Contemporary Authors

• Some Place Better Than Here - October 25, 2017 FriesenPress,

• Addicted - https://www.weraddicted.com/ask-your-mcm-with-landen-wakil/

  Ask your #MCM with Landen Wakil
  This week we’re crushing on emerging author Landen Wakil!

  Hailing from St. Catherines, Ontario, Landen Wakil is a multi-talented author and actor whose drive and talent belies his young age. He originally put himself forth to the world as an author through the popular site Wattpad (a platform for online storytelling). But the love he received on the site motivated him to release his first full length novel in the more traditional way. At only 23 years old Landen has released a novel, Some Place Better than Here and it’s already a hit.

  Inspired by classic rock anthems and American teenage ethos, Some Place Better Than Here brings together revered emblems of nostalgia and everything music lovers, film buffs, and fans of literature remember, to capture the hearts and minds of today’s generation. With a modern look into small town middle America, Some Place Better Than Here is a gritty, unflinching look at how we define family and come to grips with loss. This novel maps out the uneven ground that often lays between love, friendship and sexual awakening.

  Landen is now touring Ontario to showcase his book to new and already dedicated readers. You can check his website for upcoming dates and for how and where to buy his book here.

  Considering Landen could star as a teen heartthrob in his own biopic, we figured we weren’t the only ones crushing on him. Take a read below

  What is your ideal first date?

  It may sound a bit cheesy but, I like dates like the ones in the movies – where the night never ends. I love spontaneity, beginning at one location and not knowing where you will head to next. Maybe doing something you don’t usually do – a glass of wine on the rooftop or lighting fireworks in the backyard. That sort of thing.

  What’s your instant deal breaker?

  Someone who lacks intellectual curiosity. I enjoy spending time with someone who is willing to learn and can carry on a conversation.

  I am also very picky when it comes to music. I enjoy being able to just hang out with someone and listen to music – so if we can’t decide on a song then it might be a deal breaker!

  What is the best piece of romance advice you have ever received?

  It has to be from the scene in Disney’s Aladdin when Genie tells Aladdin to just “Be Yourself”. Facades are impossible to uphold and they will be seen through sooner or later. For example, I can be a little quirky and unconventional at times. If someone doesn’t like those qualities than I’d rather be around someone who does.

  What’s the strangest thing you have ever done to get a love interest’s attention?

  I gave a girl an early copy of my book Some Place Better Than Here. It may not sound that crazy – but it definitely took courage to share my work with someone and I think she saw that. That girl is now my beautiful, brilliant girlfriend so, I must have done something right. Great Valentine’s Day gift, guys!

  If there was one piece of advice you could give to others out there, what would it be?

  I could write a whole book on advice! The most important thing to remember is that everyone makes mistakes. Grant your partner some understanding but value your self-respect. Be able to talk things out but also be able to move on.

  http://www.landenwakil.com/

  www.twitter.com/landenWakil

  www.instagram.com/LandenWakil

  www.facebook.com/LandenWakilOfficial

• Today Magazine - http://today-magazine.com/landen-wakil-young-director-pursuing-filmmaking-niagara/

  LANDEN WAKIL: A YOUNG DIRECTOR PURSUING FILMMAKING IN NIAGARA
  MEGAN PASCHESEPTEMBER 18, 2014
  By: Lauren Charley

  If there’s one thing to be learned from a conversation with Landen Wakil, it’s that Niagara is full of aspiring new talent, and especially individuals who excel in arts and filmmaking. With recent developments such as the Niagara Integrated Film Festival and the establishment of The New Performing Arts Center, set to open its doors in 2015, it is evident that the community has the potential to blossom as an integral part the Canadian arts industry. Young entrepreneurs continue to progress in the growth of Niagara’s economic and business sectors, and it is indisputable that the arts community will also transcend in years to come.

  Landen Wakil is a 20-year-old entrepreneur, born and raised in St. Catharines, with a strong passion for making films. His dedication to the art of filmmaking over the past number of years has enabled him to reach his current position, as a director who produces both short and feature length movies. The young entrepreneur displays a prime example of Niagara’s young artistic talent, as he has utilized resources available within the community to produce his film portfolio with tremendous success.

