Sales of The Day After and Other Stories have blown my expectations away, and the feedback I've received has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm relieved and happy that so many readers are enjoying it, and if you're one of them, I thought you should know that you've given me +5 to my saves vs. Paralyzing Fear of Writing and Publishing Fiction. I woke up at 4am yesterday and wrote for 10 hours straight, because my brain was all, Dude! You have to finish this thing you started two months ago and abandoned because you were afraid of it!
I finished the draft, and though it still needs a little work, it was tremendously satisfying to stare down my fear and enjoy telling the story. I have something I'm proud of, that I should be able to publish in the very near future.
More on The Day After and Other Stories, previously posted on my blog.
It's raining a lot here. Last night on Twitter, John Scalzi asked me if he could have my beard, should the storm wash me away. I told him that my beard could be used as a flotation device, so ha ha ha. One thing led to another, and John created a full-on Twitter Meme called #LegendsOfWilsBeard. There were thousands of hilarious and clever posts, and new ones are still showing up today.
(Thanks to @Alxhm, who found it at Reddit before I did.)
If you haven't read John's Interview With The Nativity Inn Keeper and Interview With The Christmas Bunny, you probably want to do that right now.
And now that you've read those, you're ready to move on to The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas.
You're welcome.
That .gif is seriously missing a subtitle: DEAL WITH IT.
Holy crap you linked Hyperbole and a Half.
This is the greatest day ever.
Glad you liked it! Also glad I put it on imgur and not my personal blog. π And yes, it was totally ripped off of the Riker transform.
Fear the Beard! Praise the Beard!
Randomly: As I was zapping through my TV channels in Germany (home for the holidays), I happened across Deep Core and only stayed on the channel because I spotted you. Your dubbed German voice is hilarious and utterly generic (as are most German dub voices so nothing to worry about).
Oh no, did you just die?
So luxurious!
NaNo did the same thing for me that your little book is doing for you (but on a smaller scale.) I lost all my self esteem for writing somewhere between high school and college, and now that I’m an adult I’ve been trying REALLY hard just to freak out and delete everything I write. Then I went and freaking WON NaNo and now my brain is all happy and creative and NOT SCARED.
Here’s to creativity! *chink*
Ordered my copy of the book this morning… looking eagerly forward to it’s arrival!
Thanks for sharing both the cool gif and John’s interviews with us readers. I particularly liked the Inn Keeper one.
As for The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas, it’s not possible for me to move onto that, seeing as I had already read it last night. To read it again, which I have, would obviously create a loop in my activity, which it has. It is not possible to move onto something whilst stuck in the continuity of it. And… I’ve just confused myself.
I just bought my hardcopy of the book too. Now, if I can only meet Evil Wil and see if he’ll sign it!
That's AWESOME!! Keep writing!
Re: the rain. I hope your parents/their house are okay. I think of them whenever I hear “lots of rain causes mudslides in California.”
Thank you for sharing those links with us. The Kenny Loggins one was pee your pants funny.
There is too much awesome in this post and of course, the links add enough extra awesomesauce to completely invert the universe.
One of these days I’m going to read every single post at Hyperbole and a Half, with comments, from the beginning. It’s that good.
But before I do, I’d better pick up some Depends and something to clean the monitor with. Could be messy.
Thanks for asking. They aren't in an evacuation area, but they're very close to one. I've been checking in with my mom, and she tells me that everything is okay.
Did you realize you’ve shown up on DieselSweeties today?
http://dieselsweeties.com/
What higher honor than Kitten’s Choice, 5 times in a row!
π
Don’t you mean: WIL WITH IT
Picked up my copy of the printed book. Also, went ahead and got me a copy of “Memories” so I’ve got that goin for me.
Which is nice.
Going to order mine tonight! Can’t wait, and congrats!!
We should all be blessed with your good looks. Merry Christmas and a very happy new year, Wil. π
That is freaking awesome! Chuck Norris may have a fist in his beard, but you sir, have a beard that can travel through time! I knew you learned something cool from that Traveller dude. π
Have you considered popping onto Ficly and writing some ficlets about your beard? π
I am traveling for the holidays starting tomorrow… so my flight will be taking me farther away from my copy of the book that is on it’s way here. I should have had it shipped to my future in-laws house! Now I must suffer a weeks wait to be able to enjoy my Christmas gift to myself.
Darn family stuff anyway… *grumble grumble* π
Oh hey, Merry Christmas!
Time-Traveling Beard is my Sarah Jane Chronicles tribute band.
I’m looking forward to reading you fiction. But i’m also eager to know if there will be a Memories of the Future: Vol. 2. Please, please, please say yes!
Title reminds me too much of The Walrus and The Carpenter from Through the Looking-Glass, so I have to finish it…
The time has come, the Wheaton said,
to talk of many things.
of books and beards and mustache wax,
of what favorite musicians sing,
of radios that are burrito free,
and worries of fiction publishing.
First, congrats on the success of your fiction writing. As to the beard: when are you returning to your leading role in CSI? Oh, wait. Your last name is Wheaton, not Peterson……..
Wil – Thought you might be interested, an article on Big Bang Theory in Canadian newspapers today lists the notable “geekiest guest stars”. You’re listed, in rather flattering terms, as follows:
1) Wil Wheaton: Despite the almost universal hatred of his Star Trek character, Wesley Crusher, Wil Wheaton has cemented his place as one of the smartest, wittiest and kindest people in Geekdom. That’s why Wheaton’s recurring role on Big Bang is so genius; he plays an absolutely evil version of himself that’s set on destroying Sheldon Cooper at all costs. He has no qualms about lying about a dead grandmother or breaking up a happy couple, as long as it means Wil comes out ahead. The weird part? Evil Wil Wheaton is still more likable than Wesley Crusher.
Wow, cool! I wouldn't have seen this if you hadn't pointed it out. Thanks!
*watches tumbleweeds as nobody gets it*
The funniest part about the article in the Canadian papers is that the photo they used of you is from when you were on ST:TNG.
Danica, Mayim and everyone else gets a recent photo but they reach into the file folder from way back for yours.
maybe they fear the beard?
Long-time reader, first-time commenter… Congrats on overcoming the fear monster in regards to your writing. I’m still trying to leap over that hurdle to no avail.
Also, that image is made of win.
Just ordered my copy of The day after and other stories and I am really excited to get it. I recieved my copies of Just a Geek and Walking Barefoot and I loved them both. I hope to one day meet you in person so that you can sign them for me. The possibilty of me attending any conventions in the near future looks grim. I don’t have what you call a disposable income in fact I barely have an income at all. You never know though cause miracles happen every day and I am long over due for mine lol. If your ever in San Francisco maybe our paths will cross and that miracle will happen till then never stop writing and remembergeeks rule!!!
Just bought the pdf and read it on my wife’s nook! Awesome stuff. In particular, I really enjoyed both The Day After and Poor Places. Room 302 struck me as a bit vague, but I’ll give it a re-read later on, maybe I’ll get it. Fantastic work. Don’t listen to that internal jackass who says you suck. He sucks. Keep writing, and get us that novel we’re all waiting for. Thanks for a good(if short) read.
Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to you and yours. I hope you’re having a good one! ^_^
I’m finally back in a house with unlimited broadband so I just bought the PDF. π
Hope your Xmas break was as excellent as mine, mine was very snowy.
As I was trying to catch up after the holidays and 2 impending final exams I was looking forward to the legends of Wil’s Beard however this is what I received –“Older Tweet results for #LegendsofWilsBeard are unavailable.” Alas I must wait for memoirs to be published..