Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre Soares.
Hi Andre, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hey. It all started in the 1990s, back when cell phones looked like bricks *laughs*.
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and shortly after relocated to Baixada Fluminense, a crime-ridden area north of the city.
In 1992, I left Brazil with my mother, a French national with dreams of a fashion design career. We first settled in Paris, France and quickly moved to northern metro, in an area known as “Zone 4”, Garges-Lès-Gonesse, a high poverty and crime pocket 9 miles from Paris.
Starting in 96, I began writing short stories on time travel and dreamworlds, a recurring theme you find in most of my works.
Looking back at this period, I realize that the single mom who raised me (hey mom) introduced me to reading at an early age (around 4) with intent and sparked my passion for creative writing as well, by association. I also took part in stage theater in elementary and middle school and hip hop dance in high school, something I was intrigued by, occasionally, when I managed to turn my extrovert switch ON.
After graduating high school as a free agent in 2009, I left France to pursue my creative dreams in New York City with 500 dollars in my pocket and a drive to succeed, which constituted the only viable option at this stage of my life.
My time in NYC (first Southside Jamaica, Queens and Flatbush, Brooklyn) was a game changer: I met a lot of people who were a direct reflection of the diverse environment I grew up in (Jamaicans, Africans, Brazilians, Europeans) and shaped a lot of networking opportunities (fun fact American actors Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Lucy Liu were regular clients of the bakery I used to manage, great people with a kind heart who would discuss anything, from art to lifestyle). Unfortunately, I had to return to Europe to clear my immigration status. During that period, I experimented with beatmaking, released a mixtape and produced tracks for local artists in Europe and NYC.
Creative writing remained a constant, however, woven into the fabric of a complicated life.
I joined the U.S. Army in 2014 and finally settled in America, graduating from Park University in 2018, majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Creative Writing/English Composition. I also left the service that year.
Let me take a breather.
So, yes, indeed. 2018 was a pivotal year for me. Maturing, I grew out of the experimentation stage and began specializing in acting and writing to pursue a professional career in the arts.
I studied film acting with Bill Howey, a former LA acting coach (and father of actor Steve Howey) who relocated to Arizona.
Within the same year, I integrated a Phoenix-based troupe named Showstoppers Interactive Entertainment as a full-time stage performer and background dancer.
And then COVID happened. Mass gatherings were prohibited by law and we lost a lot of stage play contracts and corporate events opportunities. I returned to a soul-crushing 9-5 to support my family and my craft.
This is when I decided to focus – primarily – on creative writing, a recession/covid-proof art form that would allow me to forge my own path and narrative. I published my first science-fiction novella in January 2021, The Forerunner (part 1 of the Vice Versa Series), under my own publishing imprint and production company, Process Protocol LLC.
I then met science-fiction author K.S. Ferguson (my mentor, who should be given full credit for the writer I am today) and subsequently released C1, and Alidala, the conclusion to a series two years in the making, under her guidance.
To keep my acting skills sharp while still fully committed to creative writing, I continue attending acting workshops and training. Recently, I completed the film acting program at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My creative career has been full of celebrations and setbacks, a complex patchwork of ups and downs.
As a creative, especially as an independent artist who values ownership and creative control, the industry is cutthroat and demanding: you have to work twice harder than, say, authors who are backed by the Big Five (the five biggest publishers in the US) and a 5-billion dollar machine, or viral sensations with millions of followers. Social media algorithms, new behavioral patterns, a faster consumption of media and the saturation of the book market are other major challenges successful writers have/had to overcome.
Fortunately, my focus on quality storytelling and my brand allow me to push forward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Brazilian-American author, screenwriter and actor based in Atlanta, GA.
I specialize in fast-paced thrillers and political pieces with black women and black men as main protagonists (who I was partly raised by) and a strong focus on Africa as a setting (the culture I grew up in). I am known for layered storytelling, nuanced characterization and a love for time travel in various forms.
I am currently working on two major projects for 2023. One is a full-length novel, a standalone: a political satire/thriller set (primarily) in Washington D.C. and Libya. The other is a limited series for a premium streamer. I’ll provide further details soon, as we advance towards release.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
My dad (with whom I never had a consistent relationship) tried out for Brazil’s national soccer team. I also played soccer at a semi-pro level when I was younger in Europe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesoaresprotocol.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoaresprotocol/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesoaresprotocol
