We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sandi Jerome. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Sandi, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
My day begins at 4 AM, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. While most people are still deep in their dreams, I’m already at my treadmill desk, green tea in hand, ready to disappear into whatever world I’m creating that morning. These early hours between 4 and 8 AM are precious for me. No phone calls, no emails demanding attention, just me and my characters having conversations that only we can hear. I become immersed in the play, book, or screenplay I’m writing. Writing is my hobby, my work, and my exercise all rolled into one. I typically write 10 pages a day, every single day. Whether it’s a screenplay, a TV pilot, a Young Adult novel, or a non-fiction book, those pages add up. That’s how I’ve been able to write over 20 screenplays and TV pilots, along with dozens of books. The treadmill desk keeps me healthy while I work. Keeping in shape isn’t just about vanity for me. It’s about having the stamina and mental clarity to maintain this intensive creative schedule.
By 8 AM, I’ve usually completed my primary writing work for the day. That’s when I transition to other aspects of my writing career. Some days I’ll work on marketing materials for my projects, updating my pitch decks, one-sheets, or website content. I’ve learned that being a professional screenwriter isn’t just about writing great scripts. It’s about being able to sell yourself and your work. I use tools like Canva to create visual materials, and I’m constantly refining my pitches based on feedback from producers and industry professionals.
After my morning writing session, I shift gears entirely. My granddaughter, Vrinda, who is an environmental biologist, and I are collaborating on a scientific research project that’s deeply personal to us. We’re conducting experiments on salt-tolerant plants, looking for solutions to the devastating problem of storm surges destroying farmland. This work combines my love of science; I started college with the goal of teaching the world how to grow food. I find the shift from creative writing to scientific observation incredibly refreshing.
The afternoons are when I focus on my physical health beyond the treadmill. I do strength training with weights, ride my bike, swim, or practice yoga. I’m a certified yoga teacher, which surprises people when they hear it. I was so uncoordinated as a child that my mother said I could trip over a bobby pin in shag carpet, but I’ve always believed in attacking things with everything I’ve got to succeed. Becoming a yoga teacher was part of that philosophy. The physical practice helps balance out all those hours at the desk and keeps my mind sharp.
I also set aside time in the afternoon for social media and building my author platform. As a writer of Young Adult and Middle-Grade books, having a social media presence is important, though I’m selective about how I engage. I maintain LinkedIn (with over 1,600 followers), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and a YouTube channel that’s approaching 100,000 views. I’m not a daily poster, but I’m strategic about it, preparing for when I’ll be actively promoting my books to a wider audience.
By 4 PM, I’m typically exhausted and done for the day. Those early morning hours require going to bed early, but I’ve found this schedule gives me the energy and focus I need. I don’t like Zoom meetings or phone calls because I find them stressful and unproductive. They take me away from my priorities in life. My philosophy, borrowed from Steve Wozniak, is that people work best alone, outside of corporate environments. When Steve signed my husband’s birthday present (his book “iWoz”), he wrote, “To Keith, Happy Birthday and remember to work alone (unless you’re with Sandi).”
What I love most about my daily routine is the consistency and the joy it brings me. I wake up excited to write every single day. I avoid negative people and maintain happiness throughout my day. Writing isn’t just my career. It’s my life, and it always has been.
This schedule isn’t for everyone. Most people couldn’t imagine starting work at 4 AM or being ready for bed when others are cooking dinner. But it works perfectly for me because it aligns with my natural rhythms and allows me to be maximally productive during my peak hours. By the time the west coast is waking up, I’ve already accomplished a full day’s work. Living in the Eastern Time zone has great advantages when you’re working with Hollywood. My middle of the day is morning in LA and afternoon in the UK, so I’m perfectly positioned to connect with the entertainment industry on both coasts and internationally.
I didn’t fully embrace screenwriting as my primary career until after I sold my software company a few years ago, but writing has always been my passion. Now I get to live that passion every single day, starting before the sun comes up.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
When I was in the software business, we had a joke about programming: “You can have it quick, good, or cheap; pick two out of the three choices.” My brand is simple. I’m quick because I type as fast as I think, and I have extensive technology skills. I’m good because I’m educated by UCLA’s Advanced Screenwriting Program and the two Native American Media Alliance fellowships I won, and have lots of life experience to tell amazing stories. Cheap? I already “retired,” and I’m not dependent on my writing income, so I’m willing to change the screenplay to suit the producer’s vision without asking for more money.
