Anne and I are having our house appraised later this week, so we’re working to clean things up, and plant areas of the yard that we’ve left alone for almost a year . . . I remember how great I felt when we finished our lawn almost a year ago, and the picking out and planting all sorts of plants today was just as good.
I love it that Anne and I do these things together, for each other. It’s corny, but I love being married to her more and more each day. I really believe that there’s nothing we can’t face together . . . and kick squarely in the nuts!
Thanks to her, we had an insanely productive holiday weekend, even though I was at LosCon on Friday and Saturday. The house looks incredible, and the yard is beautiful. I can’t wait to clean out and reorganize our garage!
Here’s a brief LosCon recap. It’s not the best written thing in the world, but I want to put the information down while it’s fresh in my mind. I’ll make this better some other time.
Overall, I had a very good time. The LosCon is not like the shows I’m used to attending. There isn’t much in the way of organized “entertainment” (like my sketch shows) or “actor talks” (like you see at a Creation show, for example.) This con is more oriented to Science Fiction in its purest and oldest form: books. The people who come to LosCon (even the *shudder* furries) are there to celebrate people like Niven, Pournelle, Heinlein, Ellison, and Herbert. The con features several panels, most of which are incredibly informative and worthwhile. I was on three of them.
Let’s break it down into Friday and Saturday, mmmkay?
Friday:
First Panel – eBooks.
This panel was quite fun. I was about to be elected “moderator,” until I told them all that if I was moderating, we were just going to play cards. It was an informative and entertaining 75 minutes, where we talked about eBooks and Print on Demand as publishing alternatives for hopeful writers. I talked a lot about MonolithPress, and shared my reasons for not choosing eBooks or POD. I was surprised at the turnout, too. There were about 11 people in the very small room, which was set up for about 20.
Event – Reading from Dancing Barefoot and Just A Geek.
This was the single greatest dissapointment of the entire show, and probably one of the greatest dissappointments of the entire year for me, because only 15 people turned out to hear me . . . and 7 of them were my family. I felt rejected, humiliated, and embarrassed.
I asked Anne to bring the kids out to watch me, and it was just awful to stand in a room built for over 100, and face them with no crowd.
“Where is everybody?” Nolan asked.
Out of the mouths of babes.
“Somewhere else,” I said.
“Why?” he said.
“I don’t know, kiddo,” I said, with a brave smile.
“Break a leg,” he said, as I walked up to the stage.
I struggled to put aside my personal feelings of rejection and give a good reading for the people who did show up, but my first three selections just sucked. All I wanted to do was cry. I was so let down, it was a real challenge to keep my focus. I just felt stupid standing on a huge stage, in a cavernous room, listening to my voice echo off the walls.
By the end, though, I read the WFS story, and I felt good about it.
When I finished, I bid my family farewell (hard though it was to face them) and headed to my next panel, which was about Linux. I wandered all over the convention center, until I betrayed all men in the world and asked for directions to the room. Turns out the room was in another building.
Panel 2 – Something about Linux
I was 10 minutes late when I walked into a room that was packed with about 75 people. It was hot, and smelled like a room packed with about 75 people. Many of them were shouting at each other.
I’m going to write a whole article about what a fiasco this panel was, so I’ll just give this summary: it was a live version of a totally unmoderated UseNet flamewar, complete with trolls. My hope was that the non-Linux users (about 20% of the audience) would leave excited and curious about Linux. I told them in my introductory remarks that they’d want to race home and grab Knoppix right away. Instead, they (and I) left that room just wanting to get the hell out of there, and away from the zealots. If it had been my first exposure to the Linux Community, I would never have left Microsoft. It was the most frustrating panel I’ve ever been on in my life.
Evening Event: Hour 25 Talk Show
By 9pm, I was exhausted, but I was excited to be a guest on the Hour 25 talk show. I did Hour 25 way back in the late 80s when it was on KPFK and hosted by Joe Stracyzinski.
The same ballroom that was empty for my reading earlier in the day was packed to the walls. There was an excitement in the air, and it really felt like we were about to participate in something special.
