Adam Frost
The Damned Lovely
“The Damned Lovely is the LA crime story born anew, an addictive mystery and a love letter to the careworn and forgotten places of Los Angeles—Los Angeles as it is right now. Adam Frost is a crime writer with a sharp new voice, telling a tale about the one thing everyone in Los Angeles has: desire. Desire for truth, for justice, for love, or maybe just a place to call home. Highly recommended.” —Jordan Harper, Edgar Award-winning author of She Rides Shotgun & Everybody Knows.
The Writer’s Dossier 10/16/2024 – The Adam Frost interview
DOSSIER: Your protagonist, Sam Goss, in your book THE DAMNED LOVELY, uses a dive bar to, among other things, write. You yourself wrote this novel in your car at times, so what came first—the idea to have Sam write in the bar or your own necessity to do your writing in the car? That first draft wasn’t on an iPhone, was it?
FROST: How cool would that be! … but no, not on the phone. There are parts of the book where the protagonist is trying to figure out what the hell to write, grinding out ideas…and that was literally me asking myself those same questions. What’s a new sexy cool marketable idea? Gross! And a dangerous trap for an artistic seed to grow. But in that swirl I folded in my personal struggle and paired it with my love of murder mysteries, noir, and Cheers reruns. I’d often be stuck in my car, waiting to pick up my kids from school so I’d grind out words in the blazing hot parking lot making use of the time.
A Hollywood stand-in
DOSSIER: If you ever decide to shift back to being in front of the camera, would Hollywood force you to be a Ryan Reynolds stand-in again?
FROST: That could be a fun gig. On the rolodex of random Hollywood jobs I endured as a budding actor, working as a stand-in for Val Kilmer, was a random highlight. So damn cool getting to watch pros work. And pestering him for inside stories about Heat.
Chasing monsters
DOSSIER: You had a friend get stabbed in the bathroom of a movie theater, and they never caught the perpetrator. How much of what you wrote about in THE DAMNED LOVELY did you draw from your own life experiences? We can’t imagine what kind of follow-up you might have in your head!
FROST: Thankfully my friend was okay. But (and it took me WAY too long to figure this out) I believe that event informed my desire to write stories about chasing monsters walking among us so I no doubt wanted to inject that spirit in the book.
THE DAMNED LOVELY jukebox
DOSSIER: When and where do you like to write and what environment works best? Is there music, silence … obviously a car and away from your kids.
FROST: Oh there’s music. Usually in keeping with the spirit of the story. There’s a jukebox in THE DAMNED LOVELY so I would hit rock classics that were feeding the protagonist. Like Lou Reed. And weirdly, I remember listening to a lot of Meatloaf.
Coffee and mornings are my ace but I’m not fussy about the room. I started out as a tv writers’ assistant so grew accustomed to working creatively with people swirling around. When I’m getting into later draft stages though, prefer to be alone because I sound/look insane talking dialogue, laughing, getting INTO it. My wife caught me crying once. Bit embarrassing but also kind of wild riding that wave.
What could have been
DOSSIER: Leaving Canada for Los Angeles to become an actor and eventual screenwriter is an ambitious act for any 25-year-old. What made you think you could take a quintessential American dream make it work as well as you have?
FROST: Some saved money. A lot of determination. And cool people helping/reminding me I’m not totally crazy for trying to chase the passion. I never wanted to hit 45 looking in the rearview wondering what could’ve been. It’s workin’ out so far!
The damn follow-up
DOSSIER: Do you have any news or announcement you’d like to disclose in your Dossier?
FROST: I’m working on a follow up to THE DAMNED LOVELY. It’s not a direct sequel but takes place in the same universe – aka at the bar – with some of the same local patrons.
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