I’ve made some nice progress on the Just A Geek rewrite. I’m up to chapter eight as of this morning. It’s the chapter where Aunt Val dies, and I’ve already had to stop twice because it makes me cry. I don’t know why, but I’ve missed Aunt Val more in the last two weeks than in the whole two years she’s been gone. Anne and I watched “Dead Like Me” night before last, and during a scene in a cemetery I was overcome with sadness and cried. Hard. I just saw this crane shot of all those tombstones, and I thought, “Man, I really miss Aunt Val,” as this thing in my chest turned and knotted and exploded with grief. It was weird.
I worked for about 90 minutes on Tuesday (maybe it was closer to two hours, I’m not sure) heavily editing Chapter 6, “Slow Emotion Replay.” I tried a new direction: there are some weblog entries that can stand on their own, but others are better if they’re cut up, and incorporated into the narrative. I like the format of a little narrative, followed by a weblog entry, then some “behind the scenes” info . . . but I honestly think it would be better if I rewrote the whole thing, and folded the weblog entries into the narrative. I sent two copies of Chapter Six to Andrew for comments, one old version and one rewrite. He agreed that the weblog entries are a vital part of the story, but the way they’re included right now, it sort of breaks up the “flow” of the story, and he liked the new direction. If I made it more of a straight forward story, it would flow better. It would also be a substantially different book than the one I’ve been working on for over almost a year. Hrm. It’s something to seriously think about.
Yesterday was Anne’s day off, so I didn’t write much at all. Instead, we spent the morning running errands and had lunch down at Barney’s in Old Town. I’m gonna get onto their Beer Bragger’s Board someday. Mark my words.
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I cannot wait until this book comes out, Wil. Hurry!!
With the amount of work being poured into this book, I’m sure there’s little need to be worrying about a flop. I would think that the release of Dancing Barefoot would have been more stressful than this one! If you consider how well that one is being recieved, this one embodies a bit of the same Wil-mentality, (if I read your weblog posts right)- the same mentality that was a hit, and most likely will be again.
I’m looking forward to reading JAG, especially the “behind the scenes” parts, having read the blogs posts when they first went up.
Heck, I was even around to read the blue Geocities weblog that had a “Join the Revolution” logo and a webcam that was always pointed at Mr. Potato Head. But I guess that’s just a sign that… well, I dunno. I should shut up now.
Webcam???
Mr Potato Head???
*sigh* I feel as though I’ve really missed out.
Regardless, I’m excited to read JAG. The amount of work that you have put into will certainly be reflected in the final draft. I’m very excited for that.
I’m also very excited about comments being back.
As far as your reaction while watching “Dead Like Me” and how you’ve missed Aunt Val more recently than over the past two years, I experienced the exact same thing after my Grandfather’s death. I was sitting in my gf’s car roughly 2 years after his death and I was just telling her how he had died and I was overcome with sorrow. More than I had experienced up to that point for sure. I think it was because I was only then realizing that I missed him. Having not been able to be with him for so long and knowing that I wouldn’t.
Take care Wil. Keep Writing, and remember to smile when you think of Aunt Val.
Good luck, Wil! I’m sure it will be brilliant and you have a lot of people who can’t wait to read it.
When my wife and I were opening our wedding gifts, in front of lots of our relatives, I started crying.
The reason: someone had used a card that showed Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. My granny and I had gone to see it when it was re-released when I was 16, and she couldn’t get over that that was the movie I wanted to go see. When I got married my granny had been dead for several years, but that card instantly brought to mind seeing that movie with her, and how much I missed her.
So I understand your sadness. You are not alone in missing those who’ve passed. By missing her, you show that you have a heart.
Thank you for reminding me of this incident in my life, and for reminding me how much I miss and love my granny.
I understand what it feels like to miss someone that has been gone for ages more in two weeks than the entirety of there absence. I just had a death in my immediate family a couple of weeks ago. Granted it was my cat, but he was more than that to me and I miss him dearly. *hugs*
Wil, So glad you put comments back on.
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed “Barefoot” (I know you love to call it that. hehe) I am SO looking forward to reading JAG when it comes out.
I also must tell you that I got my wife to read barefoot and she really loved your style and your honesty. She especially loved ‘WFS’ and if you knew my wife you would know that this is a big deal because she only reads magazines.
I think that reading your book actually made her want to start reading books again because she just finished Animal Farm and she just started on Catcher in the Rye. Very powerful stuff indeed.
Wil, you do what you need to to feel satisfied with JAG. It is your baby and while you should take some direction from your editor, you should ultimatley do what feels right for you. If that means taking another six months then so be it. I can wait. I’m sure many of your other fans can wait too.
Treat it like Doom 3.
It will be released when it’s done.
When will it be done?
It will be done when it’s finished.
Love ya Uncle Willie.
(BTW, Anne is beautiful. You are a lucky man)
Oh Yeah, About those cryptic posts a few weeks back. “You want I should break somebody’s kneecaps for ya?” (said with a heavy mobster accent) 😉
I’m so looking forward to reading Just A Geek. I really do enjoy your writing and can’t wait until my next paycheck so I can finally order Dancing Barefoot. Just yeah. It’s nice to read about some one I can relate to and admiore and think is just plain cool.
Yep. *nods*
JAG?