Armin Shimmerman was interviewed before me, and held the stage in the palm of his hand. He was funny, insightful, and informative. His /. karma would have been excellent!
When Armin was done, it was my turn. I walked up on the stage, and stood behind the mic.
“Well, Wil,” the host began, “looking at you right now, I just have to ask . . .”
He paused and looked at me.
“Have you saved any ships this week?”
Oh. This is just fucking perfect. was my first thought.
I’m so glad things have changed since I was last here, on the “Solving the Wesley Problem” panel 15 years ago. was my second.
Dude, you don’t need this shit. Just walk away. was the third.
I hope the anger in my veins didn’t make it into my voice. I don’t think the host intended to embarrass me or make fun of me, but that’s how I felt.
I tried to laugh it off, but I spent the next ten minutes trying not to be defensive. You can listen here for yourself and make up your own minds. I come on around the 19 minute mark, I think.
When I finally got home, it was after midnight, and it took me until well after two to fall asleep.
Saturday
Saturday was much, much better than Friday. I got there at 10 for an autograph session, and over the next couple of hours, I completely sold out the remaining copies of Dancing Barefoot. I did set aside a couple, and I’ll eBay them next week, for anyone who wants to get one for Xmas.)
Panel 1 – Breaking Into Print
My only panel of the day was a total blast. I thought I would talk about how a hopeful author can self-publish their book, but I was with three insanely talented and experienced authors, so I just ended up asking them all sorts of questions about how I can be a better fiction writer. I learned so much, I don’t even know where to begin. When I get some time, I will take my notes and turn them into a column here. I’ll do my best to share what I learned with WWdN readers.
When that panel ended, so did the Con for me. I made it home in record time, and went out to dinner with my wife.
If you’re a fan of SF and Fantasy, and not a collector, I highly recommend LosCon. The people who organize it want you to have a good time, meet people of a like mind, and have fun for a weekend. The panels are simply amazing, and the guests are all fans too, so they hang out in the lobbies and hallways, so it’s really easy to get some one on one time with an author you have admired for years.
For example, it would have been very easy for me to stop Larry Niven and drive him crazy with Ringworld and N*Space questions, if I hadn’t chickened out.
I will certainly go back again, but instead of attending as That Guy From Star Trek, I think I’ll attend next year as just a geek.
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Just typing this out while listening to your interview on Hour 25, and as a radio journalist, feeling very upset about the guy who is interviewing you. First, I hate his laugh, second, he kept interrupting you, and third, can’t he think about something else to ask other than your ‘former’ career? Strike 3 from journalism school. Thought you handled all the stuff off the top about saving the ship with considerable aplomb. Way to go, Wil.
Too bad about virtual translating to actual with the Linux panel. It’s like, do people even bother trying to break stereotypes anymore?
Wil,
did you ever buy a PC that simply didn’t work? One that just plain screwed with your head, failed miserably in every respect to meet your needs/wants/expectations? The CD drive won’t read anything, the C: drive has been relabelled F: for no reason, half the ram is missing.
Or maybe it was a DVD player or VCR or fax machine or answering machine or car.
These are Friday devices. They’re put together late in the week by people whose approach (on that particular day) is “Meh, what do I care?”. Any other day of the week they’d be your A-Team, your best crew, they spot errors, they’d solve problems, they’d work to make things work. But on this particular Friday – Meh!
I think you’ve just had a Friday like that. I think from the sounds of it your audience had a Friday like that. Nobody, least of all yourself, is to blame. It’s just one of those things. They’re there, in your schedule, just to make you appreciate Mondays that little bit more (hehehehe, appreciate Mondays. Right.)
Hang in there – you’re doing great. The site is fantastic, you’ve got friends all across the world, your wife loves you. You have a dog.
So what did you learn from the authors’ panel? Tell us more… tell us all! We’ll be right here, Friday or not.
It was so sweet what you said about your wife. You guys are lucky to have each other.
I don’t do public speaking. I don’t deal with idiots who don’t realize you are not the character they see on TV. But I do know a few things that get me through life and keep me happy. The first, and most important this is, don’t sweat the small stuff. The second, and even more important that the most important rule is, everything is small. Asshats that think that they are cool by picking on, prodding, poking fun at, embarassing people, are really small. We know you kick their ass. So relax.
