05:39:05 - 00:06:03:10
Speaker 3
That's an excellent question because I wrote the syllabus first as a movie you know, the floor was laid out, the dialog was already all there. And then I would see the movie in my head to be able to sort of, you know, describe what was going on, what the then, you know, the novelization of it had to be source war details, you know, what are they wondering?

00:06:03:10 - 00:06:38:19
Speaker 3
What are they eating? What's the weather like? You know, all of that stuff that that really fleshes out, you know, the book not to mention the the internal thoughts of everyone and literally what their motivations are that that you don't get from that from dialog Bruno it's the first book and it's funny the one thing I a rookie mistake that I was doing is if any of you are writers, you know, the first draft of the book I had hoped and it's because it's directors like, well, I wanted to decorate for second I don't want to know that characteristic.

00:06:38:22 - 00:06:58:09
Speaker 3
I want to know that characters doing and so I would, you know, flick point of views through this and it's called hit hobby where it's like that, you know, if it comes cluttered and it's not so clean. And so I learn, you know, how to how to put the, the perspective of any given chapter, which isn't always the US perspective.

00:06:58:12 - 00:07:20:19
Speaker 3
It's sometimes a secondary character. He's watching something going on, you know, but, but the, the dialog remains the same, but the perception of what is happening changes and that was, it was a really great lesson. It is also why there's the second book you don't want went much more smoothly because relative events that he's an who solve it he's the the the head publisher of phone books.

00:07:20:19 - 00:07:25:14
Speaker 3
And so he he was really really great with the fundamentals.

00:07:26:08 - 00:07:45:12
Speaker 2
And let's talk to our ace Albert who are who's a legendary sci fi fantasy writer. And he talks about the head hopping as well. And when he started they told him no. And now he's been fighting for that for so long because as we all watch TV, we grew up with TV, so we read books differently. And head hopping isn't as confusing to the reader anymore.

00:07:45:15 - 00:07:46:09
Speaker 2
It had to be.

00:07:46:09 - 00:08:09:09
Speaker 3
Exactly. And you know, I've read people books. This is where their head locking and they seem to be, you know, think it's OK, you know, and what's like, you know, some major female, you know, even hip hop roots. So while J.K. Rowling. So was very controversial these days, you know, I know. Who the hell is that? So let's yeah.

00:08:09:09 - 00:08:29:21
Speaker 3
So once again, it's it's is finding your own voice. But, you know, the rules are there to be broken sometimes. You know, it is interesting. You do it on purpose, you know, and when you love says, when I'm writing, I'll write in the stupid C, a grammar check or that this or that or are you sure you want to do this?

00:08:29:21 - 00:08:36:11
Speaker 3
I wanted to that angle was not, you know, probably correct. But this is, you know, line of dialog and this is how this person talks.

00:08:36:15 - 00:08:39:11
Speaker 2
So you've also with a lot of audio.

00:08:39:11 - 00:08:40:08
Speaker 3
Books I have.

00:08:41:11 - 00:08:47:23
Speaker 2
Especially the Jack Ryan series. Do you have any favorites that it had to stand out to you or any moments in the stories.

00:08:48:06 - 00:09:21:12
Speaker 3
I did for Tom Clancy novels? And I think the one thing that I took away is that I now do many, many more accents used to do early. The Clancy novels were I love to the gig was great, but holy moly, is that being long winded? You know, I would I would do the abridged version, you know, which is 800 pages, but the unabridged would be like a thousand and so here I am for like three weeks, 2 hours a day doing those things, man.

00:09:21:12 - 00:09:35:19
Speaker 3
And and, you know, he's all over the globe. So I'm doing Russian and I know you're in Hong Kong and I'm doing those Australian, you know, you know, the whole nine yards. And so they were a lot of fun. But yeah, Rico loves my friend.

00:09:37:02 - 00:09:43:00
Speaker 2
Do you feel like your voice acting process and how you approach those projects is different than your narration?

00:09:43:05 - 00:09:59:12
Speaker 3
US of it's, you know, what I love is, you know, people call you you, you know, like being a writer or you and directing are you, you know, is that what you really want to do now? And, you know, I mean, acting will always be my first love. Is it, you know, theater or is it TV's a film?

00:10:00:21 - 00:10:08:07
Speaker 3
Am I my common response is my favorite genre is the genre. Of employment. Yeah. And so.

