Bobby Miller's Blog, page 2

Situation Nowhere: The AudioBook

Get yours at: SituationNowhere.com

Music is “Sudden Storm” by Ezra Furman.

Are Artists Any Better Than AI?

I know that’s a clickbait headline. Before you come at me, remember, I famously proclaimed AI art was for losers back in 2023. So, relax. But my view has evolved, and it’s been spearheaded by tech bros on social media. Their responses to AI-generated film clips are usually:

“Hollywood doesn’t make anything original anymore. AI movies will be just as good.”

At first, I wanted to attack these people. “It’s not our fault!” I wanted to say. “We filmmakers didn’t spend years learning our craft/being poor/ruining relationships just to reboot pre-existing IP!”

But then I realized I was being a hypocrite.

I directed Critters Attack! for Chrissake.

And I had a great time, BTW! Look how goddamn happy I look!

There were red flags all over that little low-budget movie. (Example: I had two weeks to hand in a final cut.) But my managers talked me into it. “It’s like doing a studio film, but without the risk.”

The risk they speak of is real. I’ve seen filmmakers direct giant franchise movies and dip out of the business, broken from having to direct by committee, ideas constantly second-guessed. Other more fortunate ones seem to get their voice through the franchise machine. It’s a gamble.

But the problem isn’t with the executives in Hollywood.

When I was going on general meetings, I would often meet with execs who looked forlorn, beaten up. Like someone took their lunch money.

“Before you say anything, we’re not listening to any original pitches,” they’d start. “It has to be something we already own.”

I have sympathy for these execs. Like me, they didn’t get into this business to work on reboots. Yes, there are outliers. Cronenberg’s The Fly is one of my top ten movies! Ditto for The Thing! But there used to be a time where our culture wasn’t JUST reboots/sequels.

We can keep pointing fingers for the decline of the movies as a popular art form, but the corporations have hit on something that works for them. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, of course. Studio heads believe the only thing that can make money is spectacle-driven IP. Advertising dollars are trained on this purpose. Audiences come out. Rinse and repeat.

I mourn for my child’s future. I mourn for the notion that he will not experience what I did watching Gremlins or ET for the first time. Or The Matrix. Fight Club. Magnolia. American Beauty. Hell, anything from 1999, really. He will be forced to watch regurgitated IP, reboots, and sequels from my youth. His generation will have nothing original to hold onto at the movies.

That is profoundly sad.

Enter AI. Could there be a technology better suited for this current moment of private equity filmmaking? With cinema already resorting to endless reboots and sequels, why not automate the whole damn thing with AI? Remove the artists from the equation!

But I’d like to posit a counterpoint:

Nah, son.

This has to be the moment artists push back.

Would I love to see a million artists march on Silicon Valley this year? A grand protest against the mass copyright infringement perpetrated by companies like OpenAI and Meta? 100%. Let me know. I’ll find a babysitter.

But let’s face it. Outside of massive societal backlash, we ain’t got a pot to piss in. I see no political party rallying behind AI regulation, and I know firsthand that the studios are privately negotiating sales of their libraries to LLMs.

Maybe the calvary ain’t coming.

So, what do we have left?

It’s our art. It’s all we ever had, anyway.

We need to get back to expressing what it is to be human and alive. Get off the internet, go into the woods, dig deep. Get weird! Swing for the fences! For me, it was pivoting to writing a novel. For others, it might be crowdfunding a personal film. Or hell, it might be locking into the IP machine and fighting tirelessly to make your franchise film alive and idiosyncratic. Lord knows I should have fought harder on Critters Attack!

Whatever it is, it has to start now.

We must prove to ourselves and the world that what we create is better than AI.

If not, we’re a Studio Ghibli meme away from irrelevance.

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Baby's First Reading

I’ve never been a public-speaking sort of guy. I'm more content to create videos in the safety of my own home. Q&As for my movies always felt different. I was comfortable there. I figured you wouldn’t be sticking around if you didn’t want to hear from me.

Last Saturday night was the first time I’d read fiction in public since high school English class.

