In praise of actually "filmic" films

Hey everyone! It's summertime, which for me means lots of reading, gaming, and...movies! My 14 yo daughter (previously mentioned) has fully caught the theater bug, too. She can recite the AMC spiel by heart ("Light is our hero!") as well as Nicole's monologue.

Nicki and I wrote a thing!

Plus, Nicki has a new book coming! For the first time ever, Nicki and I have co-authored something. Isn't that fun? We had fun writing together, anyway. She's my favorite collaborator. A work wife who also happens to be my wife! Our short story, Safe

Why "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" is more relevant than ever

Just kidding. Or am I? 👋 Happy Friday! I'm still nursing a Paradise hangover. (Mentioned last week.) Also feeling weirdly confident? (See previous insecurities.) Maybe it's an effect of my recent, first ever writer's retreat—remind me to tell you about that later. This week,

Recent media diet: AI weasels, doppelgangers, domed havens

Hey there! Hope you've been well. Sorry it's been a while—I've been neck-deep in Final Draft 13 (the worst writing software ever created) and dicking around making very silly video games. Some interesting media I've gobbled up recently: 🤖 Mercy (film)

My worst moment of writing insecurity

I'm inspired by a recent episode of the (great) Hidden Brain podcast, where they talk about the power (and pitfalls) of sharing insecurities. Some of my best friends (see pic above) freely share their insecurities, and I do too, creating an easy space where we can just be

Recent media diet: cannibals, spies, dust, operas, buckets of blood

Hey gang! Hope your weekend was legendary. Some recent media I've been consuming: 🍖 Hannibal (TV series) My daughter's obsessed with this one. While it's surprisingly gory for a network show, it intentionally never shows the acts of killing/torture/mutilation it alludes to, focusing

What is soooo 2020?

I recently read W. David Marx's Blank Space, a cultural history spanning the '90's to the present. Is it an extended Gen Xer old-man cloud screed? Against the ruin caused by reality TV? Social media contempt? The aesthetics of sleaze? Yes. But it also

What's your favorite non-work achievement from 2025?

Hi from David Yoon! My newsletter is now called Chat With Dave. Why? Because I want to actually talk with you, as opposed to blindly broadcasting from my lonely office. Chats will take place on Reddit, the last good place on the Internet. Anyway, happy 2026! Time to look back

Dave's media diet: bad dads, Moscow, prophets, mindless balls...and an experiment

Hi there! Hope your 2024 is off to a great start. Mine began with my first ever case of COVID, broken HVAC, busted water heater, sewage leak, and roof leak, all within a month. On the flip side, I'm surrounded by love and family and books and writing.

LA people: let's celebrate Nicki's new book IN PERSON today!

Quick note to say that wife Nicki's newest book, ONE OF OUR KIND, is on sale in bookstores today! It's her first novel for adults; it's a thriller billed as Get Out meets Stepford Wives, and a total page turner your book club will

AAPI Heritage Month + "Perfect Days" and the Japanese habit of celebrating the everyday

hey, happy AAPI Heritage Month! I recently watched the fabulous Wim Wenders film Perfect Days, about a humble public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. On the one hand, it's a beautifully spare character study. On the other, it's a celebration of everyday life that is very typically

I Go Back To School + Lightning-round Writing Tips + Letterloop Update

Hi everyone! Always good to see you. :) Here's what's been on my mind lately: * A.I., A.I.,A.I. * The lingering trauma of the pandemic * Finding & managing contentment * Cooking, particularly sauces * Electric guitar is fun * My mom is acting like a kid in her

Stupid questions with no good answers

Why do I have to slice my sliced bagels? Why do people say love is work? Why do we think we'll live forever, despite the evidence? What does it take to get a drink in this place? Should I stay or should I go now? Why does cheese

AI is the solution to all of life's problems

I listened to a recent Hard Fork podcast about Google's AI debacle with Gemini, and decided to give ChatGPT a(nother) try for a fun bit of self-torment.  Like a lot of people, I played with AI a bit (MidJourney, Bing, DallE, and ChatGPT) but stopped once

Even more of your questions, answered.

Hi! Hope you all had a great summer. I did a lot of traveling! Above is me and Nicki at Castle Dunvegan in Scotland, for instance. Anyway, on to your fabulous questions! 👉This was originally published under my previous newsletter, David Yoon Shares Everything He Knows.🎬Jen asks: I would

Welcome readers new and old!

A warm hello to all the new subscribers from my recent City of Orange paperback giveaway. Thanks for being here! It means you really care.  A lot of you sent in great questions over the giveaway--too many for one newsletter! I'll answer a few for now, with

How to give your character a problem

There's literally no story without one. It’s been a busy few months…apologies for being away! For those of you that signed up for the CITY OF ORANGE paperback giveaway, welcome! I really do try to share everything I know here. Comments welcomed and encouraged! :) 👉This was

I watched Bullet Train and Spiderhead after having read the books

And I have notes. Hi everyone! Hope you’re gently settling into 2023. I’m back to writing in my big fuzzy ball chair, and also celebrating the recent launch of Joy Revolution’s first book, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute, which hit the indie bestseller list right out of

What I learned in 2022

And what I want to learn more about in 2023 Happy new year everyone! Warm wishes and lots of love to everyone. You’re the best dang readers a writer like me could hope for.  👉This was originally published under my previous newsletter, David Yoon Shares Everything He Knows. Here’

Happy Holidays from Dave!

And welcome to all my new subscribers too! Hope your 2022 has been great. Here’s to an even better 2023. It’s been a busy year, hence the general lack of updates from me.  👉This was originally published under my previous newsletter, David Yoon Shares Everything He Knows. What’

How I Wrote "City of Orange"

My wife forced me to do it. My fourth book, City of Orange, comes out today. Grab a copy! Before we start, let me welcome all the new subscribers to DYSEHK! ❤️ Thanks for signing up and joining in the book giveaway fun.  It might take me a while to send

How I write a book, part 2

Learn to love being formulaic—put sticker dots on your TV! It’s good to see you! Before we begin, a little reminder that my next adult book, City of Orange, is coming out May 24. (It’s a different kind of post-apocalyptic story.) 👉This was originally published under

How I make video games

Specifically my newest game, Saving D.A.D. Some fun news: I made a game! It’s called Saving D.A.D, and it’s out now for iPhone. But first, let me share how I make games. 👉This was originally published under my previous newsletter, David Yoon Shares Everything

How I write a book, part 1

Happy new year everybody! Here’s how I write a book. Tools * Macbook Pro * Pages app * Reminders app * Apple Watch 👉This was originally published under my previous newsletter, David Yoon Shares Everything He Knows. Start with What If Every book I write starts with a what if. Sometimes, the what

How to watch yourself on TV

What happens when you track how often (or not) you're represented on screen? For about an eight month period, I took a photo of every Asian man I saw on television. I did this because I was curious as to how often I got to see a person