I’m still waiting for some bookchain in NZ to pick up Barefoot so I can go on about how great it is.
Good luck. 🙂
Hiya Wil- I’m glad you’ve got comments back on. I have “Barefoot,” and I loved it so much that I didn’t want it to end. I really enjoyed it, and one of my friends (one of the ones that comes over to watch Star Trek every week- Enterprise, then TNG on DVD) asked for it for his birthday. Little does he know I got him one of the pre-autographed ones! 🙂 I hope one day I get to meet you so you can autograph mine, and I can tell you how groovy I think you are. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to JAG, but you should take all the time you need. If my band released a CD before we thought it was ready, we’d never be happy with it. The same goes for you- no matter how much we, the readers, like it, if you publish it before you feel it’s ready you’ll always regret it. Take your time, Wil! 🙂
-Alicia
http://www.thewagband.com
Grief is funny like that. When my grandfather died two months ago, I didn’t cry because there was so much to do. Last week I burst into tears watching a Yankee game on TV. I’m not sure I can ever really enjoy baseball again, because it reminds me of him too much.
I also experienced grieving over a loved one years later. My grandmother died about 4 years ago. Two years ago I was sitting at the dinner table after cooking a fabulous meal and it just hit me like a train out of nowhere. I cried and cried. But I made sure to remember the happy times shared with her and smile.
Good luck on the writing!
Yeah, losing someone is rough. On Oct 11, it will be one year since I lost my best friend who I had known for 15 years. And most of the time I’m ok, but this last little while I’ve been having these great dreams with her in them…. and then I wake up. And reality is REALLY depressing sometimes.
Writing is tough, yup. Bless you for still missing your Aunt.
Thanks for adding the comment section, too.
Wil,
Thanks for writing about your Aunt. I can really relate. My Uncle, who is like a dad to me, is currently dying of cancer. He has just now gotten to the point where he can’t move and speak due to weakness. He is not really with us most of the time. Even though I knew that he was dying before, I was so busy doing things for him…talking, feeding him, changing sheets, changing IVs, helping him to the bathroom…that I just didn’t have time to think about what is really happening. It was only last night, after visiting him and having him not really responding to me, that I realized that he won’t be with me anymore. Well, at least he won’t be with me in the physical sense. I know that he will be watching over me from heaven and that my memories of him will always be with me.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks. I don’t feel so alone anymore.
Keep writing, Wil! You touch more people than you know!
I can related to the sudden grief. My grandmother died last year and she was my best friend through my entire life. Sometimes just a simple smell or sound can bring back a flood of memories that are overwhelming.
I sometimes wonder if the pain will ever truly end. I find that I often laugh and cry at the same time because the memories are so warm and happy but there is such hurt in knowing that there will never be any new memories made.
Ahh now I’m depressed :c)
–Jessie–
Ugh I can also relate(d) to the need for the preview button.
Ten years ago, I met a man who was dying in the AIDS Ward at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. His partner asked me to take some papers to him for his signature and take care of other business with him as well.
Once we took care of business, I spent two lovely hours with him, talking and getting to know this gentle soul named Richard. When he became too weak to continue our conversation, I took him back to his “room.” As a last request from me, Richard asked me to “tuck him in.” I did just that…covering him up with several blankets (even though it was 85 degrees in the ward…he was freezing), fluffing up his pillow and kissed him goodnight. It turned out, I was the last visitor he had.
He took a sudden turn for the worse and passed away four days later, two days after my birthday. His death has affected me more deeply than some of my family members’ passings.
Wil, what’s happening to you where Aunt Val is concerned is okay. Love her, cry for her, and when the feeling passes, let the memories you have of her lift your heart.
So glad you’re including your readers in your struggle to complete just a geek (hey, that rhymed) We’re here, pumping our pom-poms, cheering from the sidelines, humming the theme from “Chariots of Fire”. Thank you for allowing us to invest in your success. A win win for everyone. And, yes, I also miss Aunt Val, now more than ever. This was her favorite time of year. She was all the colors, the smells, all the traditions of the season. I miss her perfect love. Sharing your heart resonates with all of us, reminds of whats in our own hearts, reminds us what is possible. We all miss our Aunt Val.
Sure do love you Wil.
I’m hoping someone else comments between your Mother and me, though I’m not sure why. Maybe because comments from two middle aged people in a row might skew your demographic?
I’m going to toss in a vote for a full rewrite. I say this because if you had a publicist, I think they would advise you to let the snowball that is “Dancing Barefoot” roll down the hill a bit. Actually, in many ways, “Barefoot” IS your publicist, and a darn good one because it’s paying you instead of you paying it. So I say rewrite, and take all the time you need. “Geek” will probably be the last book you write w/o a big time deadline, so do it on your own terms, but keep Thoreau in mind, and as he said…
“Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with.”
Thanks for turning the comments back on Wil. It kinda made my day to be able to do this.
grief is an odd thing.
i drive by the cemetery, where my father is buried, to and from work everyday. i am usually unaffected by this and sometimes i have short, one-sided conversations with him… “hi, pop” or “what am i gonna do with that damn zakk, dad…?” sometimes i cry. makes me cranky when it’s on the way IN to work, and i have my ‘face’ on…
it’s only been 2 years. i keep wondering when the grief is going to stop surprising me… maybe it never does.