Something else I know, is that when you are talking to fifteen people in a big room, don’t go up on the stage. Gather them around, and have a small, personal talk. Like Uncle Wil telling ghost stories around the campfire. The listeners will walk away with a great feeling and you will enjoy the moment better.
Keep up the good work.
When I was a wee teenager back in the early eighties, I was at one of those Creation conventions. That was back in the beginning for them. When I went, I was looking for cool Star Trek/ Anime collectibles and such. But my FONDEST and most enduring memory was stumbling into a little side room where some “old guy” was reading one of his science fiction stories.
That old guy turned out to be none other than Isaac Asimov (!!!). I dont even remember which of his plethora of stories he was reading. I just remember his presence and his amazing voice. Myself and all five or so of the other people gave him a small in number, but fierce in enthusiasm, standing ovation when he finished his reading.
So when you get upset that only a handful of people showed up to your reading, you might consider that you may have resonated soundly for those who did show up. For all you know, you may have influenced the direction of someone’s literary life or outlook on the world in a way that could not be achieved in a room with dozens or hundreds of listeners.
I know that Mr. Asimov quietly changed my life that day. He shared his wonder of the universe in a very real and undiluted way with the few of us there. And I still value that impact 20 years later!
And what’s wrong with your family getting a chance to see you in action with regards to your writing? Does their appreciation mean any less because they are, your family? Of course not- but you already knew that. You just got blinded by a phantom of percieved rejection. But, phantoms are not substantial, and they fade with time.
Just a different perspective to consider…
Here is a direct link to the MP3 of the Hour 25 interview.
http://216.92.236.186/hr25_2003-11-28_wil-wheaton_interview.mp3
Wow, what more to say, after Audent’s comments, Touched on everything I can think, but to add a little more to that, you handled the interviewer and his questions beautifly. Your very heartfelt and anyone can tell how sincere you are, oh and funny as hell! ! !
Wil,
Don’t worry about the low show at your personal reading – happens to all writers. And who knows if it’s even worth it. Check out this article.
http://www.observer.com/pages/publish.asp
You handled the interview very well. I think you put him in his place with your comments. the crowd cheered so much louder when you told them that your kids got to school _on time_ then they did with his ship comment. good job.
Sorry things bummed you out at the Dancing Barefoot event.. If I lived closer I would definately shown up with hubby and friends to show support. You are a great guy, great actor, great author with a beautiful loving family, don’t let it get to you 🙂 Soon you will stun the world! I just know it!
-SpooX
Wil,
Think of those fifteen (or eight if you don’t count your family). How many of us (WWdN “viewers”) would have given our right arm to be in such a small “select” group listening to you. Did it ever occur to you that one of your fans put a “Cancelled” sign on the door to keep the audience small.
finished w/ the interview. excellent. you need to come to Denver some time so i can see you speak. 😀
Just finished listening to your interview on Hour 25 and thought you handled the initial conversation with good grace. Even knowing it had annoyed you I couldn’t hear it in your voice. I also thought the audience understood what you were trying to get across because they laughed at the right spots. The interviewer came across to me as a pompus ass and some kind of know it all. It’s almost hard to tell who was on display him or you.
Wil,
*waving*
Please do not feel bad about having a reading audience of “only” 15 people (even if they are mostly family) — believe it or not, for a literary SF convention that is a record size crowd.
Most writers, including pretty solid name authors, get only about 2-5 people when they read. It’s a peculiar sad fact that almost no convention reading ever draws a crowd, no matter who you are, sometimes even the guest of honor. Indeed, many of us have a standing unwritten agreement with our fellow writer friends that we all try to support each other by going to each other’s readings, so that in case of no other audience (which is known to happen often), at least there are friends (or family) or colleagues to hear you read. 🙂
So, *please* don’t take it personally. You actually did great! If I hadn’t been cross-programmed to be on another panel myself, I would’ve been at your reading.
🙂
Vera
Wil, in the interview I think you said January for Just a Geek. Is that true?