00:10:09:06 - 00:10:09:15
Speaker 2
I said.

00:10:10:02 - 00:10:42:21
Speaker 3
For kids, really? Anyway. And it was so much fun, funny. Lots of big theater train. You know, I have with you from the University of Texas at Arlington early on that that was, you know, my approach to to the arts. And I look at all of it. You know what? Like it's different branches of the same creative tree and storytelling you know, and so techniques that you have on stage are different.

00:10:42:21 - 00:11:05:17
Speaker 3
The techniques you use in film are and the same goes for doing character. Reanimation of voices is it's very you know, some of them are very camaraderie. Some of them are a little more straightforward. It's learning new tricks all the time. And so a lot of times, like, you know, the narration of it's my voice is my reading voice.

00:11:05:17 - 00:11:27:04
Speaker 3
It's, you know, something that I hope, you know, does put people to sleep as a listening to a book. But, you know, everyone's well, I have to, you know, do character voices to duplicate, you know, the characters in the book, like in the Clancy one. So there are different, you know, different approaches to whatever you know, platform you're on and and continue to learn.

00:11:27:04 - 00:11:47:18
Speaker 3
I'm learning more and more about it. You know, I'm, you know, I'm a little bit of a neophyte when it comes to voiceover stuff. But yeah, I speak about the Specter thing out, which is wonderful. And I've done some videogames lately, too, which was a whole new thing. I didn't call Dewey Block all six. And it's hilarious because they asked him to share.

00:11:47:18 - 00:12:12:08
Speaker 3
So he put sensors on my face and then they put a full beard on me. I can't even roll to here. I look like Ben Affleck and Argo. You know, but hey, you know, but they captured my face and it was really weird because when they first showed up, they literally already I mean, it's all storyboarded, but they had literally all they shot it in Poland with some Poland actors.

00:12:12:16 - 00:12:26:07
Speaker 3
So it's like blue walk over here on this line and pick up the water on that mine and the drink. And to put it down on this little walk over here, I think I'm a mannequin. Why am I here? You know? And I finally realized it's because they wanted my face that they want and how I deliver a line.

00:12:26:16 - 00:12:33:11
Speaker 3
But all of the disciples of was already figured out. So that was a little lot, you know, wrap my head around that.

00:12:34:14 - 00:12:38:20
Speaker 2
Controversial question about audiobooks. When you listen to an audio that puts you, isn't it.

00:12:40:23 - 00:12:59:07
Speaker 3
The one it's record that whatever I mean, there was one I don't do a whole lousy I love I love hardcover books. I think I, I really love my wife is voracious reader and I should just finish my, my friend Chris Basho, his latest book, The Japanese Mistress, which literally just came out last week and she loved it.

00:12:59:17 - 00:13:22:23
Speaker 3
So I'll be reading that when I get when I get back home. But there was one instance where I did an audio book and they ate it up because it was really thick. It was Last of the Mohicans, did it on fewer discs. They spit my voice up, and I thought Wonderful, here is prepubescent. Lou Davis was reading the last movie, wants.

00:13:23:18 - 00:13:29:16
Speaker 2
To got that many deliveries oh, she's evolved a little bit.

00:13:29:17 - 00:13:30:18
Speaker 3
Absolutely possible.

00:13:30:18 - 00:13:36:06
Speaker 2
So how does the double speed and most of the time it doesn't feel too different from actual voice.

00:13:36:06 - 00:13:37:02
Speaker 3
OK, good.

00:13:37:06 - 00:13:38:10
Speaker 2
Then maybe that's just me.

00:13:38:15 - 00:13:45:22
Speaker 3
As I say, for it, I sound like a frickin ship and I took away a little bit of my gravitas.

00:13:45:23 - 00:14:07:00
Speaker 1
Feel thanks to Lou for letting me be his conversation partner and answering the questions about his book. And thanks to Indiana Comic-Con for letting me host that panel. This is just a small segment of the full conversation, and you can see the full thing on my YouTube channel. Now, the link to that video, as well as Lou's books are available in the show notes for you.

00:14:07:02 - 00:14:15:10
Speaker 1
If you enjoyed this, don't forget to subscribe to the Literary Hype podcast. Give us some stories and share it with a friend. Thanks so much for listening to the Literary Hype podcast.