My specialty is creating books from screenplays to protect intellectual property. Right now, I’m finishing two Young Adult series: “Kira and Henry,” a fantasy about a flying princess where I’m writing book 4 of 6, and “Wilma Wallaby Genius Girl Detective,” where I’ll start book 3 next week. My philosophy is simple: don’t give up, and don’t consider failure as a bad thing. True failure only happens to those who quit. I spent twenty years writing while building a business and helping to raise my four granddaughters. Every rejection was a learning opportunity. That persistence, combined with genuine love for the craft, has made all the difference. Today, I’m exactly where I want to be, writing stories that matter.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
Without question, it’s my husband of over 50 years, Keith Jerome. He believed in me when I was often a quart low on confidence. Keith has been both my life partner and business partner through every chapter of our lives together. He’s a former technical writer for the nuclear industry who became the lead programmer for my software company, and he’s always been the smartest person in the room. What really drew me to Keith was his unshakeable confidence in us and his belief that we could do anything we set our minds to. When I doubted myself, he never did. He encouraged me to become a public speaker. I remember practicing my first speech with him over and over. When I wanted to pivot from one career to another, he supported every transition without hesitation.
Together, we’ve lived in seven different states and traveled to over fifty countries. We built and sold a business, and now we’re pursuing creative dreams I once thought were out of reach. Through every adventure, every challenge, and every triumph, Keith has been right there beside me. He reads my scripts, helps me with technical details (like explaining how a pilot inverted a plane during the “Hijacked” book I adapted to a movie), and celebrates every small victory along the way.
Having a partner who believes in you completely changes how you see yourself. Keith’s faith in me gave me the courage to take risks, to fail and try again, and ultimately to become the writer I always wanted to be. It’s been the most fun of my life, and I can’t imagine having done any of it without him.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
“Never give up, never surrender,” as they say in Galaxy Quest. There have been a lot of people who have said “no” to me, but I’ve learned that “no” simply means “not now.”
I’d tell my younger self to ignore all those rejections and keep going. Don’t worry if you might look too excited or too eager. People often told me I was “too much,” as Cynthia Erivo writes about in her book. “Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much.” Yes, I am too enthused, too eager, too intense. But I don’t care what people think anymore, and I wish I’d embraced that freedom earlier.
You don’t need to be cool. Your enthusiasm is your superpower, not your weakness. And when you make mistakes (which I’ve made many times), remember Samuel Beckett’s wisdom from “Worstward Ho”: “Fail better.” Embrace failure as a continuous, necessary part of life and learning, rather than seeing it as an end and giving up. Every rejection taught me something. Every closed door eventually led to find another way in. Keep that energy, keep that passion, and trust that persistence and joy will carry you exactly where you need to be.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
I believe in lying. GASP!
Here’s the truth: lying makes me a good storyteller. Every screenplay, every novel, every character I create is a lie I’m asking audiences to believe. When I write about a flying princess or a girl detective solving mysteries at a theme park, I’m crafting elaborate lies that reveal deeper truths about human nature, courage, and resilience.
But lying also brings kindness to the world. Does someone really want to know they look terrible that day? To me, they look marvelous because I don’t see what they’re wearing or how their hair is styled. I see the eyes I love, the smile I thirst for. They do look amazing to me, and telling them so isn’t dishonesty. It’s seeing the truth my heart knows.
The best lies are the stories we tell to make life more bearable, more beautiful, and more meaningful. Fiction is the lie that tells the truth.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
For me, that’s rarely. One of the first gifts my husband bought me was a necklace that read “Relax,” because even then, he knew I needed the reminder. My parents said I never sat still, and most of my teachers commented on my nervous energy. I’m constantly in motion, always working on the next project, always thinking three steps ahead.
But there’s one moment each day when peace finds me. At night, before I go to bed at exactly the same time every evening, I have a ritual. I set out my clothes for tomorrow, make a list of my tasks, write down what I’m grateful for, do my last yoga stretches, and begin my relaxing breathing. In those quiet moments of preparation and gratitude, I’m at peace.
I usually fall asleep within a few minutes and sleep solidly for 8 to 9 hours. So I’m at peace when I sleep, my mind finally quiet after a full day of creating and doing. During the day, though, peace is rare, very rare. And honestly, I’m okay with that. That restless energy, that constant drive, that inability to sit still is what fuels my creativity and productivity. It’s who I’ve always been, and at this point in my life, I’ve made peace with rarely being at peace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sandrajerome.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandijerome/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandi-jerome-3886246/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandicookjerome
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068713728286
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sandijerome
- Other: Publisher – https://www.smilingeagle.com/
Amazon Author – https://us.amazon.com/stores/Sandi-Jerome/author/B0DHL94PTT?
Image Credits
Nilesh Prabhu