  At the young age of 14, Landen shot his first feature length film, Kung Fu Charlie. With the help of fellow classmates and others who showed an emerging passion for film production, Landen was able to successfully complete his project. The locations he used were all readily available to him and included his middle school, Oakridge Public School, the forest and conservation area surrounding Brock University, and simply the houses of his friends. His second film, ZERO, remains his personal favourite to date, and was shot at locations all over St. Catharines: the downtown area, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, Port Dalhousie, Burgoyne Woods, and Kaz’s Pub. “This was the project where I learned the hardships and rewards of successful filmmaking,” relates Landen about his proud accomplishment.

  “The miraculous conception of a dream comes first and that’s something I have absolutely no control over,” says Landen.

  Over the many years during which Landen has taken a keen interest in film production, he has acquired an extensive collection of professional, quality film equipment. By saving his money and investing in his passion, in addition to donations from several private sponsors, he was able to accumulate enough money to fund his projects on a tight budget. Wakil has not taken, nor is he presently enrolled in any post-secondary education; he believes that when you are pursuing the arts, there are multiple alternatives to obtaining a degree. However, he is not opposed to the idea of attending university, but surprisingly would choose to take science and sociology. This is because of his love for science-based movies, and interest in the human mind which he, as a writer, believes would be incredibly insightful.

  When asked what a typical day is like working as an independent filmmaker, Landen replies with “consistent inconsistency”. He likes to switch things up by doing something new every day, whether it be updating his YouTube channel, recording or editing video footage, or collecting props and set pieces for his upcoming projects and promotional photo shoots. Although Landen is constantly brainstorming and playing with new ideas, his current priorities include a feature length movie, Thunder Road, and a short film, Uptown Underground.

  Landen2

  Across Landen’s film projects, one theme which remains consistent is “the classic underdog story”. His main characters often endure the challenges of being lost, displaced, or robbed of their childhood; but he always makes sure to conclude his story with a strong moral lesson, and give his audiences a message to take away with them. “I will always make sure to add in some sub theme or moral that will challenge my audience to look at the way they’ve always known to perceive stereotypes,” shares Landen. In Thunder Road, his two main characters are both outcasts in their communities, but the relationship they build together helps them to deal with the issues they face with social norms. Their love becomes a challenge, however, as the darkness of their families’ pasts seep into their lives, and their worlds begin to fall apart.
  The birth of Thunder Road began five years ago, as Landen was initially inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s song of the same name. The lyrics gave him a promising idea for a film script, and he lived with the characters in his head until he began the writing process two years later.

  By December 2011, he had already completed the final draft of the script, and in 2012, he began seeking help from members of the Niagara community who would eventually become his dedicated team of cast and crew members. His most recent work in 2013 has been focused on finding people within the region who can provide him with shooting locations, props, and services free of charge. The assistance that Thunder Road has received with people eager to volunteer is no doubt due to the close-knit arts community within the region, which many residents hope to see prosper in coming years.

  The filming for Thunder Road has been challenged, however, as Wakil searches for the perfect actress to play the role of his lead character, “Mary”. Unlike other independent film projects where directors take whatever cast and crew they can get, Wakil seeks only “la crème de la crème” to fill the roles of his major cast members. This is also true of the hard working team of volunteers he has recruited to be his crew. Many of them are locals who either know Wakil personally, or have met him through others; however, the young director has spent countless hours scouting talent from other cities as far as Toronto, seeking the most hard-working and passionate individuals to assist him along his journey. Landen is determined to find the best team out there.

  “I think Niagara has so much potential to not only blossom as a part of the Canadian film industry, but of all artistic industries,” – Landen Wakil, Young Entrepreneur and Independent Filmmaker

  In addition to his work in progress, Thunder Road, Landen is also currently engaged in producing a short film, Uptown Underground. This “featurette” involves a dystopian take on the future world, set in 2025, following the life of a struggling dancer, known as “The Gypsy”. The story emphasizes the challenges she faces in a society characterized by human misery, overcrowding and oppression. Landen seeks to enlighten his audience by displaying the contrast between the world in his film, and the privileged life we lead in the comforts of our modern communities; especially those like Niagara.

