Hello, all!
Nate here on this fine Monday to bring you all the latest through Narrative Shack!
Looking at the view and subscriber counters today, I am so overjoyed and thankful for the amount of support this Substack has been getting. I’d be doing the same thing if I were simply typing into the void, but it’s amazing to know there are people out there opening and reading these each week. So thank you, subscribers, for reading these past several weeks!
Speaking of which, let’s get right to it:
What I’m Doing:
Well, the first week of classes is officially done and everything seems great. There are some really exciting things so far, and only more of that ahead. After just one creative writing class for Advanced Screenwriting, I feel so inspired to utilize the things said and learned from those discussions and examples in my own work—and have already switched my mindset in one way to alter some elements of a current project for the better.
I also am the president of my university’s Comic Book Club, which had its first meeting yesterday with incredible success. It was chaotic but fun—and I’m happy to see some new members coming in. It’s my last semester with this organization that’s been a major part of my college experience so I’m going to try to take it all in and make the most of things.
What I’m Writing:
Here are some exciting updates on upcoming projects:
Project Scarlet: I am now a couple of pages into the script and think it’s all off to a good start. I’ve found a voice for the narration that will be interesting to write in for the rest of the story, and am excited to see where it all goes as the narrative and characters develop. I’m making sure to take my time with this one, wanting to get it right and not rush it—but I also was able to submit an informal pitch for it already, though we’ll see and if it’s not accepted that doesn’t change anything whatsoever.
Project Folklore: I’ve just heard back that the script I submitted was accepted! It will be a part of the expanded digital edition of the project. I look forward to seeing the artist they decide to pair me with and how it all develops further.
What I’m Reading:
I just finished a reread of The Human Target by Tom King and Greg Smallwood, and it read even better in a binge-read than it did as it was being released month to month. It really is a perfect comic in so many ways, and Smallwood’s art is simply unlike anything else. It has this amazing 50s/60s noir vibe that both the writing and the art alike encapsulate so well. And the way the Justice League International works into it all is so fun. For my American Comics 1986- class, I just reread Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics as well, which even decades later remains an insightful and essential look at the medium for anyone who wants to be involved with it in any way.
As for new releases, some standouts I’ve read over the past week were Batman and Robin: Year One #4, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #35, Challengers of the Unknown #2, and Jenny Sparks #6. The best two that I’ve read were The Nice House by the Sea #5 by James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno—a continuation of one of the best horror stories ever told in comics—and New Gods #2 by Ram V and Evan Cagle. Mister Miracle and Big Barda, two of my favorite characters from DC, were portrayed so perfectly—and it utilizes and reinvents the Fourth World mythos in a way I’m sure Jack Kirby would’ve been proud of.
What I’m Watching:
For my Advanced Screenwriting for Television course, I read the scripts and watched the pilots for Lost and Fargo, two incredibly strong examples of first episodes for a series. I’d actually never seen Lost—ahead of my time—and this made it tempting to give it a watch, especially as a fan of Damon Lindelof’s other work.
I’ve also watched the newest episode of Harley Quinn, which was a great episode for Poison Ivy in particular—portraying her origin story in an incredibly fascinating way and through that introducing a DC villain with a lot of potential within this show.
Well, that’s all for today. Hope everyone has a great week, and I’ll be back in seven days with another newsletter.
-NS
Awesome!