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2458 words cut (77348 remain) on the revisions of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything

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I usually put these updates on my Tumblr thingy, but this one is of particular significance, so I’m putting it front and center on my blog.

I’m pretty sure I just finished the final draft, including revisions, of the novel I’ve been working on for a little over a year. As a matter of fact, I’m going to send this final draft to my editor right now. I’ll be right back.

…okay, I’m back. I know it took you seconds to get from the end of the previous sentence to this one, but if you are wondering, it took me about half the duration of “Waiting For The Man,” which is part of the playlist I made for this novel, to write and send the email, with the manuscript attached. It’s kind of cool that I just feel excited and enthused about it, instead of feeling like I’m going to throw up.

I’ve been working on the last two chapters of this book for a long time. The feedback from all the beta readers, regardless of which revision they read, has pretty consistently said “[lots of feedback] and the ending needs work, because it just … sort of … ends. Abruptly.” I took that feedback to heart, and watched many self-imposed deadlines race by me while my creative self just refused to give me anything for months. Eventually, I decided to stop randomly flipping over mental rocks, and expecting to find the ending, fully formed, sitting there waiting for me. Eventually, I accepted that the only way I’d find the ending was to sit down, commit to a deadline that I would not miss, and write as many different endings as I needed to, until one of them was the right one.

So I tried out a lot of different endings while over the last couple of weeks. I’ve written and thrown away probably ten thousand words in the last few days, alone, until yesterday. I knew that I’d end up cutting nearly everything I’d written, but I also knew that all the pieces I needed to assemble into the right ending were there … I just couldn’t see them.

I turned it in and spent three hours unwinding in Horizon: Zero Dawn (I’m late to the party but what a great game it is!) before I went to bed. My editor sent it back with some notes and suggestions while I was sleeping, and when I looked at it this morning, I knew that I was going to finish today. Which is good, because today is the Totally Official It Has To Be Done Today deadline!

I made a joke about how I was going to drag myself over broken glass, only to find an ending that is totally obvious once I see it. That wasn’t too far off. I love the way this story ends, now. I hope it hits the same emotional notes in the readers as it hits in me, and I hope that someone who hasn’t followed the process with me won’t even be aware of how much of a struggle it was to find it, because OMG IT IS SO OBVIOUSLY THE ONLY WAY IT COULD END.

Sometimes, as an actor, I have to try out performance choices that I think are wrong, just to confirm that they’re wrong, and to give myself the chance to discover something I didn’t know was in me, or in the material. In those cases, it’s just a matter of spending time in rehearsal and preparation, following the map that the writer has given me. It was a heck of an experience to do essentially the same thing as a writer, without the map, because the map didn’t exist until I made it.

Holy shit, you guys, I wrote a novel.

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14 September, 2018 Wil

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this is how i know i’m a writer → ← captured here in my quotation marks

97 thoughts on “2458 words cut (77348 remain) on the revisions of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything”

  1. Wil says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    Because I’m pretty sure it’ll be a FAQ: I don’t know when this will be published. I haven’t decided it I’m going to self-publish, or shop it. I do know that I will do the audiobook and release it on my bandcamp, as usual.

    1. KimJ says:
      14 September, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      Something for us to look forward to whenever and however it is released.

    2. Braid Kopling says:
      14 September, 2018 at 6:48 pm

      However you do it, where’s the line? I want on the wait list!
      I’m excited for you, Wil. Enjoy this ride.

  2. Deb from Maryland says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    Yay!!!!!!

  3. andrewc437 says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    Huzzah! Congratulations Wil! I’m certain that weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Can’t wait to read/listen to it!

  4. Mike says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    Good for you. That’s serious hard work. You should be proud!

  5. Davi MacLeod says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    ..coolies!..

  6. Jason Stonehouse says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    Congratulations on this accomplishment! No matter when (not if, when) this sees the light of day, this is something to be really proud of.

