Earlier today, I got together some copies of Dancing Barefoot for players in the Katrina tournaments. I sat on the floor in my living room, and tumbed through a copy, and felt like I was looking at baby pictures. You know how you are so proud of them now, but you occasionally miss the simpler times, when they couldn’t talk back?
Okay, that’s a lousy analogy, but you get my drift, right? The important thing is, I adore that little book! Even though the writing is a little rough in places, and will be seriously reworked before I do the audio version (which I’m thinking of as a “bugfix” release. Har. Har. Har.), I am incredibly proud of it. I worked very hard to make it as good as I was able (at the time), take it from idea, to product, and finally to readers. Whenever I reflect back on it, I feel terribly sad that the whole Just A Geek thing was so frustrating, and I am really grateful that that sadness is starting to be replaced by the excitement of finishing Do You Want Kids With That?
Because Do You Want Kids With That? will be a Barefoot-style book in so many respects, I asked my friend Ben Claasen III, who did the illustrations Barefoot, if he’d do some illustrations for The Kids. (Har. Har. Har.)
Readers have consistently told me that they love the illustrations from Barefoot, even the people who didn’t entirely enjoy the writing, so I am very proud and excited to announce that I spoke with Ben yesterday, and today he agreed to come on board for Do You Want Kids With That? His work is going to bring a lot to the final book, and I can’t wait to see what he creates.
Afterthought: I just came upon this review of Dancing Barefoot, at Amazon:
Whether you are a Star Trek fan (which I am not, but have friends who are…), a voracious reader of memoirs or aspiring memoirist (admitted), a Gen-Xer on the precipice of your 30s (which I am), or a fan of Wheaton’s Blog (which I’ve become), I recommend “Dancing Barefoot.”
Wow. Thank you 🙂
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Where do I sign up for an autographed copy? 😀
I’ve been lurking here for ages and just wanted you to know how much I admire your site and the stories about your wife and kids. Your books are on my christmas list and I can’t wait to read them all.
I love that your blog is so personal. It shows your real star power. 🙂
I promise no ass kissing in future comments.
SO I’m a star trek fan…but not really a people fan. Besides Levar Burton I’ve never imagined myself chatting it up with any of ST’s cast. (Only Levar Burton on an idea basis…he seems sharp, man.) But an old friend of mine recently turned me onto blogs (hello technology)…mine sucks if you look at it, and will remain sucking…though this deal of yours is cool. I’m impressed that any actor doesn’t have his head so far up his ass, that he would be beyond doing this…but that’s my stereotype of actors. (Yeah I know, how do I live with myself?)…Besides I think every kid wanted to be Wesley Crusher.
Wow. No point to make here…you just wasted 4 seconds of your life reading this, sorry.
I can hardly wait for this new book to hit amazon, Wil! I was a fan of yours for a very long time, but got away from it when I hit college, and have now come back around full-circle. I purchased _Just A Geek_ on a whim, and devoured it in a matter of an hour and a half. It was so human, I couldn’t put it down.
I follwed with _Dancing Barefoot_, not sure what to expect, and it too was a book that I just stayed in bed with and ripped through.
I find your writing style to be a gift-it has good rhythm and flow, and above all else, it truly demonstrates who you are.
Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us.
Hey Wil,
First of all, the copy of DB you gave me is still one of my most treasured items. Second, I have not had the chance to get JAG yet, but I plan to within the next couple of weeks. Third, what kind of times are you playing poker? I am home during the day but taking care of my brood (and house, and laundry, etc, etc…ad infinitum). I would love to play you someday and am now kind of sad that we couldn’t have played when you were here in Tulsa a few years ago for Trek Expo. Lastly, I look forward to reading DYWKWT and if you need any fatherly quips (I have three boys – 12, 10 & 4) LMK cuz I have em aplenty! 🙂
Best wishes,
Greg
Hi Will..
I am a fan from Indonesia.. and yes.. they did play TNG here in Indonesia 😀
It’s a shame that our local TV station stopped playing the rerun episode! But anyway, this is my first time here and I started to like it very much!
Wil,
I hope you’ll answer this question, cause I’m genuinely curious, and not asking this to be a dick.
