Story & Lesson Highlights with Paolo Mazzucato of Los Angeles

Paolo Mazzucato shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Paolo, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
When I see young people, the next generation, and their tenacity in expressing their hopes, pursuing their ideals, reaching for those goals that will not only bring them self-fulfillment but also improve the world for those that follow…that’s joyful to me. I try, with my stories, to shape a narrative around hope, curiosity, imagination and determination, so when I see those qualities put into practice, it makes me believe that the better world we all hope to create is close by, maybe just one horizon away. So, that brings me joy. That…and dogs.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I started writing stories early on— As a kid, I made short, (poorly) illustrated comic books; and in grade school I tried my hand at filming a short Western with my father’s spring-wound Bell&Howell 8mm movie camera. Then in high school I wrote a sci-fi “epic” and borrowed video equipment from the cable TV public access station to bring it (kicking and screaming like a Xenomorph facehugger) to life.

I continued writing in college, first at Northwestern University, then U.S.C. My stage play, Politicos, got produced at the Organic Theater in Chicago, and my screenplay, A Nice Italian Girl, won a FOCUS Screenwriting Award in LA. After working as an editor on a handful of feature films and writing a slate of indi thrillers, I published some children’s books— one, No One Mocks a Panda, became an Amazon #1 Best Seller; and another, The absolutely true story of La Befana, a top 100 holiday favorite.

My first novel, The Gondoliers: The Secret Journals of Fanticulous Glim, a fantasy adventure set in turn-of-the-century Venice, Italy, was published in 2019; and my second, a tall tale and fanciful quest called AJ and the Incredible Fish, was released in 2024.

I hope to continue to create fun and interesting characters who take readers on exciting and visually inventive journeys that, while embracing fantasy, are rooted in themes that speak to the hopes and needs we all have in real life. That’s always where the best stories come from.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
I think I am fortunate to have seen “work” from many perspectives in my life. First, of course, I saw the work ethic of my father. Raised in humble circumstances in rural Italy, he went to work as a boy, at around 14 or so, to help support his large family. Laboring beside his father, first in the fields and later as a skilled artisan in the tool & die trade, he worked his entire life to earn his way in the world. He immigrated to the United States and created a better life for himself, his family…and for me. My work is a puddle of possibility compared to the ocean of his dedication.

From a different angle, my mother’s “work” taught me about tenacity, sheer will and enduring hope. Orphaned shortly after WWII, she came to the United States with my father and worked tirelessly to create a home, while also still pursuing her passion for art. She became a gallery owner and artist, creating opportunities for herself and others as she worked to make her dreams reality.

I could go on to mention teachers, whose work and passion for storytelling on stage and on the page encouraged me to pursue my goals, and the film industry professionals with whom I worked who constantly impressed me with their creativity and skill at piecing projects together.

Through these examples, I was taught that “work” is both hard labor and hopeful pursuit. And in the best cases, it’s a little of both.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I’m not sure if wounds ever heal…really. As a writer, the moments that affect you deeply often open the window to an idea or theme that allows you to reflect…or deflect (kind of like what I’m doing now with this question).

But seriously, I do not feel “defined” by any wounds. Disappointments happen—an early opportunity with one of my first screenplays de-materialized when a financier pulled out for personal reasons; another time, a chance to work with an Oscar-winner fizzled because they opted for a different genre project… any one of these moments could have taken me on a new and grand adventure, but the journey I took afterwards didn’t suffer because of a wound or something that I needed to heal or get past. It was just…different.

In the end, we are the sum of all our moments, good and bad…and that’s good.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I was considering a deeply philosophical and somewhat witty response to your question, then I realized I was misunderstanding it and getting it totally wrong. Smart? Meh…

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing? 
When I was in college, I made a Madonna music video parody…Like a Surgeon, coincidentally a few months before Weird Al’s version hit. Many years later, at the Captain Underpants Movie premiere, there he was in the theater lobby after the screening. I wanted to step up, say hi, and tell him how I’d always loved his video parodies and how, in no small part, his work had helped put me on my path. But, figuring he wouldn’t want to be bothered, I let the moment pass. Weird…yes…but…regret. 🙁

Oh, and Dick Van Dyke. He was the prototype for so many characters (not the least of whom is Grandpa in my novel AJ and the Incredible Fish) that I wish I could have done something nice for him too.

Contact Info:
Website: https://www.writer.mazzucato.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mazzucatobooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazzucato_stories
X: https://x.com/paolo_mazzucato

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