The last two months have featured sleepless nights, 10-hour work days, and constant battles with the voices of Self Doubt, You Suck, Why Did You Agree To Do This, You're Boring me Zoidberg, and They're All Going To Laugh At You.
But a little earlier, when I finally got to turn this:
into this:
I could tell all those voices to shut the hell up.
I know that this speech is going to be compared to the one I gave in 2007, and quite frankly, that scares the hell out of me. My 2007 keynote was probably the best speech I've ever written or delivered, and I don't think it can be equalled, much less topped, by anything I'm capable of writing at this moment in time. But things are different in 2010 than they were in 2007, so this is a different speech with different goals. I'm way too close to it right now to be objective, but given a chance to stand on its own, I think it's got some entertaining and inspiring stuff in it. I'm really excited to deliver it on Friday.
…
*blink*
*blink*
Holy fuck. I'm delivering this speech on Friday. Well, shit, now I'm terrified again.
(I'm sure people will ask, so: the "WW_AH_WW…" on the title is how Andrew and I track our revisions on each draft. As you can see, we spent a lot of time perfecting the first draft of this one.)
Awesome! Congrats on finishing your speech!
As a side note, I thought the WW_AHs were a funky way of writing out the sound effect that you hear in cartoons when a bad joke is told: “Wah, wah, wah, waahhhh”
I’m not a betting man, but I’d put money on Wil being at PAX in Seattle.
Aw, who am I kidding. I am betting man.
In fact, I’d bet on the trifecta that Wil will be at the next three PAX’s in Seattle.
Congrats. Just take a deep breath and imagine everyone there naked and you’ll do fine. lol. Knock’em dead.
Please allow me to join the chorus of congratulations on kicking cancer to the curb.
Have a great time at PAX, you have certainly earned your perfect storm of awesomeness!!!
Hugs to you!!
Wil,
Congratulations on finishing the speech, and have a good time at PAX!! Have no doubt that you will be great!!
MOZ
I would imagine it’s a similar feeling to finishing a term paper… though that might be more of a “thank God *THAT’S* over with” kind of feeling with less excitement from anticipation.
Though, I suppose there is the part where you wait for your grade…
Anyhow, congratulations, Wil! Wish I could be there–but I’ll damn sure be watching your next episode of BBT when it airs in April. 🙂
Keep in mind, some of us going to PAXEast have never been to a PAX, so we will NOT be comparing to 2007.
I am very excited to hear you speak! And hope to meet you at some point this weekend.
Sadly, we won’t be pulling into PAX until around noon on friday. I hope we can still get a decent enough spot in line to make it to the keynote. I missed the one in ’07 and will be bummed if I miss this year’s as well 🙁
One of those days, I will make it across the big pond to an event with you on the bill (or convince a con committee to fly you over to the UK).
You go and deliver that keynote! Can’t wait for it to appear online.
And I went to all the trouble to google bean thinking I had missed a great linux app only to see it’s an OSX program! It’s not even for LINUX!
I thought Wil was a linux guy… my illusions have been shattered. What’s next? Will I see Wil eating at Burger King? (just kidding Wil)
At least it’s open source.
How about Dropbox – takes care of the redline thingy, but is reasonably geeky.
🙂
ok remember when you came to boston for the book signing? you thought nobody would show and it would be awful it was awesome, a zillion of us came, we loved you and it was awesome. i’m the girl that had the yellow wil wheaton bag btw (you scared the crap outa me- still love the bag you autographed). anyhow, this will be no different, it will be awesome, you will do great, and a fabulous time will be had by all. that’s how you roll- in an awesome way. we all now it, and so do you. dont let self doubt get the best of you. you can do it. your kung fu is strong!
holy spelling and grammatical errors batman!
The hubby and I are so looking forward to PAX! We can’t wait to hear you speak, and we’re excited to see the Penny Arcade fellas too! I didn’t hear your 2007 speech, so I won’t be comparing. I bet many are just thrilled to have the opportunity to see you speak again (that’s my way of saying don’t be nervous). 😉
PAX is going to be a blast! I was going to wear my Browncoat I aim to misbehave t-shirt, but alas I’m 4 months pregnant…it just doesn’t look…quite right. So anyway, look for the pregnant lady in the audience, that will probably be me.
Congratulations on finishing with your sanity intact!
Now, you can start in on the PAX Seattle speech. I have a feeling they’re gonna ask you 🙂
you’re right, use MS Office online instead.
I thought you should start it off “My name is Evil Wil Wheaton…”
Hey Wil,
I am not going to be able to make your keynote unfortunately. I have to work driving WW2 amphibious vehicles around Boston while dressed up in a vaguely Evel Knievelesque costume. A rough job, but someone has too, well–you know. I would love to take you along on a tour. If you’re still in town Saturday or Sunday, come by the Prudential Center Boston Duck Tours stop and ask for Extreme Eddie Airtime (on the 10:00 rotation), and I’ll treat you to a tour. There aren’t many other Rhysling nominated (2010) former stuntmen who run DUKWs who will make you an offer like that!
Check it out: http://www.bostonducktours.com/conducktors_main.aspx?id=47
Break a leg on Friday.
Best,
Lucien E. G. Spelman
It’s comforting to hear that a great writer such as yourself feels sometimes that the things you write are not good or worthy. I feel like that quite a lot and facing the blank screen is terrifying. I hope the next time I feel like clicking the X and closing the screen, I remember than even Wil Wheaton feels he can’t write sometimes and that might give me some strength.
Cheers,
Natalie