And, to this listener, you didn’t sound angry at all. In fact, you had a great come back about what you were really doing with the kids and your writing. I think you handled the question well. I think it all went ok given some of the questions.
The interviewer had an awful laugh, didn’t he? And one of those “radio” voices, to boot. Being a literary con, I would have wanted to hear more about your writing. Dumb interviewer. I wonder if he even researched WWDN?
Geeking it is always the best way to go. You’ll always get an autograph or a nice compliment from someone, if not for your dazzling charm, for the mere fact that geeks tend to scare specific stupid people.
I think it is very odd that he just got finished talking to Armin about people getting trapped in roles they are known for, and then he goes and talks to Wil as if he is Wesley. Clearly Wil captured the audience and not even a poorly prepared interviewer asking asshat questions could stop him.
On an unrelated note, I’m proud to say I’m one of those people who bought at Powell’s.
yea Wil, I gotta say, the interviewer is a huge putz! To whatever extent you do sound deffensive, (which basically only sounds like you’re trying to talk to an idiot interviewer) you don’t sound like asshole, he does.
Wil,
you may not get an overwhelming number of comments giving you support as most of what people would want to say have already been covered by the first seven who have written in and I think if you can’t say something original you tend to keep quiet, so you don’t appear to be a parrot, and just nod in agreement and move on.
Having heard the 25HR interview, the last question,
and being married only two years and having three step children, I am just nodding……….. and moving on.
Hi Wil,
I was one of the people at your reading on Friday (I’m the dude who bought a book later and gave you a flier for the Berserker fan website I do), and I must say that it was really a highlight of the Con for me. And this was my first con too. It’s unfortunate that there was such disparity between the size of the room and the number of attendees; the same number in a smaller room would have felt much different (better). This has actually been scientifically studied in psychology. Personally, I remember when we put on our huge Astrobiology shindig here at UCLA with Bill Nye the Science Guy and Dr. Jill Tarter (of SETI), we had about 500 people come, which was huge! But looking out over the crowd I couldn’t help but be dismayed by the 400 empty seats.
But anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I had been looking forward to seeing you at the Con, and I really enjoyed your reading. I had read some of your writing here on WWDN, but not a whole lot, and I was struck with how eloquent, powerful, and touching your words were when you read them aloud for us. Like I said before, you have a great story and are doing a wonderful job telling it. I certainly appreciated you being there and sharing with us. I didn’t want to buy your book until after I heard you!
And I think what was said earlier is probably generally correct: that most (if not all) authors have to face hit-miss audience sizes. It was certainly that way for Fred Saberhagen, the writer Guest of Honor, and at least one other pro writer I’ve talked to has experienced the same. Of course, that probably doesn’t make it any easier in practice.
Well, so, thanks very much for being there at the Con and for perservering to connect with us.
I just finished listening to the interview, and I have to say that had you not prefaced it with how angry you were at the opening comment, I would never have known. I thought you handled all of his questions with grace, tact, and a whole lotta wit. I only wish I could think on my feet as quickly as you.
My favorite part of the interview was when you talk about your role as a father and how being a parent has become your most important role. It’s always fun hearing interviews with celebrities, but it’s really refreshing to hear an interview with one who has his priorities straight.
Yep, nothing wrong with just being a geek.
Jim ( that guy who was NOT on star-trek) 😉
Sorry you had a difficult Friday, glad that Saturday was better.
The interview was wonderful to listen to, as I got to hear your voice with a better quality than the audioblog from your cell phone. That man does not know the first thing about interviewing. Research your subject, lead the interview, but don’t cut the interviewee off, and don’t be an asshat.
1. As mentioned already that guy’s laugh was hideous, fawning and sycophantic, to say the least.
2. You held your own really well, despite his constant interruptions.
3. You are a wonderful stepfather and the boys and Anne are incredibly lucky to have you, as you are to have them.
Hey there Wil,
I havent been here before (i must be the only one who hasnt!) and i just wanted to say well done. Also i look forward to reading more on how emerging novelists can go about things. I have just completed NaNoWriMo month (www.nanowrimo.org) and am about to go and plonk myself in front of mind numbing tv for awhile.
