We had the good fortune of connecting with Dave Wielgosz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Some writers like having written but don’t always love the process of writing itself. I could not be more different. I love having a writing assignment in front of me. A story to tell, a draft to rewrite, work in front of me…I am at my happiest when I am working on a new story that I am writing. Writing is one of the few times in life that I feel completely present and can silence my mind. It’s a time in my life where I completely trust my instincts and feel like I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. And when I don’t have something in front of me…I chomp at the bit to find that next piece of writing work. I am much better when I am writing and working on a story than when I am not.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a comic writer, all I want to do is write interesting characters interacting with each other. Plot is very important, but I’m at my best when two characters who love each other, hate each other, or are in the middle of deciding whether they love or hate each other are locked in some sort of conflict and pouring their hearts out. I wear my heart on my sleeve and think stories should be full of the tough conversations we have in life, and the conversations we regret never having had with people. I have had more than one person tell me that a story I wrote made them cry, or made them think about someone they know, or used to know. So I guess my brand is breaking your heart and then helping you put it back together, that’s the right thing to do, and a good mission for stories to have.

I am extremely proud of the fact that since I started comic writing full-time a little over two years ago, I have written for five different comic companies, written over a dozen new stories, and not only gotten better at writing comics and stories, but I feel I have gotten better at translating my voice to the page each time.

It was not easy to get here. It’s not easy to stay in it. But…I don’t want to do anything else. Writing comics and telling stories was the great dream of my life, and it took a lot of learning, failing, and effort to get where I am now. And it’s going to take even more of all of the above to get to where I want to go and be more successful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have been in this situation more than once, so I think I’ve got good answers. For scenery, it’s hard to beat going to Griffith Park and the Observatory and really taking in that gorgeous view of the city. I love going to a Dodgers game with people. Dodger Stadium is awesome, and despite being a Boston Red Sox boy, I have grown to love the team. I have lived here long enough to miss the Hollywood Arclight, but the Alamo Drafthouse downtown has become a go-to spot to go to movies with people who live here and folks who are visiting. If you want to feel like a real Hollywood hotshot and have a good steak, it’s really hard to beat the Smokehouse in Burbank, but food…we live in one of the greatest food cities in the world. Also, I’d have to take my guest on a studio tour, they are so much fun. The Warner Bros. one and the Universal Studios one in particular rule.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom, dad, and brother Josh get my shout-out. Mom for teaching me to love stories, encouraging me to tell my own, and for taking us to the library and comic store every week when I was a teenager. Dad for thinking I could do anything and not letting me ever forget that, and for making me think about my writing as a business when I was a teenager, in terms of taking practical steps to make it a reality and not just an ill-defined dream. My brother Josh is endlessly supportive, reads the work I do, champions me, and gives me a lot of encouragement when I need it the most. I’m a lucky guy to have them in my life.

Website: https://weeklyupdave.beehiiv.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davewielgosz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-wielgosz-1b589a50/

Image Credits
The second image the Man-Bat Cover. Copyright DC Comics. Otherwise these are all pictures I took.

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