Issue 29.3: March Wrap-Up
Reads, watches, project updates
Hi friends!
March was stacked! The latest game I wrote, Modern Community, was released globally! My daughter turned five! Family visited! The weather was beautiful! There was so much sickness in my household!
And yet, here I am, trudging into April—my birthday month, no less.
Let me ask you something…
Ever notice how we as humans are programmed to “prime” certain tools when they find their way into our hands?
Tongs must be tapped to ensure they’re in proper tonging order. A flashlight must be rapidly alternated between on and off—more often than not, directly into the retinas of our partners. A clicky-top pen must be clicked until those around us have reached unparalleled levels of annoyance. When a large knife is required in the kitchen, it must first be waved in slow motion as though it was the blade of a master samurai. You see where I’m going.
Back in 2014, my wife and I were relaxing on our white IKEA sofa. It was post-dinner. She was dealing with some—let’s call it “intestinal discomfort”—and asked me to fetch our bottle of Pepto Bismol. That’s right, the pink chalky medicinal drink that soothes and coats and relieves nearly anything that ails.
Returning from the medicine cabinet to my wife, I popped off the plastic cap and handed it to her so she could take a couple of swigs. (Don’t act like you don’t drink straight from the bottle.) Much like people tong tongs, flash flashlights, and click pens, my wife is programmed to “prime” bottles of Pepto Bismol… by shaking them profusely.
As I mentioned previously, I’d already uncapped the bottle before handing it over, a detail that went unnoticed by my wife. She primed it anyway.
And that’s the story of why we no longer have a white IKEA sofa.
What Happened Last Issue?
The latest video game title I contributed to, Modern Community, is now available worldwide!
In This Issue:
March Reads!
March Watches!
Project Updates!
March Reads!
Surely You Can’t be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!
by David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams
One of the formative films of my existence, this history of the spoof film Airplane! was everything I wanted it to be and more. A great oral history written by the trio who made the film. It’s full of wonderful history that covers ZAZ’s start in improvisational theater, the group’s arrival in Hollywood, the birth of the Kentucky Fried Movie, and the backward success of Airplane. A terrific read that I didn’t want to end.
On Writing (and Writers): A Miscellany of Advice and Opinions
By C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis drops this thoughts on writing (and writers) in this series of excerpts taken from his personal letters and published essays. Lewis makes one thing very, very clear: He doesn’t like most writers. Nor is he above crushing a writer’s dreams via letter when they send him a writing sample.
However, Lewis does offer one wonderful piece of writing advice in this book… the value of showing versus telling. It’s a writing fundamental, but it’s always nice to be reminded that telling readers how to feel is a cop-out. Instead, use your words to make them feel.
Even though I didn’t agree with everything Lewis had to say here, his review of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is alone worth the price of admission. Here’s an excerpt, which is some absolutely beautiful writing:
New Teeth: Stories
By Simon Rich
I love essay collections because I can read them over a long span of time. I reserved this book (and nearly all of Rich’s books) as a palate cleanser between other books. Finish a books, read an essay, start the next book. I read this over the course of the last year or so.
If you’re unfamiliar with Simon Rich, he worked at the Harvard Lampoon, and spent many years as a writer on Saturday Night Live. Which is why most of his essays read like (elongated) SNL skits and work best in small doses. Regardless of his style, he does what he does very well (namely, stories about total idiots who make life harder for everyone around them), and his work is always good for a laugh.
However, I’d recommend his essay collection The Last Girlfriend on Earth/Man Seeking Woman over New Teeth.
Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts
By Matt Bell
I’m one of the writers who believes that writing is rewriting. I read Bell’s book to get a fresh perspective on the editing process and found that his suggestions were… well… pretty much exactly what I’ve started doing in recent years.
This was great news, though, since it makes me feel like after all these years I kind of, sort of, maybe know what I’m doing. However, if the thought of editing a novel (or anything) has you feeling overwhelmed, you should totally read this book.
March Watches!
I watched some movies! I never have time to watch movies!
American Fiction
A movie about a writer? I’m there! While the story wasn’t the laugh-a-minute comedy the trailer suggested, it instead became a wonderful tale about family that was more interesting and poignant than what was advertised. Recommended.
Wonka
My wife is a big fan of the Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp Wonka films, so we gave this a watch when it hit Max. While it bothers me to no end that Timothee Chalamet refuses to act with his eyes in any role, he channels both Depp and Wilder very well. The film was super charming and super silly.
Ready or Not
My wife had seen this film on a whim and begged me to watch it. I gave in and checked it out. It’s a wonderful comedic horror film full of twists and turns when a wedding night suddenly turns into a deadly game of survival. A fun and bloody romp that suspends disbelief and will keep you guessing.
Project Updates!
Unit 44 [Comic Book]
Series artist Aleks Jovic is now deep into drawing issue #11, and we hope to move right into issue #12 upon completion. These issues will round out Season 3 of Unit 44 and you’re never going to believe how it wraps up. Shock! Amazement! Disbelief! (I mean, we already killed them, so how much crazier could it be? Answer: WAY CRAZIER.)
Don’t forget to preorder issues #9 and #10, which ship in April!
The Lowlanders Project [Novel]
This poor, poor manuscript. It sits, untouched. Waiting…
Molly’s Oddities [Graphic Novel]
A whole lotta nothin’ to report here! I haven’t even had a free second to send out any additional queries in the past month! I’m keeping those fingers crossed that an agent soon reads my pitch and it excites them something fierce.
2024 SUBMISSION STATS
Submissions: 7
Manuscript Requests: 0
Rejections: 0
The Incoming Storm [Young Readers Nonfiction] - Releasing 1/7/2025
We’re soooooo close to this book being announced. Hang in there! (I’m saying that to myself, of course.)
The Weirdness [Young Readers Nonfiction]
This where I focused nearly all of my free time in March, finishing a first draft of the manuscript! I’m letting it sit for a week or two before diving back in with fresh eyes and final tightenings before I share it with my editor. I’m a writer who lives and dies by my outlines, and nothing makes me happier than a draft clocking in exactly where it needs to be (and one hundreds words below the limit, at that!).
This manuscript was so much fun to write and I can’t wait to tell you all about this project when it’s announced down the line. There’s so many people rooting for this book because the topic has never been covered for young readers. I’m sort of honored to be the person to do it!
The Space Case [Young Readers Nonfiction]
This manuscript is still in the hands of the copyeditor. Recently, Penguin Random House teamed up with TIME to bring their young readers materials (TIME for Kids) to book form!
This series will launch with four books in winter 2024 and spring 2025. I was lucky enough to be asked to write one the launch titles! More on that when it’s officially announced.
Upcoming Releases!
Unit 44 #9 & #10 - April 2024
Unit 44 #11 & #12 - Funding in June 2024 / Releasing August 2024
Unannounced Young Readers Book - January 7, 2025
Unannounced Young Readers Book - Spring 2025
My birthday is in April. Did you get me anything good?
I’m Wes Locher. I’ve been writing professionally for more than twelve years. I write comic books, video games, fiction, and nonfiction. I write whatever seems fun, cool, and inspiring. I also love helping other writers to demystify the process of making a living through words. This is my newsletter.