I get these e-mail updates when someone registers here as a new user. For months, I see one or two every couple of days, and e-mail subscribers are holding steady just under 14,000. I feel like I’m in a bit of a growth plateau, which is a thing that happens.
Weirdly, yesterday morning, new user registration emails started pouring in, and didn’t stop all day. It looks like roughly 250 new accounts were created, which is a m a z i n g … if they are real people and not weird bots. So… are you a newly registered reader? If yes, would you Introduce yourself? Don’t be alarmed when the system tell you that I need to approve your comment; that’s by design. Thank you.
And now, on to the post.
I am profoundly scattered and distracted, on the verge of total overwhelm, because I’ve been working my face off on an audiobook that’s been as much fun as I expected, but is leaving me exhausted at the end of every session. It’s been interesting to note how my vocal fatigue starts to creep in right around 4 hours, about half an hour after my mental fatigue begins to do its thing. Somewhere in the world, there are a lot of recordings of me just hilariously messing up words because my brain can’t keep up.
It can sound ludicrous to anyone who works a 9-5 when I say that after 4 hours of work I’m damn close to both physical and mental exhaustion. It sounds ludicrous to me! But that’s a long time to be performing without a break, and I honestly can’t even imagine what going to six hours or more would feel like. I know people do it, and I tip my hat to them.
The work has been satisfying. The story and the characters are such a fun sandbox to play in, and it feels good to walk out of the studio every day feeling happily exhausted, and creatively fulfilled. I presume that most of you reading this know my whole story, so you know how hard it is for me to feel like I’m worst at what I do best, and it isn’t even something I ever wanted to do in the first place. Narrating audiobooks has opened up this whole amazing world to me where I’m pretty good at what I do best, and I love every second of it. I am so grateful that I have been able to take something that was imposed on me (being an actor), and pull something out of that that truly belongs to me (my narrative voice and skill set).
I feel like this is a good moment to pause and promote a little bit of that. I have been told that I have to promote my work so much I feel like it’s the only thing I do, that it’s way too much, that everyone is sick to death of hearing it … and then do a little more. Good lord. I remember when I thought that making the thing was the hard part; turns out that just letting people know the thing exists is so much harder than I remembered or anticipated.
So.
Here’s Still Just A Geek — currently on sale at Audible for $7.99 — which is roughly 24 hours of you and me sitting together on a long car trip while I tell you my life story to this point. My publisher tells me that it continues to outsell the print version, which is nearly sold out all over the place and is apparently becoming something people are collecting.
Uhhhh… okay? That’s not what I expected but thank you? That’s amazing.
Here are two stories I recently did for John Scalzi that I can confidently recommend to literally anyone whether they already like his work or don’t even know about it: Starter Villain and When The Moon Hits Your Eye. Both are a whole lot of fun, a little silly, light and easy without being empty calories, featuring characters who were deeply satisfying to discover and voice. (I mean, the dolphins. IYKYK).
Right now, Cory Doctorow is touring Picks & Shovels, the second novel in what I hope is an ongoing series that never ends, featuring a character named Martin Hench. I did this, and Bill Gates’ memoir, Source Code, and When The Moon Hits Your Eye, while I was doing the first season of It’s Storytime with Wil Wheaton and —
Dang. When I put it that way, I sound much more employed and accomplished than I feel. That’s probably a good thing for me to be aware of, so I can recalibrate my internal sensors to be more reliable.
Anyway, this work of the last four or five months is significant to me, and significant in my career. It’s a moment when I massively leveled up without even noticing that it was happening. It’s kind of like in Fallout 76, when I’ll be out in Wes Tek farming Super Mutants with my fun new “make everything explode” perk, and not even realize I’ve leveled up to a new perk pack. I wasn’t paying attention to the XP, because I was having so much fun doing the things that generated it, and now I have all this fun XP, new perks, and a better build than I did before. I can do things now that I didn’t know I would ever be able to do before. (That’s just for whoever is in the me and Fallout 76 Venn Diagram. The rest of you can safely move on, or ask someone who knows).
It’s Storytime with Wil Wheaton news and updates.
This week’s episode ends the first season, which is a major bummer because I feel like we’re just getting started, still introducing the show to the audience, still reaching for that tipping point. I originally planned to do ten, but we could only get seven, and I had no idea that three would be such a big and meaningful number. Let this be a lesson: listen to De La Soul, people. They know what they’re talking about.
Here is an obligatory link to the podcast homepage.
Here is a link to the podcast Patreon.
Here is where I tell you that I’m doing an AMA about these stories and everything that we did to bring them to you, a week from tomorrow (that would be Tuesday, May 6) for everyone who is in the Book Hound tier. I’m trying something I’ve heard on other podcasts: you can ask me questions in the voice mail format, that I can listen to and answer. I expect it will be fun to interact this way, and if it goes well, and I do more episodes, I’ll make it a monthly thing, maybe even weekly. The link for that will be posted to the show’s Patreon by the time this post goes live.