The evening was stacked with writing talent, and then there was me—some dude who had literally never done it before.

Because I was reading with a band, I felt like I needed a piece with some energy. I chose a chapter from Situation Nowhere that comes out of the blue. It was a good old-fashioned rant about “content creators” and big tech’s slow devaluation of art. It was the only thing that felt standalone in the book.

I was nervous all day, and by the time I was about to read, my stomach had clenched. I knew if I could crack a joke first and get people laughing, I’d settle in. It worked, and surprisingly, the reading was a ton of fun. I’d even say thrilling! When I finished, I realized the piece probably came off angry. “The book’s funnier than that,” I ended.

After I left the stage, I beelined to the bar, then settled in and enjoyed a cocktail. As I watched Kevin Maloney close out the evening, reading from his hilarious book, Horse Girl Fever, I thought, man, I can’t wait to do this again.

Thanks to Maudlin House, all the amazing writers, and Movie Club band for putting together a special night.

Aug Stone has a more thorough recount of his time at AWP. I suggest you read it!

Here’s LEAKED VIDEO of the reading:

LATER THAT NIGHT

A long line had formed outside the Clash/Rose/Car Crash Collective party.

My friend Kevin was already inside. “I just talked to the doorman,” he said on the phone. “If you give him a copy of your book, he’ll let you in.”

Sure enough. I skipped the line, slid the book to the doorman, and entered “the first AWP afterparty that people care about.”

Later that night, Jessamyn Violet (my Maudlin House mate!) heard the story and had me take a photo with him. To say I was drunk by that point is an understatement.

Nice guy!

LOS ANGELES FRIENDS:
You can now buy a signed copy at Skylight Books.

Sorry if posting this picture is gross, but listen, Skylight Books is a big deal for me. Can you just let me have this? Do I ask for much?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

I had a great talk with about my book for .
We get INTO it, folks.

The Bulwark Dystopian MediocrityI am pleased to be rejoined this week by Bobby Miller to discuss his new novel, Situation Nowhere. Imagine Brazil by way of Idiocracy but goopier: That’s Situation Nowhere. We talked about some of his influences, the state of our increasingly recursive culture, and why we need to bring back shaming folks for selling out. If you’re in Los Angeles, check … Listen now6 days ago · 63 likes · 4 comments · Sonny Bunch

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My debut novel Situation Nowhere is out today

Friends,

The years-long journey comes to a close today. My debut novel, Situation Nowhere, is out.

You’ve read the advance praise.

Seen the trailer:

Now read this from Maudlin House, my publisher:

A bleakly hilarious fever dream, Situation Nowhere drags you through the absurdity of modern life with razor-sharp wit. Bobby Miller delivers a brutal and oddly tender ride through exploding energy drinks, corporate conspiracies, and cult-fueled chaos. Perfect for anyone who laughs when they really shouldn't.

You can order everywhere at SituationNowhere.com Still not convinced?Listen to me on with :The Bulwark Dystopian MediocrityI am pleased to be rejoined this week by Bobby Miller to discuss his new novel, Situation Nowhere. Imagine Brazil by way of Idiocracy but goopier: That’s Situation Nowhere. We talked about some of his influences, the state of our increasingly recursive culture, and why we need to bring back shaming folks for selling out. If you’re in Los Angeles, check … Listen now10 days ago · 63 likes · 4 comments · Sonny BunchTHANK YOU

To my wife Daron Nefcy for her countless reads. Sam Pink, whose early edits made me a better writer. And to , who published my first short story and gave me the confidence to attempt this crazy book. (I thank more people in the back of the book, okay???)

Thanks for reading Bobby Miller Time! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

My debut novel Situation Nowhere is out today.

Friends,

The years long journey comes to a close today. My debut novel, Situation Nowhere, is out.

You’ve read the advance praise. Seen the trailer.

