I spent almost six hours on the phone with my editor, going over the entire 2.0 draft of my book. I was up until just past 2 a.m., and I am dazed this morning.
But I am so happy! For the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering if it was any good, and felt that there were many places that needed lots of work. Being able to talk with him as we went through it page by page made all the difference: we cut several chapters that just didn’t need to be there, generally tightened up the entire thing, and restored my confidence.
Speaking of books, my good friend Cory Doctorow’s book Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom has finally been published! Congratulations, Cory! I read his book last summer, and it’s one of the best SF books I’ve ever seen. I’m hoping to write a review of it before the end of next week.
Anne loved writing in the weblog, and appreciated everyone’s comments. We may just have to get her a weblog of her own.
Thought For Today:
“Some people are like big children, harming others without even seeing it. Staying angry with these fools is like being mad at fire because it burns.”
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Awesome news on the book. I too wish to become a published author someday… when this university thing is over and I have some time (will I ever?) to get back to writing as I’d like too.
Will definitely check out Cory’s book.
As for Anne getting her own blog: I dunno… what happens if hers becomes more popular than yours? I mean, look at how many ppl replied to her entry… and this is *your* blog!
nah, really, I think it’d be awesome.
Nothing to do with anything, but Corey Feldman!
http://people.aol.com/people/features/wherearetheynow/0,10950,403025,00.html
Welcome to Planet Hollywood in Minneapolis, MN. Over here, we have the clothes from “Cocoon: The Return.” And here we have Corey Feldman.
congrats on the book progress. And yes, Anne needs her on site. Come on Wil, help her get started, we need to hear from her, as much as we hear from you.
Hey Wil, nice site. Your wife sounds like a sweetheart and I’m glad she has not taken it personally against dog. Also, congrats on the $4,000 you helped raise for the shelter. I foster dogs all the time to help out, they can’t help themselves.
I have a favor to ask. Can you e-mail Drew and find out when Fark will be back up?
Great site, and good luck on the book.
And by the way, that whole Fark-Drew thing was a joke.
((((Anne))))
Im so sorry you got hurt but so impressed you didn’t let it scare you too too much and you were able to go to the shelter to check out the dogs there.
GL on the book writing Wil. I look forward to reading it once it’s out and about (if it ever makes it’s way to Alaska LOL).
I will definitely read your book when it comes out. And I just saw ST: Nemesis tonight and I was glad that you were at least in a few scenes, even if you didn’t have any lines. And tell your wife I know that nervous feeling when looking at a pet dog after being attacked by another dog. She sounds like a great woman. Happy New Year!
Oh my! It seems you mispelled a word on page 48. It is in the second paragraph.
Now lets see now. I can’t seem to remember which word it was. Oh now I remember;
THE
Glad to hear the good news about the Book, Wil. I hope the book hits the best seller list and you make lots n lots of money on it and then you could take Anne on a nice long cruise and relaxing vacation and buy her all sorts of expensive gifts and flowers and…and…
Oh! hehehe sorry ;}
Seriously though, much Successful Book MOJO to ya!!
And it would be totally cool if Anne were to have her own Blog. Reading her point of view to some of the topics you write about would be extremely intriguing! (did I spell that right?!) Heck, maybe she might decide to write her own book too! >;}
Since there has been a lot of talk about dogs lately, check this story out. (found it at Fark) I kinda hope the family’s lawyers kick major butt in court!
http://www.local6.com/orlpn/news/stories/news-187947320030109-110148.html
*Wants Ferris to start his own Weblog. Now that would be a neat trick!*
Congratulations on the progress, WW.
I’ll check out your friend’s book.
Has anyone read Orson Scott Card?
6 Hours on the phone?
Can I interest you in great long distance sav..
[click]
[boom]
COooooL! A weblog for Anne would be cool or maybe a section of your website just for her would be nice. Call it “Anne’s Nook”
Dear Wil,
FYI, I read about Cory’s book on you blog, followed the link and was fascinated by the concept of offering the work for free on the net. Funnily enough the subject tied in beautifully with a current theme on the only other blog I read, that of Neil Gaiman. There had been discussion on the subject of Author’s rights, e-books in libraries, and receiving royalties for work, etc. (Jan 7 & 8). So I sent him a note about Cory’s book. And he posted it! See Below. ( 15 seconds of fame and all that!)
Anyway, I thought you might like to know (and pass on to Cory) that NG (an author *I* hugely respect!) thinks it’s a great idea and said some very cool things… to his 6 figure blog audience!
Now that he posted my email, I’m terribly annoyed with myself that I didn’t mention WWDN. Buggerit! Sorry Wil. :o(
Debby
~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Neil,
On the subject of licensing of an Author’s work, I happened across this today. I thought you might find it interesting. I have not read the book in question, but I suspect that giving away his work for free is either going to be a brilliant move or his downfall. Which do you think?
http://www.craphound.com/down/archives/2003_01.php#000018
Regards,
Debby
PS Am about to start a borrowed copy of “American Gods”. Lack of funds precludes me buying my own right now. Horray for friends who can read!
