Nice bit of writing there, Wil. Congratulations on what looks like is going to be a very successful book! Nice to have your editor on your side, huh?

Wil, I'm impressed. I really am. I imagine this explains why I haven't heard from you in so long, so I'll forgive it.
But nice going. Really.

Wil! Yay! You're back...sort of. I am absolutely salivating for JAG. It's gonna be so awesome! I know it. And apparently your rockin' editor does too. Congratulations on such a glowing review. There will be many more to come.

Wil:

With all this success and adulation, what's going to be come of the wry, wistful (sometimes downtrodden) Wil we've always wanted to buoy up? The "everygeek" Wil we all identified with? The Wil trooping out dutifully, sometimes ecstatically on auditions who slouched home, treading painfully the glittering Hollywood sidewalks? Wil...just...don't ...become...William F'in Shatner.....

Congrats, dude. You're the best.

Peter

Oooo... now if I can only figure out a way to score one of the first dozen copies the way I scored one of the first dozen or so of Dancing Barefoot that go shipped! Right up there on my bookshelf next to my Twian first editions. Well done, Wil!

is the surprise forward by WFS?
that _would_ be a shock :)

I cannot wait for JAG to come out. I've read 'Dancing Barefoot' 3 times already. I laughed, I cried, I revelled in my geekitude along with you.
And now you tease us with one of your little soul-baring slice o'life stories that we know and love so well... just enough to drive me crazy until I can get a copy of JAG to find out the rest of the story!!!

Wow will i'm going to be chomping at the bit of get JAG! i can't wait! your a kick butt writer!

Wow. Simply, wow.

Your writing style has truly grown and flourished since "the beginning". This book is going to be a must-read for anyone who considers themselves a fan, whether it be a fan of Star Trek, a fan of B-movies, a fan of this blog, or simply a fan of you, Wil Wheaton.

I am impressed. :)

Great going Wil!! I can't wait till JAG comes out..Dancing Barefoot was a great book and I am sure JAG will be to..Keep it up!!

I must have the JAG book...I must have the JAG book...

Peter: you raise an interesting point.

I'm not going to lie and say that I miss the days of busting my ass for an audition, only to fail yet again.

I'm incredibly lucky, and I'm enjoying some positive balance to all the negative unhappiness and frustration that you refer to.

I'm under no illusion that things will always be as good as they are right now, so I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts . . . without turning into WILLIAM FUCKING SHATNER, I hope.

Congrats Wil I can't weight to read the book Congrats again on getting it done. Can weight to get it.

Oh Wil, it sounds great. You drew me right in. I can't wait for JAG to come out. I know it will be worth the wait. Keep going.

A-yup. Count me in as just one more person in what will most likely turn out to be a very long line of accolade-spewing fans.

Just point me to the pay-pal button, and I'll be clicking. Heck, tack on an extree 20$ for the signed copy, and you'll still get at least 3 sales from me. Christmas is coming soon!

proud to see you done so much in the last few days on your writing :) keep it up wil!

It's been a while since the last update, but worth the wait. Now don't get distracted by the flood of comments and emails sure to follow -- just finish the book. :]

I've gotta add, mate: your book will be available in more than just american bookstores. Hopefully soon, I will be able to amuse my uni bookshop clerks by hopping about wildly, squealing, clutching a copy of JAG - at the other end of the world!!!!
Go on now... finish that book!

Really happy for you in B'mouth, love to the fam!

Patty :)

Aww! Wil, that had me in tears! Tears!! Oh my gosh. Aww. Way to go Wil! In an odd way- especially since I in no way know you- I'm kinda proud o' ya. Yup. I said it. Don't expect a repeat either. It's a one time deal. Unless of course by some freak mis-hap I happened to have typed that about you earlier. In which case, well, in which case I still mean it.
Geez, I'm a dork. Gotta go back to the real world now. Pointe shoes and tap grooves. Tap sucks, btw. Rocks.

Quoth the Editor:

"First, let me say a "Thank you" to all of you guys, who made "Dancing Barefoot" nothing short of a phenomenon..."

Hmmm...Wil, I suspect you may need a back-up editor. If so, give me a ring.

wow! Now I really can't wait for Just a Geek to hit the shelves!
Good job Wil! You should be proud of yourself :)

wil,

I can't wait to get the whole book. Just reading through those few paragraphs, I felt like I was right there with you. Felling the same things you were feeling, tears and all. That's a great sign of a great writer. getting me the reader to feel what you want me to feel. Good job.

Paul

"Wil has literally busted his tail to get this done"

Wow, so sorry to hear that you busted your tail. I hope you recover soon. (I really hate it when people misuse the word literally - just one of my pet peeves, the fact that he is an editor hurts).

Other than that (I'm sure you'll recover soon) - CONGRATS! I love Dancing Barefoot and I'm sure I'll love Just a Geek.

Wow, I'm blown away, both by your editor's comments, and the short preview of Just A Geek (I hate the letters "JAG" because of that horrible TV show JAG, which my roommate was on as an extra, and somehow got to keep his the naval academy replica ring he got to wear for the role).

I can't wait to get my signed collector's copy, which I'll hide away to keep in pristine condition, while I read and abuse my 2nd copy.

\m/ Wheaton ROCKS!

Wil,

Once again you brought a tear to my eye. I was standing right there beside you as you walked onto the lot. You're sharing these memories... these moments of your life with us. You made us part of your life. For that we will be forever grateful.

I salute you, Wil Wheaton, writer, actor and all-round good guy.