  7. Beth S. says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:13 pm

    For what it’s worth, I’m super proud and excited for you. Grinding through a major project, seeing the finish… dude that’s HUGE. Congrats and I hope we all get to read it someday soon!

  8. FTB says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    That’s fantastic! good on you. How does one become one of your beta readers? i’d pitch in joyfully

    1. Wil says:
      14 September, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      I have a couple friends whose work I admire, and who I trust to give me honest feedback. I’m very lucky to know them!

  9. Sarah says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    Congratulations!

  10. FTB says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    Good on you! Sending good thoughts your way for your dream outcome

  11. Carlos Gutierrez says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    A really great thing to do. It,s incredible to lookout for the time and will to do it.
    Allready waiting to read it.

  12. Shayla Jacobsen says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:31 pm

    Yay, you finished it! That’s an incredible achievement and I can’t WAIT to read it! Congratulations!

  13. Cheryl Doyle says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    I’m sitting here watching Chris Hayes on MSNBC talking about the Manafort Flip. Feeling really good for you and pretty good for the rest of us. Congratulations!

  14. KimJ says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    That is so awesome! Way to go and congratulations !! I am really looking forward to reading it! Thanks for sharing this with us.

  15. jrmurdock says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:44 pm

    Big congratulations! Finishing something is hard when it comes to a creative endeavor. I hope you’re excited enough to take a short break and dive in with a new effort. Now that you have momentum at your back, see if you can make use of it and press forward.

    Very excited to see this effort.

    I’ve been a reader on your blog for quite some time and this is my first comment. I’m proud of how honest you are with your audience. Never change, unless you feel there is good reason to and you do so for reasons that are best for you.

  16. David Helm says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:46 pm

    Super awesome!

  17. Lizz says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:55 pm

    Super proud you hit your deadline. When you said you wrote several endings my first thought was CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!!! Only slightly disappointed you found your ending. Can’t wait to read it.

    1. JoyceArtadi says:
      15 September, 2018 at 7:05 am

      That went well through my mind as well.

  18. Cyn Hanrahan McC says:
    14 September, 2018 at 5:57 pm

    Holy shit, Congratulations! Whenever, however it eventually becomes public, I’m looking forward to reading it. And I really do like audio books.

  19. Paul Owen says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:04 pm

    Nice work. Looking forward to reading the finished product.

    Some of us out here have always been fans and enjoyed everything we’ve seen you do. Thanks for sharing.

  20. Night says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    Awesome!

  21. Robin says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:08 pm

    Congratulations!!! I can’t wait to read it and then go to see you give a reading and Q&A!

  22. V says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    Good on you! I’ve loved following along as you chronicled The Short Story That Didn’t Know When to Stop. I really enjoyed ‘Dead Trees Give No Shelter’ so I’m looking forward to reading your novel. Thank you for being so open with your Creative Process ™, including when things got stuck, stalled out, or went totally sideways on you. I have no doubt that you’ve helped many more writers and writers-to-be along the way than you realized. You’re good people! Keep being as excellent to yourself as you are to others.

  23. Debbie Campbell says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    Grats! Looking forward to it 🙂

  24. araminta63 says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Normally I’m a reader.. but I only recently listened to Ready Player One and I thought you did a great job. So I’ll be holding out for the audiobook this time.

    Congratulations!

  25. orangerful says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    Congratulations!!!

    I also just started ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ and while I’m getting my butt kicked over and over, I’m still enjoying it. Boss fights are brutal and I suck at the tripcaster, but the story!!! I must find out what happened!! 🙂 Happy gaming.

    1. Wil says:
      14 September, 2018 at 6:54 pm

      I set it on story mode, because I didn’t want to get bogged down in combat. I mostly care about exploring the world and the story, so that mode works out very well for me.

  26. Ryan Stahl says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    That’s so amazing! Congratulations!

    Really excited for you. Can’t wait to give it a read.

    Zero Dawn was a great game. Take a victory lap after finishing your book and enjoy.