I would of course, like any writer, love to get my book published so any advice on the matter, or indeed in improving my fiction ( i need it ) would be cool.
Toodles!
Friday’s book reading? Erm. I would’ve seized the moment to throw myself on the non-stage floor to say “Everyone gather around! Use your library voices! SHHhhh!”
OK. Ready?
“Put your right foot in, put your right foot out…”
Seriously, if Monkeys could get their Boxer hiney$ together? An HMIC convention in L.A.’d be a plausible reality. I’m a pestering Q & A dork at the moment. So you’d need to get hammered to put up with all the non-BAC love in the room. Partying the only way 50,000 Monkeys can.
With prescription drugs. “My name’s jaded wolf, and I’m addicted to children’s chewable Tylenol.”
*Waves*
I have to second almost all of the above comments about the reading. The room size vs. audience size issue does have a big psychological effect.
Hang in there, and know that even the most phenomenal events sometimes are under-attended for various random reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with how neat the event really is.
Have fun with the garage tidying, and congratulations on the gardening!
Hey Wil,
Come back to Portland for another reading and we will pack the house.
Wil,
as regards the appraisal of your
“HOME SWEET HOME”
I mean, it’s YOURS! (that is Wil’s & Anns’s)
therefore it must be worth more than any in
your neighborhood….
then.. 1 day,
(much like Mark Twain’s in Hartford )
tours will be given!
parties will be thrown!
and a sigh will be posted declaring to one and
all that this was the home of
WIL & ANNE WHEATON!
then… maybe a theme park!
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES!
Ditto what Christine said.
(I’m assuming she meant Portland, OR.)
“…I love being married to her more and more each day. I really believe that there’s nothing we can’t face together . . . and kick squarely in the nuts!”
I’d love to hear a line like this crafted into wedding vows, it’s brilliant!
“Have you saved any ships this week?”
Seriously, the next time someone asks you something like this, you should have something prepared like,”Funny you should ask, no ships actually, but on the way over my car was dying, but I was able to divert power from the onboard computer directly into the fuel injectors to make it the last mile off the freeway.” That’s really rough though, and I don’t know if that’d be too geeky for ya
I think you handled the interviewer very well. Your responses were from the heart and pulled no punches. I can’t say I ever cared much for Wesley when I watched ST-TNG, but I do like Wil Wheaton. God bless and continue to remain true to yourself.
“I’m not Wesley Crusher but I played one on TV”
Mr. Wheaton;
I don’t normally write to anyone because I feel that I have nothing of note to offer, but, after hearing the suggested interview, I must share with you that, once again, your wit and intelligence has greatly impressed me.
I am a newbiw to WW online and find that a lot of it goes over my head, because I am not very familiar with Star Trek and I’m very clueless about technology so all the jargon baffles me 😉 However, I clicked on the link for that interview and was amazed … not only that i got it to work (!) but also at how well you handled the situation. The interviewer (complete with try-hard jokes and creepy laugh) was really unsettling and was very lucky that your good humour enabled it to be an interesting listen, despite all his fumblings.
After 13 years working in the media, since I was a child, I can’t ever remeber an actor being so honest about themselves, and exposing themselves in such a raw and unpretentious way. It was suprising and very refreshing.
I wonder if you have ever been approached by the drama schools that churn out actors, to give talks or info sessions. They would have a lot to learn from you (please forgive if you already do this, as I have said I am not totally familiar with every aspect of your life but it strikes me that this would be very useful for other wannabe actors).
Wil,
Wow, if that weekend had happened to me, I know I couldn’t be as upbeat as you’re managing to be about it. Kudos on keeping a positive attitude despite the negativity around you. You’re the kind of guy, it seems, that if it were raining crap, you’d comment on how “at least it’s good for the crops”.
Damn, wish I could have filled one of those empty seats… what with your huge internet posse, I can’t *believe* more people didn’t show for you. What, did they have the BSD Devil Girls doing a show in the next room over? I can’t picture anything keeping the /. type crowd, or other SF fans, away from hearing you talk, other than maybe sex.