I think it’s a brilliant move by Cory Doctorow and by Patrick Nielsen Hayden, his editor. Cory does the wonderful Boingboing.net, and Patrick’s excellent blog is at http://www.nielsenhayden.com/electrolite/ (and is, in a lot of ways, the nearest thing out there to the feel and texture of the long lost Genie SFRA online community, or at least Patrick’s bit of it). Cory has a wide online presence, boingboing exists at the centre of a lot of nexii (oh all right, nexuses), and getting the novel out in electronic form is fundamentally a promotional action, and a good one, for Cory as a novelist. It’s a taster. People can read it, send it to each other, try it out. If they like it, word of mouth should spur sales of the paper copies. It’s a story for the newspapers and the magazines and the online journals and the bloggers.
I’m as impressed with Patrick making it happen it as I am with Cory coming up with it. It’s relatively easy to explain to your editor why you want to put your book up on the web in all formats as it’s published, free. It’s much harder, I suspect, as an editor, to explain to the publishing house you work for why they should allow the author to give away what he’s given you the rights exclusively to sell.
I love the quote, but I would love to know to whom to attribute it? (dang that awkward grammar…)
Wil – I’m an editor by profession, and know that many writers *hate* having their work edited. The fact that after spending six hours with your editor you report being happy speaks volumes about your editor (we’re not evil – in fact, we’re on the writer’s side!) and your work relationship.
Can’t wait to read the book.
Yeah, but ignoring those “Big Children” is also like ignoring fire….Impossible to do.
Tip of the day: Lighten Up
3 Things:
1 – Looking forward to the book? When? When? When?
2 – Mark down another vote for a weblog for Anne
3 – A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Just thought I’d throw up yet another support post for Anne to get her own site, go for it Anne, you know you want to.
Also I’ll add my name to the many that can’t wait for your book Wil, and would be stoked to see you offer autographed copies on your store page.
Joe
Since it was mentioned here earlier by a couple of people, I guess I’m only mostly off-topic. I watched The Surreal Life last night and was stricken by how Corey Feldman was so iconic an example of “how to screw up your life the Hollyweird way.” So I wanted to talk to you all about it and relate it to Wil in some contrasting way…but…
Then I realized that if it were me, I might get kind of annoyed by being forever associated with some knob just because I did some work with him once. OTOH, living with Wesley is probably bigger than living with Corey. Why can’t we fans let go of the past? Oh, its just me??? Sorry.
If the books is as funny & entertaining as Bruce Campbell’s was I’m all over it!!!
Congrats on your work on the book – can’t wait to read it! I’ll definitely check out the SF recommendation!
I hope Anne is feeling better – still sending get-well-soon vibes her way.
Hey Wil,
Just wanted to let you know that I was quite surprised to find a link to your blog on Monte Cook’s (D&D Designer Extraordinaire) website today, in his Line of Sight Column. http://www.montecook.com/lineos.html
Two of my all-time favorite Geeks together…most excellent.
Simone, gaminggirlgeek
Hi Tracie,
Oh yes, all editors ARE evil.
Just kidding. But I know that my only input from my own editor this past year was nagging to get a new chapter done every four days. Ugh. My co-author started referring to her as SATAN (he reads this blog, too, so he might add to this).
Yay! Book! That’ll be a book I definiely wanna get. It’s on my “to buy” list along with your friend Cory’s book. 🙂
I also think it’d be a great idea for Anne to have her own weblog.
I really enjoyed your thought for the day. Is it yours or who do I attribute it to if I want to quote it somewhere? (if you don’t mind, of course)
I would love it if Anne has her own blog…my boyfriend and i have matching web sites too, and people seem to enjoy it 🙂
great work, and let us know if you set one up for her!
Mesha
Wil, love the site. Even commenting for first time. But seriously: please no more quotes for fortune cookies. For the love of God. What ever happened to nuance? [sigh]
In response to the quote, please may I add one of my (or should that be a friend of mine) own.
“We may grow older, but we blatantly REFUSE to grow up!”
And now back to our regular programming…
Nice quote, indeed. It would be nice for Ferris to havea website. howard has one at littlehoward.com.
I’d love to read the weblog of anyone who wears an “I Love My Geek” t-shirt with pride.
Mary, geek-collector
Speaking of Anne, I dreamt last night that you and I worked together, and for some reason you drove me to your house where I met her. I told her I enjoyed reading her on your site and asked if she was going to get her own blog. Before I read this. Strange…
Hey, you know Cory! Holy small world. I am now one degree away from everyone. If you see him, say hi to him from Hamish from Toronto (who now lives in Scotland). Before we both moved, I was part of the eeny-weeny writer’s circle that saw the first draft of his book.
My first book’s not really available, but you (and whomever else reads this) might want to check out one of the other members, Jim Munroe. He’s a self-publishing whiz, and his books are a fun read with lots of postmodern, anticonsumerist points to score (www.nomediakings.org).
Congrats on finishing you own book. I hope it does great things.
Wil, you should do a ‘author’s cut’ online version of your book! Some of us fans wouldnt mind to read the extra chapters you edited out 😉