David Vienna's Blog, page 17

I used to think the show West Wing was motivational—a scenario in which our government is staffed by…

I used to think the show West Wing was motivational—a scenario in which our government is staffed by smart, driven people who work hard to better the lives of their fellow citizens. Now, I see it was just a fantasy, no more possible than Game of Thrones or Turbo Teen.

I don’t post about Wyatt and Boone as much as I used to when they were wee lads. That’s because a…

I don’t post about Wyatt and Boone as much as I used to when they were wee lads. That’s because a few years ago, I asked them if they wanted me to stop posting about them. They both said they were OK with it, but said maybe not so much. I could tell hey were being kind, so I slowed my roll. But, I feel I should give a quick update on them for reasons that will become obvious.

About a year ago, Wyatt got a job and he loves it. And since he’s a fairly private person, I won’t go into too much detail about him (or post a photo without asking) except to say he’s an amazing kid and he’s picking up skills at work that will benefit him for the rest of his life.

For the past year and a half, Boone has been in a band called The Infinity Project. And they gig all of the time. Like, seriously. They played more then 80 shows last year. And achieving any level of success as a band requires that you promote your shows… and maybe that your dad helps promote said shows, especially if you had a particularly epic one coming up.

Next week they play the legendary Viper Room in West Hollywood. So, you better believe I’m posting about that shit. OK?

To that end, this is a shot of Boone when his band played the also legendary Whisky a Go Go last year. (Oh, and for you Tumblr parent friends who watched Boone and Wyatt grow from babies to toddlers to kids, can you believe it?!)

And here’s a little clip of their cover of Avenged Sevenfold’s “Unholy Confessions” from a recent gig. Boone’s on the left, white guitar.

So, if you’re in the LA area, like metalcore and/or emo, and want to support an awesome teen band, maybe come check out The Infinity Project at The Viper Room March 14.

Thanks.

This just in: LOL.

LA Times Pulls AI Tool One Day After Launch for Downplaying KKK

This just in: LOL.

It took a day — just 24 hours — for the LA Times AI-driven “bias meter” to shit the bed.

you should be allowed to leave work as soon as someone pisses you off. the duration of my shift…

brucespringsteendotcom:

you should be allowed to leave work as soon as someone pisses you off. the duration of my shift should depend on how stupid people are acting

Nika Douvikas, eh? I think this pediatrician is Doc McStuffins.

Should You Give In to Your Kids? This Pediatrician Says Yes

Nika Douvikas, eh? I think this pediatrician is Doc McStuffins.

I’ve got more abandoned Tumblrs than Elon Musk has children.

I’ve got more abandoned Tumblrs than Elon Musk has children.

Oh no. MAGA is mad that the NYT shared the names of DOGE staffers. Don’t share this! Would be a…

bringbreakables:

Who Is in DOGE? Tracking Its Staffers and Allies in the Federal Government

Oh no. MAGA is mad that the NYT shared the names of DOGE staffers. Don’t share this! Would be a shame

I didn’t watch that Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy. If I want to watch chimps throw shit at a…

I didn’t watch that Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy. If I want to watch chimps throw shit at a guest, I’ll go to the zoo.

How did you begin your success journey as a writer? I feel as though there are so many paths and the pressure to find the right path is so overwhelming.

Oh, "success journey" sounds so nice, much better than "a series of major calamities and general dip-shittery" that actually got me here.

First, let me say you are absolutely right that there are many paths. And please don't feel pressure to find the "right" one. There's no correct or perfect path, only the one that gets you there. And it'll likely be a total surprise once you arrive to learn that you were on a path at all. I sure a shit was.

OK, I'll give you my whole story, not just the beginning. Because I feel like it was a bunch of beginnings in a row. So hold tight, I can get long-winded about this stuff...

I began my professional post-college career as a journalist, where I honed my writing voice. Honing your voice is a huge component for any writer, I believe. But, you can do that just by writing and writing more, any way and anywhere you can—blog, diary, bathroom stalls, wherever. But, journalism and I didn't get along and soon found I had angered any newspaper editor that might hire me.

I did some odd gigs here and there (communications manager, copywriter, reality TV writer), but nothing I could call a career. Not long after our twins were born, I started this very Tumblr account and started chronicling my repeated cartoonish failures as a stay-at-home father.

I found a supportive community here—another big component for any writer—and I started to get attention outside of Tumblr. A fellow parenting Tumblr liked my writing and put me in touch with her friend, who is an awesome agent. So, then I had an agent, but nothing to sell. I felt stupid. I had a tool and no materials to build anything.

About a year later, at what felt like my lowest point ever, I wrote a snarky shit-post lampooning all of the various parenting crazes and techniques. It went viral (strangely, pretty much everywhere but Tumblr). A book deal soon followed.

That first book became a bestseller. And my relationship with that publisher grew into more book deals. And I parlayed my new career as an author into an even newer career as a screenwriter.

It all was... no. It all is so fucking weird.

None of it would have happened if I hadn't honed my writing voice at a job that wouldn't last long. None of that would have happened if I could've afforded to join a more "professional" blogging platform (Tumblr is free and I was poor). And I never would have landed an agent if I hadn't met the wonderful parenting community here. And I wouldn't have written a post that changed my life if I didn't vent some ol' fashioned pettiness and anger with my writing.

So, yeah, maybe it is a success journey. To me it's just a series of major calamities and general dip-shittery.

But, it's the path that got me here. And I'm fine with that.

So, don't worry, @dulxetwrites. You'll find your own path. Just keep writing, keep making and taking opportunities. It'll seem random, chaotic, sometimes tragic, always weird.

That's all OK. Because all journeys would be boring without a little calamity.

My dad has written and illustrated a book about geodes and how they are formed. It’s a bit whimsical but science based and the art is pretty good, watercolors, but it is such a niche subject I don’t know how to locate a publisher. Thoughts? Vanity publis

Vanity publishing is always an option, though I have a whole diatribe about the expectation vs. reality of vanity- and self-publishing.

You might try going to a bookstore to see what other whimsical science books have been published in the past year and reach out to those publishers. (And it doesn’t have to be a publisher that already has other geode books. On the contrary, you want to find one that has sciencey books, but a geode deficit.)

While you may find many examples in the library, it only helps if the books are recent. A store can tell you or show you which new ones are selling now, which will give you some info on the market, which you can then fold into your pitch

For the record, one speed bump you may hit is that you already have art for the book. Most publishers like to have a say—if not outright control—over who does the art for their books. So, if that’s a dealbreaker for you, just be prepared. If not, consider pitching just the text of his book and see if more doors open for you.