  The team members of Uptown Underground, which is still in its infancy, will also be pooled locally from a network of the director’s friends and professional associates. The film will be shot primarily at Caché nightclub in downtown St. Catharines, with the valuable contribution of the club’s owner, who is providing Wakil with the set free of charge. “Jesse is a great guy, really cool and open minded to my bizarre imagination manifesting itself in his nightclub,” says Landen.

  Landen greatly appreciates all the support he has received from individuals and small business owners in the community, however, he feels that more could be done by those with the financial and political means to fund the arts. He recognizes that his projects would not have been possible without those who have offered him services, props, and locations to shoot at no cost to support him. Passion for particular artistic streams, and especially filmmaking, is such a niche within a small town, which is why he believes people are surprisingly eager to help out a young dreamer such as himself.

  Impressed by the diverse artistic talent of many of his friends and acquaintances, Landen plans to continue to channel as much of Niagara’s budding potential into his film projects as possible. Through word of mouth, Landen has been able to establish professional relationships with many others who excel in an array of skills essential to filmmaking, such as set designers, make-up artists, music producers, photographers and videographers, costume designers, and graphic artists. As an aspiring artist himself, Landen knows just how challenging it can be to “get a foot in the door” in the industry, and so he hopes not only to utilize the remarkable skills of these individuals for his films, but also to help them gain recognition and start to build professional portfolios.

  Although Landen sees himself thriving in the Los Angeles film industry within the next few years, Niagara will always be an important place to him, as not only is it the home of his friends, family, and memories, but also the springboard of his exciting career as an independent filmmaker. “I spent 20 years in Niagara, and it’s inevitably hardwired into my DNA. No matter what I do the characters and places around here will always somehow find a way to influence my art,” says Landen with a smile. He admits to be “a sucker for nostalgia”, and is very fond of his memories created during his childhood and youth in the region. Landen would love to see the film industry in Niagara develop and grow, and believes that with new traditions such as the Niagara Integrated Film Festival, it could be a possibility. But for now, the young entrepreneur continues to chase his dream to experience the life of a Hollywood director, using his beloved community to achieve his goals.

• The Standard - https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/whatson-story/8328528-no-place-he-d-rather-be-but-here/

  No place he’d rather be but here
  Author Landen Wakil talks about the story behind his story
  WHATSON Mar 14, 2018 by Cheryl Clock St. Catharines Standard
  SCS20180307BT7467
  Landen Wakil in his writing space with his dog Sheba. Wakil recently published his book “Some Place Better Than Here”. - Bob Tymczyszyn , The St. Catharines Standard

  SCS20180307BT7500
  Landen Wakil in his writing space with his dog Sheba. Wakil recently published his book “Some Place Better Than Here.” - Bob Tymczyszyn , The St. Catharines Standard

  1 / 2
  The fiction writer in him has scripted the scene of his first book deal. Set in the 1940s, a young, aspiring author tosses his manuscript on the desk of the seasoned publisher. A cigar bobs precariously between his clenched molars as he scans the typed prose.

  He shifts his gaze to the promising young wordsmith in front of him. "I like you kid," he declares. "You've got talent."

  And with that, the kid's writing career begins.

  Reality was a bit different.

  First off, the young aspiring author never actually managed to be in the same room with a publisher when, a few years ago, he hit Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, sharply attired in a blue, two-button suit by Zara, striped tie and polished shoes. He carried a bright orange envelope which contained the manuscript for his first novel. Bright orange, because in his estimation, "You gotta stand out."

  He set out to make cold-call visits to a list of literary agents. Shoulders pressed back, chin held high, he approached reception and politely, confidently introduced himself. "I'm Landen Wakil." He explained that he was an author. And his book, Some Place Other Than Here, deserved attention. "Can you make sure this lands on his desk?"

  No one told him they liked him. Or that he had talent.

  But he pressed on.

  A few weeks later, he was on Fifth Avenue in New York with more orange envelopes. This time he wore a black suit.

  In all, he handed out more than 20 copies of his manuscript. One agent reported reading it and passed it along to another agent. "I never heard back," says Wakil. No one else responded.

  YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...
  concerts
  WHATSON

  Bandshell, Concerts on the Canal in full swing
  ST. CATHARINES PUBLIC LIBRARY Books
  ARTSENTERTAINMENT

  A Taste for Vengeance at the library
  Jamieson Wampum063a
  ARTSENTERTAINMENT

  Niagara Falls library: Reconciliation film showing...
  On a recent weekday morning, the now 24-year-old sits in a back corner of a busy coffee shop in St. Catharines, taking sips from his black coffee as he recounts his journey to become a published author. It's the stuff of a good urban adventure story, with international trips, parties and roadblocks. He did not give up. Ever. On the table in front of him is a hard cover copy of his 400-plus-page novel, Some Place Other Than Here (FriesenPress, $48.78 hardcover). It's a coming-of-age story about two teenagers, Mary and Danny. A narrative that, in his words, is unapologetically honest about family, friendship and sexual awakening.

  "I wanted to write the last go-west-young-man story you'll read," he says.

  .

  Wakil — his family distinguished in the city for many construction projects such as Crown Tower apartments and for founding White Oaks resort — was a 17-year-old senior at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School when he scribbled his first thoughts for what was then a screen play called Thunder Road.

  In 2014, the aspiring filmmaker set about casting the role of Mary for the movie. He had produced a trailer, but the project stalled when he couldn't find sufficient funds. Self-doubt crept into his ambitions. "You see all your peers from high school graduating university," he says. "They're having babies, buying houses. And I'm still holding onto this thing that I thought up when I was 15 years old."

  Meanwhile, inspired by the popularity of books turned into movies, he started to write the novel and discovered that his true passion was for prose. "I loved the storytelling more than the lenses," he says.

  "It's OK to enter the creative industry and to learn that something else may be your forte."

  He posted early drafts on Wattpad, a website that engages a community of readers to interact and share their opinions with writers. And then he started knocking on doors.

  Shortly after his L.A. and New York ventures, he attended a party in Toronto where he was introduced to a literary agent. One of the editors read Landen's manuscript, liked it and suggested they could work together. "I was ecstatic," he says. "I thought, 'I'm going to put everything into this'."

  He isolated himself from friends. And turned a room in his house into his writing sanctuary. Every morning he forced himself awake at 5 a.m., poured himself a coffee and secluded himself for the day. He played instrumental music. Smoked a pipe to channel the spirit of authors the likes of Twain and Hemingway.

  "The characters took on a life of their own," he says.

  He read other young adult novels, sometimes multiple times, highlighting literary techniques. He studied Elements of Style, the classic manual of English form and technique.

  Eventually, finally the manuscript was done. He sent it to the editor one final time.

  Then, as is custom in the book publishing world, a different editor read it. Another set of eyes. She hated it. Her words stung: "You can tell Mary was written by a male." Meanwhile, a close female friend had read it and praised how accurately he portrayed a teenage girl.

  None-the-less, the book deal was history.

  Once again, he picked up his ego and told himself: "I'm only going to listen to myself from now on.

  "I'm the only person who will be responsible for my success."

  He connected with Canadian self-publishing company, FriesenPress, and once again submerged himself in the sanctum of his writing room. He read the classics — The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden and 1984 — with his Shiba Inu dog by his side. He sipped whisky to relax the edges of writer's block.

  He read his manuscript on the screen of his laptop. Printed it off in different fonts. And listened to it through a test-to-speech program. "And then I said, 'That's it'."

  Impatient and giddy with optimism, he pressed the publisher to print and ship his books in time for the first signing he had scheduled at Indigo in Toronto at the end of October 2017. He sold 30 books that night, and since then, some 300 copies.

  "It was something I believed in," he says.

  One day, he suggests, he might write a book about his journey to write a book.