Come out to Indiana sometime! We have a nice convention here, InConjunction, that happens every summer. I’ve yet to go, but I would if my fellow geek Wil Wheaton were going to be there.
Chris
I may have been on a different continent (and still am), but I was there in spirit, I promise.
No anger seeping through the voice…just witty banter. Well played, Wil.
Wil,
Even though your interviewer was just awful, you were wonderful on Hour25. I loved listening to you talk and think you’d be a perfect person for This American Life. Go hit up Ira for a job!
You handled the Hour 25 thing really well. That guy was a bit of an asshat, and really, his questions to you were pretty skewed to the anti-Wesley perspective. And he’s not a good interviewer, not by a long shot. But you handled his craptacular questions like a pro and didn’t sound angry at all. (Though I can say, since I saw it in person, that you did look a smidge frustrated for a second there. But only for a second.)
Wil,
I wish I lived closer, I would have been at that reading in a heartbeat! I’ve been to this site for the past couple of to see what you are up to. I find your life and experiences so interesting because they seem to reflect almost exactly what my brother is going through at the moment. He is 31, an aspiring writer, and he is the webmaster of http://www.joesightings.com, the #2 GI Joe site on the web. He is so incredibly creative with his writing that I can’t understand why a publisher hasn’t scooped him up already. I’m hoping that a prominent publisher wakes up soon and realizes the potential you have to reach so many people with your books because of your great writing style of disclosing your entire being. I’m eagerly awaiting your next printing of “Dancing Barefoot.” I would love to spend my winter break from college curled up with your great book! Any news on the Tech TV appearance? I’m addicted to that channel and love to catch you when you are on there. Also, I love hearing about your marriage to Anne, keep up being a big sissy, it’s refreshing!
Hey Wil!
You made that interviewer sound pretty professional, despite his shortcomings. He was pretty generic.
I enjoyed your talk.
See ya!
— Draken
Wil, you did a great job hiding anger in your voice. I think you came across well-poised and made a great transition to your current endeavours. I enjoyed listening, even through knowing a bit of what you were going through inside. BULLY!
If it’s of any consolation, Vera Nazarian praised you to the skies — she said, and I quote, “Wil was awesome.” Sorry the reading didn’t go so well — I’ve been scheduled to do readings and wound up with an empty room for an hour. Talk about ego melting.
just listened to the Hour25 interview, and since most of what I wanted to say has already been said I’ll just go with this – I loved that you talked about your step-kids at the end. there are plenty of step-parents out there who would go to one extreme or the other – either force themselves into the role of father/mother, or stay out of it completely. you seem to really understand the fine line and walk it well. kudos to you 🙂
also, I love how you talk about your wife 🙂 talk about one lucky lady 🙂
Wil. Dude. You handled yourself amazingly during the interview. You say Armin had them in his hand? It sounded to me like the audience connected to you a lot more. I don’t blush to admit that your final piece about your stepkids choked me up a little. If you’re half as cool as you put yourself forth, those in your life got lucky, man.
Rock on.
I’m sorry to hear about the reading. I would’ve been part of the audience if I was there!
Wil,
I’m curious as to why you don’t pursue e-book format. I enjoy the format on my pocketPC very much. I think your books would do very well in the format because I think persons who visit this site are tech savvy and most likely already read e-books. Just my $0.02.
Dude Wil, sorry to burst your bubble, but why would you think hundreds of people would go to some con, (which I’ve never heard of until you pointed it out) on one of the busiest shopping days of the year?
You are one hell of a writer, I keep telling my wife to read your site, as your words are pictures in my mind. You are funny too, and people should go see you and listen to the word that you put on paper, but at an almost non advertised Con on Black Friday?
There were over 1000 people there on Friday, Metalboy. I was shocked about that number, too. I expected two or three hundred, tops.
Because of the huge crowd, and the huge room they put me in, I got my hopes up. My bad.
I have heard from a lot of people that anything more than 5 is something to be proud of, so I need to recalibrate my scale of expectations for next time. Also, I’ll get off the stage and drop the mic.