  27. johntshea says:
    14 September, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    Congratulations!

  28. Mimi says:
    14 September, 2018 at 7:09 pm

    Holy shit indeed. I can’t wait to read it.

  29. Julie T Byers says:
    14 September, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    Very proud of you, Wil! I look forward to seeing what journey you’ll take us on in this book!

  30. Virginia White says:
    14 September, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    What a sense of accomplishment you must feel – revel in it! 😀
    Congratulations and here’s to success however you release it.

  31. Mike says:
    14 September, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    Any chance the “Waiting for the Man” playlist is public somewhere? Knowing you and your taste in music (plus what you’ve said about the direction of this book), I imagine I would LOVE to hear this list.

    1. Wil says:
      14 September, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      It isn’t currently public, but there’s a very good chance that I’ll release it when I’m promoting the book.

  32. Lisa says:
    14 September, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    Are you going to paint illustrations for it?

  33. Judy Schutz says:
    14 September, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    So excited for you!!

  34. LaRena’s Corner says:
    14 September, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    Right on! Way to go!! COOL!

  35. Fel says:
    14 September, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    Congrats Wil! Well done!

  36. Kate says:
    14 September, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    Fantastic!! (And I join the long list of folks with building anticipation to get a chance to read your creation) I’m so excited for you. That’s a great accomplishment.
    Congratulations!! You wrote a novel!!

  37. Cindy Howard says:
    14 September, 2018 at 9:40 pm

    Can’t wait to read it!

  38. Raney Simmon says:
    14 September, 2018 at 9:58 pm

    Congrats on finishing the book Will!

  39. mommatrek says:
    14 September, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    Holy shit, Wil. YOU WROTE A FUCKING NOVEL!

    I am so PROUD of you. <3

    I cannot wait till this is published.

  40. joshuamneff says:
    14 September, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    With all of the different endings you tried out, in how many of them did the main character actually find the Jewels of Nabooti?

    1. Andrew Hackard says:
      15 September, 2018 at 8:44 am

      I understood this reference. #CYOAfistbump

      1. joshuamneff says:
        15 September, 2018 at 8:51 am

        #CarlosIsThePrince

    2. Wil says:
      15 September, 2018 at 11:50 am

      Let’s just say I cut twelve pages that featured a certain Carlos.

  41. cynhilde says:
    14 September, 2018 at 11:39 pm

    Congratulations! I’ve never listened to Audio Books, but I find myself wanting to hear your voice. What’s the best way to find your “bandcamp”, whatever that is. Thanks!

    1. Wil says:
      15 September, 2018 at 11:51 am

      Oh, it’s at wilwheaton.bandcamp.com

  42. captainjaq says:
    15 September, 2018 at 12:01 am

    Congrats!! Finishing your first novel is a huge accomplishiment!!!

  43. Andy S says:
    15 September, 2018 at 12:01 am

    Well done, look forward to reading!

  44. Suzanne says:
    15 September, 2018 at 1:34 am

    I just love this! Such an inspiration on so many levels–Be Proud!

    Can’t wait to read your novel!

  45. shiv says:
    15 September, 2018 at 3:01 am

    congratulations! well done 🙂

  46. Kimberly Husband says:
    15 September, 2018 at 4:05 am

    Congratulations! You’re terrific writer. I can’t wait to read the book.

  47. Helene Kilhavn says:
    15 September, 2018 at 4:14 am

    Congratulations! 😁

  48. Cathy says:
    15 September, 2018 at 4:17 am

    Fantastic! Wil! So excited… your 2458 post is very well written and has made me really want to read your book! I love the way you’ve matured over the years in how you deal with the world, and in building a positive outlook. So proud of you! And congratulations on your successful writing process!

  49. Alan Burnstine says:
    15 September, 2018 at 4:52 am

    Congratulations, and thanks again for sharing your creative process. It has been fascinating to ride along on this journey.

  50. Mook says:
    15 September, 2018 at 5:07 am

    🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

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