Now read this from Maudlin House, my publisher:

A bleakly hilarious fever dream, Situation Nowhere drags you through the absurdity of modern life with razor-sharp wit. Bobby Miller delivers a brutal and oddly tender ride through exploding energy drinks, corporate conspiracies, and cult-fueled chaos. Perfect for anyone who laughs when they really shouldn't.

And come celebrate in Los Angeles!

I’ll be reading with a bevy of talented writers this Saturday, March 29th 6pm sharp at the Redwood in Los Angeles. WITH A BACKING BAND. Details and RSVP here.

Copies of the novel will be on sale or you can buy wherever fine books are sold!

Going to the AWP Conference in Los Angeles?

I’ll be signing copies of the book on Thursday, March 27th at 3pm.
Maudlin House Booth - T253.

Lastly…

THANK YOU

To my wife Daron Nefcy for her countless reads. Sam Pink, whose early edits made me a better writer. And to , who published my first short story and gave me the confidence to attempt this crazy book. (I thank more people in the back of the book, okay???)

Thanks for reading Bobby Miller Time! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Situation Nowhere is out today. Come to my Los Angeles reading.

Friends,

The years long journey comes to a close today. My debut novel, Situation Nowhere, is out.

You’ve read the advance praise. Seen the trailer.

Now read this from Maudlin House, my publisher:

A bleakly hilarious fever dream, Situation Nowhere drags you through the absurdity of modern life with razor-sharp wit. Bobby Miller delivers a brutal and oddly tender ride through exploding energy drinks, corporate conspiracies, and cult-fueled chaos. Perfect for anyone who laughs when they really shouldn't.

And come celebrate in Los Angeles!

I’ll be reading with a bevy of talented writers this Saturday, March 29th 6pm sharp at the Redwood in Los Angeles. WITH A BACKING BAND. Details and RSVP here.

Copies of the novel will be on sale or you can buy wherever fine books are sold!

Going to the AWP Conference in Los Angeles?

I’ll be signing copies of the book on Thursday, March 27th at 3pm.
Maudlin House Booth - T253.

Lastly…

THANK YOU

To my wife Daron Nefcy for her countless reads. Sam Pink, whose early edits made me a better writer. And to , who published my first short story and gave me the confidence to attempt this crazy book. (I thank more people in the back of the book, okay???)

Thanks for reading Bobby Miller Time! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

How did I get my book published?

A few weeks ago, I broke down how I wrote my first novel. Today, I want to talk about everything after that. As an elderly millennial with no connection to the publishing industry, how the hell did I get my book out there?

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Before writing a word of the book, I was determined to publish three short stories in three different online journals. I wanted to p…

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You wrote a book. NOW WHAT?

A few weeks ago, I broke down how I wrote my first novel. Today, I want to talk about everything after that. As an elderly millennial with no connection to the publishing industry, how the hell did I get my book out there?

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Before writing a word of the book, I was determined to publish three short stories in three different online journals. I wanted to prove to myself that people wanted what I was selling and earn my stripes.

I WAS SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.

In order of pub date:

Voyage Of The Damned (Maudlin House)

Virtue Signals (Bending Genres)

I Wish Kevin Was a Bag of Sand (Expat Press)

This process took an ENTIRE YEAR. But I learned a lot and read way more than I ever had. One of the first writers I responded to was Garth Miró. His short stories were great, and his novel, THE VACATION, is one of my favorites.

One big thing Garth told me was to hire a copy editor before submitting it anywhere. Other authors echoed this advice.

HIRING A COPY EDITOR

There were a few editors I was contemplating, but Garth gave me one salient piece of advice: Hire someone whose writing you like. He recommended Sam Pink.

I’ll be honest. I was nervous about the suggestion because I’m a big Sam Pink Fan. I had owned most of his books by that point. But I took the plunge, and luckily, Sam didn’t tell me to go fuck myself.

Working with Sam is like working with a sculptor. He zeroed in on the sections that I overwrote and helped streamline my prose. But what I love most about Sam is his notion of “cartoon logic.” As a filmmaker, there’s always a push and pull in me to be absurd and comic but also grounded and serious. Sam called me out on my bullshit. He intuitively knew this was a funny novel and encouraged me to go further.

Our conversations were always galvanizing. (His recent book, THE EVENT, is a surreal, satirical left turn for him that I quite enjoyed.)

THE QUERY LETTER

There is a formal process for getting an agent or publisher, and it revolves around the query letter. If you want to know how to write one, this is a good place to start.

My whole approach to this process has been one of ZERO EXPECTATIONS. The reason I wrote a book was because I had something bursting out of me. I needed to get it out. I had no grand allusions of me being an author for a living.

I say this because once you finish your book, you need to enter this next phase without any preconceived notions.

Some folks want an agent BAD, and they put all their eggs in that basket. For me, I wanted this book to E-X-I-S-T. If that was with a small press or self-published, that was fine.

Still, I chose to query agents first, with the idea that I would stagger small presses after that.

The process of querying is pretty straightforward. In fact, it was alarmingly straightforward coming from the film business. Basically, agents have their contact info on various sites with a “manuscript wish list” of stuff they like. You submit a query letter and hope they are intrigued enough to request your manuscript.

These are the three websites I used:

Query Tracker - Agent contact info, along with details on what they’re looking for.

Publishers Marketplace - Find out which books are selling and roughly for how much. Gives you a good snapshot on which agents are the busiest.

Manuscript Wish List - A good supplement to QueryTracker.

I used all three of these sites to boil down agents and small presses open to dark comedy, satire, and science fiction. Most people recommend you work in batches. Query your top ten people, wait a bit, then go down the line and query ten more. This allows you to tweak your letter if people aren’t biting, etc.

Anyway, I sent out that first batch.

And brother.

The silence was real.

Other authors warned me! They warned me REAL GOOD! Querying is a nightmare! You’re cold-emailing folks who are busy managing their clients. You’re in the dreaded “slush pile.”

During this time, I freaked out a bit. I emailed every film producer I knew with, “Random question, but do you work with any book agents?”

Everyone shrugged. But one producer knew of a film/TV rights agent. They slipped them my book, and…

This person loved it! And wanted to sell the rights!

The reaction put wind in my sails. This thing connected!

It did put me in a slightly awkward position. The whole point of this was getting the book into the world; it wasn’t about it moving into movie development hell. I asked the rights agent if it mattered what press I chose. Would they still be interested in shopping it if it went to a smaller press or self-published?

They told me it didn’t matter what I did. They still wanted to shop the book.

Fantastic.

I then used that factoid in future queries: “Hey, this got the attention of a film/TV rights agent!”

Did anyone care?

I’m not sure.

After a few months, I was getting some nibbles. Around this time, I also sent the book to small presses.

I got interest almost immediately!

This small press loved the book and called it “shelf ready”, but it wasn’t quite right for their brand. It was maybe the nicest rejection message I ever got. I texted it to one of my friends, and they replied, “Oh, that’s annoying!” I thought, no-no-no, this is good! This press was horror-centric and my book admittedly only has light touches of the stuff. This was a GREAT response because it meant that the book worked!

Months passed.

Until…

THE ONE CRAZY MONTH

At some point, several small presses were interested in the book. I eventually went with Mallory at Maudlin House. She had published my very first short story, and it seemed like a great fit, a full-circle moment.

But then, out of nowhere — my first choice for an agent — emails me.

WAIT, WHAT?!!!

I was pretty sure I was going agentless in this endeavor. But shit! This was my first choice! I had to talk to him! He was great and had a few notes, all good ones! And I was in a dilemma.

I didn’t want to ruin the deal with Maudlin House, but I was also seduced by the idea of potentially selling this to a bigger publisher. I mean, why not?

Mallory was super generous in giving me a window to “explore bigger fish.” I took the agent's notes, and they improved the book. But I wasn’t sure this book was necessarily a “big publisher book.” It’s pretty out there. Eventually, he agreed.

As someone who has agents and managers on the film side, I can’t tell you how rare it is for an agent to say, " No, let’s NOT take this out and try to make some $$$. The best move is to release this with a small press.”