Finally, a teaser for this upcoming episode:
“It’s a ghost story, it’s a love story, it’s a gorgeous monologue that cries out to be staged in the real life theatre where the titular play is set … so I invite you to take your seat, because the house lights are coming down and I’m about to begin.”
Thanks for reading, and thanks for listening. I’m glad you’re here.
Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hi Wil,
You are a much needed breath of fresh air in this chaotic world we find ourselves in. Thank you for being humorously honestly you!
Lots of ‘you’s’ in this, so will finish with another just to round everything off. You’re the best (my mom used to tell me that)!
Hello! Ive been here a year now, still getting used to blogging, but I do enjoy it greatly! Your life sounds interesting! I always wondered how it would be to be a narrator of audio books, it seems like a dream job! However I can understand the strain on your voice, and the fatigue. Honey and lemon tea for you!
Hiya! New subscriber, long time follower over on TUMBLR. Hahaha, not some weird robot. I’m looking forward to the stories Will. So far loving the variety and your reading is excellent. Keep up the good work and the good fight. Much love from Florida (Groan, I know, I know, but we aren’t ALL crazy and outdated here in the sunshine state).
Yay Tumblr! Hellsite (affectionate) FTW!
Wil, thanks for honestly sharing, btw, I’m a real person (as far as I know). “tuna fish sandwich” “banana” and some other “non-AI-Bot stuff”.
Longtime reader, first-time subscriber. Seriously, I think I’ve been reading your blog since before the days of Pentium II processors, if we can relate time in that particular measure. Looking forward to reading more, and maybe less sporadically now that I’ll get notified of new posts rather than just randomly checking amid the daily hubbub.
Hi Wil, yes I’m a real person, always look forward to your posts. Don’t fret over getting old, I’ve got more than a decade on you and it happens to me daily! 🤣
Hello Mr. Wheaton,
I am certainly not a bot, though I am old enough that small parts of me are now metal. While we may root for different teams, I think we can both agree that Playoff Hockey is the Best Hockey. Your story about your voice reminds me of teaching. While I never presented (not lectured) for the full hour, I was often talking for nearly all of class time. Every new year, it would take about a month for my voice to get back into shape!
Hi Wil. I am a huge fan of your writing. Getting 2 new posts ina day is truly a treat. I want to thank you for all your insights. You have helped me identify and defeat my Depression Monster and his buddy Anxiety Fiend. Live long and we all prosper. A fellow sci fi geek, Michele
Happy Day, Wil – human Chandler here. I’ve been following the blog WWdN via Feedly for a long time. Your journey is one that I relate to on some level. I am happy for you and with you. And reading about your struggles over all these years finally “got to me” and in some ways gave me permission to seek therapy for my own inner-child. Thank you for the encouragement that you didn’t know you were giving me.
And while I will miss you on Ready Room (the previous versions were fine, but you made it so much better), I am looking forward to seeing your new projects grow and bloom. LLAP. 🖖
Hi Wil! waves I’m not new either; I’ve left a few comments and -then- realized I’d forgotten to do all the WordPress stuff so I could stay subscribed and informed. Apologies, I’m learning – I didn’t have any blog experience growing up/into adulthood until Tumblr became a thing and then faded away.
I’m here because of Wesley, Chaos, TBBT Wil Wheaton, Just A Geek/Still Just A Geek, etc. + a similar childhood upbringing experience and was stuck in survival mode for most of my life. Like a lot of Gen Xers, we (in general) were 30 at 8 years old and now as I approach 50, am still 30. Thank you :).
I totally get the voice fatigue thing.
Outside of the occasional phone call, I will not speak at all for my typical 8-9 hour work day. That switches over to me having a normal conversation all day long when I do training for new hires a few times a year. By the end of the first day my throat feels like I have been gargling broken glass. I have no idea how people can read outloud with passion and inflection for hours on end and not end up completely mute.
My hat is off to you and the others that can perform this feat. I switched from music to audiobooks for my daily workouts a little less than a year ago and I am finally witling down my “literary pile of shame”.
I’m new (just subscribed) and I read your post about creating a new account/commenting, so I’m posting this to see what happens, since I do not see a “create account” button, or whatever. Also, I’m dumb (obviously) 🙂
I usually read on my RSS feed but clicked through to the “egg” post and subscribed on Spotify. Loving the content – and sending my hockey sympathies in advance from up here in Edmonton >:D
RSS! I, too, remember and cling to the Old Ways.
Glad you’re here, Elz.
I also started following with RSS, and still do, but when you brought in the subscribe box I signed up for that as well.
You asked so nicely I couldn’t refuse. 😉
Wil I am LOVING It’s Story Time. I have listened to all of them so far and the little bite sized bits are fabulous snack food. It’s a great way to let go for hour and let you take me to wherever the book is headed. Not a deep dive, just enough of a snack to tide one over for the next real meal. SO great. Not at all new, but loving this new adventure.