How does your desire to “bug fix” your published books, match up with say George Lucas’s desire to continually retouch his Star Wars films?
I know a lot of geeks believe that the artist has to stand back from the finished work and stop tinkering with it, or he’ll continually run the risk of messing it up.
Ain’t there but nothing more satisfying a thing than following your dreams and finding yourself so close to them you can occasionally reach out and fondle some of em?
No better pleasure in the world – well, besides a prolonged orgasm, nude bungie jumping or bi-plane wing standing aerial stunts.
Write on, Wil. Write on!
Wil, your books are amazing. They show your depth, your love, and your skill as a writer. They let us see your soul. It is a wonderful experience. I do however, have one small issue with the title of “Just a Geek.” I’ve been reading it in my spare time the past few weeks and I’ve been carrying it around. And THREE different people have asked me if it’s an autobiography! Now, I do admit I have some geekish qualities, but I didn’t realize it was that obvious. But thanks for the laughs, and along with an explanation of the title, and a defense that it is not an autobiography of my life, I also get to pitch your book to some people who don’t like to read, have never watched Star Trek, and who have no idea who Wil Wheaton is. So far, the ones that have read passages of it, seemed to enjoy it. My copy of “Just a Geek” is getting to be loaned out on a regular basis it seems. Good work! You’re on to something here, please don’t stop! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Hey Wil,We are talking about you over @ http://www.williamshatner.com And it was getting too hot for me because I do like watching you act so I got out for now…could have to go back in….Fans?!….Gee!
I have yet to read Dancing Barefoot, but loved Just a Geek, and am really looking forward to DYWKWT.
I kind of like the idea of you having a “regular” illustrator for your books…it’s almost like a double act. One enhances the experience of the other and eventually becomes your trademark.
I told my mom about your disappointment with how Just a Geek was handled, and she was very surprised. When I first heard about it (through the thinkgeek news letter) I told my mom and she was the one who went to pick it up for me (and she’s reading it now herself, and I think my grandmother is next in line). She said when she went to stores to ask about it she could never remember your name, just the title of the book, and the sales people always knew what she was talking about.
But then again, they never did have it in stock and she eventually had to order it in…
Manchild that is a very good, legitimate question.
What I hated about the new Star Wars movies was a change in content and story. I didn’t mind extra aliens in Mos Eisley, but I hated the additional Jabba scene, and of course the Greedo fiasco.
But Lucas cleaned up a lot of visual effects, like the travelling mattes around the TIE fighters, he made the explosion of the Death Star more spectacular, etc. In those instances, he didn’t disrupt the original story, he just made use of improved technology and his experience to make the film look better.
I’m not talking about changing Barefoot to add in new “Jabba” scenes, or make Greedo shoot first (or whatever their equivalent would be.) I’m talking about reworking some stories where I think the language is rough. For example, I love the _story_ about saying goodbye to my great aunt’s house . . . but I think it’s the worst in the whole book, in terms of structure, grammar, and use of language. I don’t want to change the tone or content at all, but I definitely want to clean it up, and make it a little bit better. There are a few other things like that, but nothing will be thematically different.
Does that make sense?
Wil,I have not read any of your books to-date but think you are a good writer from reading your Blog….Daryl
Aaah! That was my review! You’re very welcome, Wil.
I cannot wait for this book to come out. In all honesty, I didn’t know I was a fan until I watched the 100 Greatest Kids Stars on VH1. I know, I know. I just didn’t know it was you in Stand By Me… and of course I drooled over Wesley Crusher (and my parents thought they were punishing me by “making” me watch ST. Hahaha!) I bought Just A Geek around the same time I started visiting this site. I was so excited to hear that you were writing another book and it was about your step kids. I’m a single mom, so your whole situation gives me hope! Kudos to Anne for landing a good one. Oh yeah, and thanks to you, I’m addicted to online poker. As soon as I get good at it, I’m coming for you!
Wil,
Huh. I thought I was a pretty regular reader to WWDN, but I realized I don’t know the reason why Just A Geek was such a bad experience. I thought the content was great so it must have been, what? Promotion (or lack thereof)? Something else?