And so-

I SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH MAUDLIN HOUSE

Because of the back-and-forth with my agent, my time to finalize the book had shrunk. I had to boogie! Mallory sent the book to a stable of beta readers for feedback. Meanwhile, we started talking about the cover.

I’m a fan of Erik Hoel’s substack. And his posts frequently showcase art by Alexander Naughton. Alexander’s work was poppy and surreal:

The process was pretty straightforward. Mallory and her partner, Bulent, were excellent collaborators. We were a united force, giving Alexander detailed and precise notes. If you’ve visited Maudlin’s website, you know they understand good design.

Alex’s stand-out work

THE EDIT

After receiving feedback from beta readers, Mallory sent me her notes, and it was my job to take one final pass. After that, the book was given to a proofreader and then sent back to me, laid out, for one last look.

I have no idea how anyone else does it. But that’s how Maudlin House did it, and I was happy with the process.

BLURBS

Guys, I was going after blurbs while I was querying. Was that a good idea? Maybe not. But I was confident in the book and wanted to get the ball rolling.

Several blurbs were from people I didn’t know personally. I liked their work and thought they might like what I was doing.

Asking for a blurb is a BIG ASK, and I treated it as such. Plenty of folks ghosted me, but enough got back to me to fill a few pages.

OKAY. WHAT DID I LEARN?

1.) Patience is a virtue.

2.) There are so many tips and tricks for querying online. This post included. But at the end of the day, you write your own ticket. There are no rules. The only real rule is never to be boring. Always try to be engaging. Stand up and sell yourself. That used to be something I found very gross. But, having had to do it many times in the film business, I now treat it as a game. There’s Bobby, the artist, the one trying to make something. And then there’s agent bobby. Agent bobby is gonna play the game and try to honor artist Bobby’s time and vision.

3.) When in doubt, self-publish. And I say this with a caveat. The thing with my book is that I never got feedback that said, “THIS SUCKS, FUCK YOU.” If I were getting that feedback consistently, then yes, I would rethink self-publishing cause maybe, just maybe, the thing I was working with sucked. But, if the feedback is good — from strangers — then sometimes, the market, the vibe, the whatever, is off. And you have to take matters into your own hands. This is not a weakness. Take Sam Pink. This dude self-publishes all the time. And it’s awesome. He has an audience that he creates stuff for and doesn’t need a publisher. Does that make what he’s doing any less valid? Hell no. If anything, I feel like I’m in on a secret reading Sam Pink. It feels special. And when the writing’s good, who gives a shit?

PS. I have consolidated all of these “novel process” posts here.

My book is out next Tuesday, March 25th. After that, I promise to stop all this self-promotional book talk!

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Is this my favorite E-ink notebook?

I remember life before the internet. Or rather, before the “bad internet.” As a teenager, I wrote on my computer and never felt the compulsive need to check social media. But these days, woof. I feel like I’m in a fog. It’s why my millennial ass is super into tech minimalism.

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I have a Kobo for reading e-ink books and stuff from the library, but I longed for an e-ink tablet that allowed me to revise hundreds of pages. I tried the Remarkable and tablets from Boox, but both had quirks I couldn’t live with. Yes, of course, I’ve used an iPad. But again, I’m trying to escape the ecosystem.

Enter the SuperNote Manta. A 10.7-inch E-Ink Device designed for writers.

First, this is the best writing “feel” of a tablet I’ve ever experienced. It doesn’t feel like plastic skating across glass. But closer to a pen on an actual pad of paper. I didn’t think this would be such a selling point until I began using it. It’s addicting.

PDF REVISING

This was the main reason I bought this device. It’s a feature that a lot of E-Ink tablets completely fumble. I want to be able to mark up a large PDF document and then pull those annotations onto my computer.

When I do this using SuperNote, I can select “Annotation summary” on my computer and view all of my annotations at once. From there, I just click on the page I want to see. (You can also make all your annotations appear red or blue.)

Other E-Ink Devices flatten your annotations, meaning you can’t quickly discern what pages you revised.

