I am no longer on a boat…

Posted on By Wil

…but my inner ear is pretty convinced that I am. Goodtimes. Goodtimes.

Until I have enough moments in a row to reflect on and recount the amazing and wonderful time I had on #JoCoCruiseCrazy, I wanted to take a second to share the best part of the entire trip for me:

For seven days and six nautical nights, every single person who met my kids told me how much they liked Ryan and Nolan. Words like "articulate" and "polite" and "hilarious" and "awesome" were used more than once. As a father, this is the best thing I can ever hear, and I'm incredibly proud of my kids for being exactly who they are.

More to come, but probably not for a couple of days.

Happy New Year. I’m on a boat.

Posted on By Wil

Photo on 2010-08-15 at 15.31

I'm going to be on JoCo Cruise Crazy until January 8. I thought it was kind of important to stay connected, keep Twittering and blogging and Internetting while I was on a boat, but after much deliberation, decided that I will not be purchasing Holland America's Yes, We Use The Whole Fist internet package. 

I'm not going to lie to you, Marge: the idea of no internet for a whole week makes me a little twitchy, but it's been a really hectic end of the year, and I think that I'll enjoy myself a heck of a lot more if I stay offline, read books, play games, enjoy the time with my family, and get my geek on at every opportunity.

One final thought before I sign off: I looked at my desk a couple nights ago, and told Anne, "I sat there for months and wrote Dancing Barefoot and Just A Geek. That's where I started my blog, and built my first website." I paused for a moment, because I felt a lump rising in my throat. "Remember how frustrated and scared I was ten years ago? How hard I was struggling?"

"Yeah," she said, quietly.

"I don't want to be all 'hey, look how great I am,' but I'm so grateful that my hard work finally paid off."

She put her arms around my waist and kissed me. "Me too." 

I held her for a second. "It all started right here. Isn't that weird?"

"I don't think it's weird. I think it's kind of awesome."

I kissed her face and she kissed me back.

2010 was easily the best year I've had in a decade, and 2011 is looking like it's going to be pretty amazing, too. So happy new year to you all, and thank you for reading my blog and my books, watching me on TV, interacting with me on Twitter, and just being part of this incredible chapter in my life. 

Happy New Year, everyone! Talk to you in a week.

Let’s take a ride out, see what we can find

Posted on By Wil

"If it's true about there being no rest for the wicked, then I must have been very naughty indeed." –Charlie Stross

Yes, I just compared myself to Charlie Stross. It must be the coffee and lack of sleep talking. Go me.

I leave for JoCo Cruise Crazy in just a few days, so I've been too busy preparing to do anything here on the old bloggy-blog-bloggity-blog, but I wanted to take a moment to remind all interested parties that there is just one day left to get a print copy of The Day After And Other Stories. 

I'm thrilled and delighted that The Day After and Other Stories has sold as well as it has, and I'm relieved and excited to hear such good feedback from so many readers. Writing fiction still feels a little strange, and actually publishing it still scares the shit out of me, but having faced it once now and returned relatively unscathed, it probably won't be quite as scary the next time.

of books and beards

Posted on By Wil

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.

Related:

  OMG_BEARD

(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.