Print Marked Items
Wakil, Landen: SOME PLACE BETTER THAN HERE
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 1, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Wakil, Landen SOME PLACE BETTER THAN HERE FriesenPress (Indie) $28.99 10, 25 ISBN: 978-1-5255-0609-3
A debut novel of young love, '90s-style grunge, and teenage angst. When Danny first sees Mary, she's running away from her ex-boyfriend
Tanner into the back room of the New Jersey grocery store where she works--screaming at the top of her lungs, imploring him to leave her alone.
Mary's loud outburst sets the tone for the rest of the novel, which follows the two teenagers' eclectic, unusual relationship. The book is structured
in acts, letting the momentum build, as it would in a play, until the final section. More specifically, the book is structured using alternating
perspectives; as it oscillates between Danny's and Mary's points of view, it offers a complete, authentic, and objective narration. Danny is a fairly
typical 17-year-old high schooler who loves music (though only music with lyrics, preferably from decades that preceded his birth), smells good,
is a talented guitarist, and works at a car wash across the street from the grocery store where Mary works. When he meets her, he's awestruck but
a bit wary: "When my too dry lips peeled apart, I realized I had become that guy. Totally forgetting that this amazingly hot girl was just involved
in a shouting match about ten seconds prior to my being captivated by her hotness." Still, Danny musters the courage to ask her out--but it takes a
little while. Mary, on the other hand, doesn't come off as the most approachable girl for a boy like Danny. She's an irritable 17-year-old who goes
out to bars with her girlfriends, surrounds herself with people who call Danny a "faggot," and struggles with a physically and verbally abusive
father. The duo is an unlikely match--another case of opposites attracting. Debut author Wakil fills the text with moments of pure teenage bliss in
which readers will recognize their younger selves experiencing the excitement of love for the very first time. Similar to works like Stephen
Chbosky's 1999 debut novel, The Perks of Being
a Wallflower, this book is a testament to the power of conviction, the results of perseverance, and a case study of small-town millennials from
varying economic backgrounds. The author has a punchy, irreverent writing style: "So, as we drove through the swampy and winding road, where
the crickets were louder than the music Danny played, my head fell back between the headrest and the door, and I let the wind blow back my
hair." With it, he effectively creates a narrative environment in which anything can happen, from stealing a boss's Porsche to chasing down bullies
on the freeway to helping friends cope with debilitating bouts of depression to navigating the changing functions of parent-child relationships.
Danny and Mary are captivating, frustrating, and completely imperfect characters that are very much evocative of the current sociocultural
climate. They also seem like products of the 1990s, and they drive into adulthood with familiar teenage uncertainties and doubts. Readers will
willingly surrender themselves to this book and gain much from it. A magnetic coming-of-age novel.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Wakil, Landen: SOME PLACE BETTER THAN HERE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A528959704/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f1dad776. Accessed 27 June 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A528959704

• IndieReader
  https://indiereader.com/2018/02/some-place-better-than-here-2/
  Word count: 393

  SOME PLACE BETTER THAN HERE is a novel told by two teenagers, Danny and Mary, who find each other one summer against a landscape of conflict and familial pressures. When Danny learns that Mary is trapped in an abusive situation, he can’t help but dive in to try to save her. But he soon learns that the situation –and the girl – are both far more complex than he’d ever imagined. Weaving through themes of codependency, abuse, and loyalty, the novel shifts between Danny’s and Mary’s first person perspective, chapter by chapter, to offer a prismatic experience of their climbing tensions and complex inner worlds.

  While Danny’s perspective is often riddled with minute details and immature language that distracts from his true emotional character, his cerebral voice is replaced, toward the middle of the novel, with a more urgent, emotional one. Similarly, Mary’s character begins as frustratingly shallow, but deepens further into the novel, as the reader discovers that her cool exterior is a veil covering an emotionally complex and somewhat broken girl who had to grow up fast to deal with her troubled and abusive father. The novel is at its best when tension is building – both between the couple and between each main character and their own life troubles. The story loses steam during scenes between Mary and Danny where they pick at one another, flirt, argue, or play without really leading to much of a climax. Yet, Wakil manages to pick up the speed in the last third of the story, putting the drama into a higher gear and creating a sense of urgency.

  In all, despite its sometimes clunky use of description, the novel leaves you turning the page to learn more – more about Mary, and more about how Danny will ultimately handle the situation, his mother pulling him in one direction and Mary and his own heartstrings pulling him in the other. The landscape and backdrop of a summer love between two teenagers freshly out of school is always nostalgic, and many readers will find themselves connecting to Danny or Mary’s young urgency and introspection.

  In SOME PLACE BETTER THAN HERE, Landen Wakil writes an entertaining and emotionally stimulating tale of two teenagers, who cross paths during one summer that changes their lives forever.