Hi Wil , Troy here, I’m a tree guy and really like reading your stuff. Been following you for some years. You seem like your doing way better and I am super happy for you.
Hi Wil, this is all so exciting! I’m excited for you. And yes, recalibrate those expectations, you’re doing great.
Hi Wil, I subscribed to your emails as a longtime reader and fellow GenXer (and not a weird bot). I grew up with you, it seems, and many years ago after first stumbling across your new-at-the-time website, I wrote you an email to tell you the impact of your acting! (Which I shudder to imagine now, since I’m pretty sure it was 20 years ago) Anyway – happy to be here among friends.
I finally subscribed within the last couple of weeks, but I’ve been a semi regular follower of your blog since at least 2013 (possibly longer), when you shared a picture of our then 10 month old son, as the 11th Doctor, in your Emerald City Comic Con recap. My wife and I are only a few years younger than you, so we’ve been following you since that fateful day in September 1986. I love reading all of you thoughts and musings.
I’m not too new you your great emails but… definitely human 🤪🫶🏼
Hi Wil! I’m definitely real, and a long time follower (really long time) I also look forward to your posts, and your different adventures. Take care of yourself 🤓
I’m a (real) new subscriber, though I could have sworn I’d signed up earlier. Yet obviously not! I was at the Anne and Wil talk on Sunday and popped over here afterward to catch up a bit, so I signed up then.
I recently made it through the 24-hour “Still Just a Geek” audiobook (in four sections, in bits and pieces while I drove around doing errands, because short-term library loans), and so much of what you wrote deeply resonated with me (so I then bought both the audiobook and a hardback copy). I have found the same kind of virtual support, inspiration, and entertainment in your other writings online, so it was high time I kept more in touch.
Thank you, Wil, for all of this. It means so much to me, especially in this dumpster-fire world. And I also greatly appreciate the indirect encouragement to get to my own writing. 😉
I’ve been a long time fan. Next Generation was MY Star Trek and Picard will always be my captain. I was born in 1966 and so was too young for the original. You guys came along at just the right time. I was in college when TNG came out, so I’m a bit older than you, but I loved Wesley. I wanted to be in your place. And when when you became the Traveller? My dream!
Much later, I learned you were a audiobook narrator. I loved the Amber books, The Martian, and Ready Player One (haven’t listened to the second one yet). You were great in The Big Bang Theory and Eureka. Then I read Still Just a Geek. Well, I listened to you reading it, and it was awesome. I followed you on Facebook, and when things get overwhelming and I snooze all of the pages I follow so I can only see my friends, you and David Gerrold are the only two that stay.
I’m loving your podcast. I never read short stories and I never really liked people reading to me, but you changed all of that. I’ll actually stop what I’m listening to when each new one comes out and go straight to the story. You also got me listening to your space mom’s podcast. I found the one where she talked to you, and now I’m working my way through them. I love all of you guys and hope to spend a lot more time with you. I love your wife, kids, and fur babies, too.
Oh, one more thing. You’re my inspiration to write. I have all of these things that I want to say, but I couldn’t get the words “just right”, and you said that you just started your blog like a journal, so I decided to try it with a Substack account.
New subscriber here. I looked you up to ask if you will be attending the Star Trek Convention in Vegas. You were in Chicago a few years ago, at McCormick Place and I saw you at a distance but regretted not getting a picture or an autograph. Hoping you will turn up in Vegas in August.
Comment from a Real Person (existentially, anyway) reporting in as requested, who is glad you are persevering in your work! Thanks, Wil!
Hi! I’m a new user – not a bot!! I saw your facebook post and realized I can get your word directly into my inbox so I did it YAY!!! This is my introduction! Happy working, i love your audiobooks that I have listened to!
I’m a long-time RSS subscriber, but subscribing by email so you have an idea that I’m out here. Definitely a real person and friend of the blog for over a decade now. Checked calendar. 20 years?! That can’t be right. Glad you’re doing Storytime! I have nostalgia for Radio Free Burrito.
I’ve been reading your blog off and on since you started. Don’t take it offensively, my interests come and go. Love what you do.
I’m excited that I found your blog. Been a fan since back in the day but was actually searching for something completely different. Happy accident. While I’m here, if you like slightly-obscure, long-form history blogs, check out my work.
I am so excited I found this blog! I just got “Still Just a Geek” on Audible, and I’ve already re-listened to several parts because they’re just that great!
I’m Anna, and I wrote a fan letter to you back in the day. I got a response and although I lost the postcard you sent, I still remember it and always will 🙂
I love that you’re willing to talk about your journey. It is encouraging like you wouldn’t believe!
I hope you are having a good day when you read this and if not, I hope it gets better. Looking forward to reading more of your work!
Hi! I’m a new subscriber. I just started listening to your Stiil Just a Geek. You keep mentioning that you always wanted to go to college. Go! I’m a year older than you and I graduated at age 47. You’ll feel old but you’ll love it. Go!