NOTEBOOK / IDEA GENERATION

Honestly, I was sold on the device based on the PDF functionality above. But the Manta became handy for another part of my writing process: idea generation.

I’m working on an outline for my next book, and I wondered if I could upload a PDF of said document to my SuperNote and create a “non-linear notebook”. A document where I could mark up pages but also create new ones.

Using the “template feature,” you can.

In the outline, there would be moments when I was struck with a new idea and wanted to write about it. I would insert a fresh page and go to town. Then, I would go back to the outline and create a clickable link to the new page.

For example, I might underline a word and say, “Some new thoughts on this.” I could then click on that and be sent to the page with new thoughts.

Another random feature I enjoyed is the star feature. If you draw a star anywhere on the document, it’ll create a bookmark that you can jump to later.

I used the star as a “RESEARCH THIS” annotation. Later, when I was near a book I was using to research, I could take out my Supernote and bounce around to the sections where I needed more information.

THE NEWS

Another thing I’m trying to cut back on is using my phone in front of my 4-year-old. Usually, when he’s watching something on TV, I find myself doomscrolling, reading news, or Substacks.

I thought that getting some news apps on this e-ink device would prevent me from clicking on social media, not only for my own sake but also for my young son. The last thing I want him to think is that smartphones are Gods that deserve all the attention in the world.

It requires some work, but it is possible to side-load apps on your Supernote. Meaning I was able to download the Substack app and various news apps.

The experience isn’t perfect. There are no page-forward and page-back buttons for this stuff. So, you have to scroll, which isn’t the best on E-ink. But it works well enough for short-form articles.

The other cool thing is that it’s a drawing pad! So, I can turn it into an activity when my 4-year-old looks over to see what I’m doing. I started a little notepad for him to draw things in. Like this:

ARE THERE CONS?

Yeah, dude. Of course. You thought there were no cons? What kind of world DO YOU LIVE IN?

It’s expensive. And you have to buy one of their ceramic-tipped pens. My favorite is the Lamy Safari Vista.

The other pens look cooler and manlier, but this one is light and just FEELS RIGHT.

There’s a bit of e-ink ghosting sometimes. But that can quickly be resolved by refreshing the screen with a finger swipe.

The cover is only available in a very dull, sterile grey.

BUT—

There’s something magical about revising my new outline in this way. When I use it, a layer of noise vanishes from my mind. As I try to find more ways to get back to my pre-internet brain, I can’t help but fall in love with this device.

On Sean Baker (and never selling out)

I did not expect Sean Baker to win four Oscars last night. Not because I didn’t like Anora—I liked it! But that ending…

And this is coming from Mr. Downbeat ending over here! I mean, christ, my “comedies” all have grown ass adults crying at the end!

My cinematic universe (where everyone cries at the end)

Even when it seemed clear that Anora was going to sweep, I still had doubts. It was too good to be true! The Oscars would never reward a downer, right?!! I thought some other movie would slide in and steal the spotlight at the last moment. But, nope. Sean Baker won best director, writer, editor, and film. The last person to win four oscars? Fucking Walt Disney!

I can’t help but be encouraged by Sean Baker’s win. This dude has been quietly making great films, without compromise, for 20 years. And here he is sweeping the Oscars, downbeat ending and all.

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My first introduction to Sean’s work was Tangerine. I thought it should have won an Oscar in 2015. I loved it so much that I tweeted about it.

Sean Baker DM-ed me shortly after.

He said he would send me a burned DVD of his other films.

I thanked him for the gesture but told him there was NO WAY I would let him do that. I was going to pay money for them.

I mention this factoid because there’s been a fair bit of press around our Oscar-nominated directors being broke. recently highlighted this.

So, what’s the path forward? Is there a way to make filmmaking a sustainable living? Has it ever been sustainable? Should we be preaching living well through artistic poverty?

OR MAYBE WE CAN DO WHAT SEAN TALKS ABOUT IN THIS AMAZING SPEECH:

I dunno. Worth a shot.