*raises his pint of Guinness as he sits at the Hooters bar in Pasadena*

- Guillermo

PS- I'm not a stalker... just another Guinness and Hooters lover. ;)

major congrats, wil! freakin' awesome. can't wait for the book ...

Wow...O'Reilley reall IS all that and a bag of chips. It's really cool to know there are companies that make it big that really do care about the people that do the work (the authors, in the case of a publishing house).

I keep saying this I know, but again, congrats Wil! I will certainly grab JAG the week it comes out--I can't wait.

Wil, hearing about you having all of your hard work pay off really is terrific. Your loyal readers do like to be able to send off the mojo when you're down, but we're also totally jazzed* about it when you succeed. It's a little well-needed reminder that hard work does pay off.

Hmmm...I wonder who's writing the forward...Patrick Stewart? Gene Roddenberry (MHRiP) would have been perfect, but he's not available unless O'Reily has a _really_ good booking manager. Obviously not WFS, and I don't know that Wil's has been personally fond of Lenard Nimoy. Hmmm...Carrie Fischer (another actor-turned-writer)? Neil Gaiman? Whoever it is, can't wait!

*As far as I know, I picked up this expression from _Stand By Me_. How cool is that?

So, after this book is a huge success, who do you think's gonna play Wil in the movie version?

I have been a fan of yours for some time, but I don't quite understand why you hate William Shatner. Is it personal or just on principle?
Emily

Wil,

1st time, long time.

I enjoy everything about your site, blog, career, and everything else. Hope all is well and maybe be lucky enough to have you respond back.

I'm awaiting with much anticipation for the release of your latest endevour JAG!!!!11

Good luck with everything!

Wil,
No matter what happens in our lives, we each have our own life experiences. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to relive those formative times, if only for a brief moment in time. It's like walking down the street and smelling that particular combination of hot pavement, smoke, and street-vendor snacks that bring back a flood of memories of a trip taken many years ago (Québec City, summer of 1989). I'm 22 years old again and I'm about to go for crêpes in Haute-Ville.
What would you like on yours?
Thanks Wil!

i have to say that this excerpt brought tears to my eyes...thanks.

btw, we will miss you at penguincon, but i hope you get the job...it'd be nice to see you on the big screen again...

*HUG*

YOU'RE BACK! Sorta. Oh hell with it: YOU'RE BACK!! Welcome back and see you soon all at the same time, as it looks like you will be diving back into book mode for another little bit. It was awesome to have you surface if even for a minute :)

The note from your editor rocks my socks. It must just fill you with warm fizzies. Heck, _I_ want to jump all over my apartment in happiness for you and just might when I finish typing this :)

Naughty boy teasing us with a little bit of the book! Excellent as it is, now it makes it HARDER to wait! (Do not let this in any way stop you from giving us more, we won't tell!)

Hand Smackin' High Fives all around!

(I'm really not a spaz, I just play one on the internet)

Whew! I can breathe again! *stops holding breath* Terrific news! Great stuff! yay!

\m/ Wil! \m/

Congrats on all the success! Good luck with the last 1%.

For those of us SciFi Channel geeks your absence hasn't been as painful with this week's ads: On Saturday the SciFi Premier of .... Wil Wheaton.... blahblah some chick .... in DEEP CORE.....

Finally some quality programming!

Cheers Wil!

*pint raised in adoration*

That is going to be awexome. With an X. Whoa...

Wil's first post in more than a week. "Urge to kill fading...fading...fading..."

Big congratulations. Maybe you'll get at least a Sequoyah Award.

Look out NY Times!

I don't like to keep harping on your editor's use of words, but this one struck me as particularly odd:

Ed.: "...wonderfully crafted novel..."

I was under the impression that Just A Geek was to be filed under non-fiction. If that's the case, you may want to confirm with O'Reilly that they understand where in a bookstore the "novel" should be located.

If Just A Geek is fiction, it might be worth making that clear to fans of your writing (us).

I'm glad you mentioned that, Matt.

I think Brett is referring to the length of the book as more like a novel than Dancing Barefoot is. Just A Geek is going to be close to 300 pages, while Barefoot is 117.

It's most certainly non-fiction. I had to dramatize some dialogue and composite some characters to move the narrative along, but everything in the book is true.

Wil,

Really glad to have you back. Been checking every day to see if there was a new post.

Thanks for the preview of JAG. Can't wait to see what a "grown up" writer has produced. Looking forward to buying the book. Hope it'll also be available on-line.

Your longtime fan,
Joe Fekete
[the ONE guy who didn't want to kill off Wesley...From the last LosCon. I gave you a copy of GateWay.]

wow, um, thats really moving. Good work...yep, most def.

-perry

....

All I can say is that I can't wait for the book to come out.

JAG is on my "must-buy" list as soon as I spot a copy in the stores. (I hope to see it at Tattered Cover, but if it shows up at Softpro, I won't shun them. Not that I would anyway.)

Your writing really brings it home, making the reader feel what it must have felt like for you. The only thing I could compare it to would be if I were to get a job working for the new company run by the guy who was my boss for five glorious years in the latter half of the Nineties. I can imagine it now, the same feelings of "I'm back. I'm home."

And your editor, Brett, is a gentleman and a scholar.

I think I'm going to hunt up my MP3 of "Never Let Me Down Again" now. Keep on rockin'!

Yes! Wil will be back soon! Did I just say "Wil Will?" Maybe I should break into the poetry business... On second thought, nah, I'll stick with being a movie projectionist.

You're an amazing writer, Wil. Even with that tiny little bit of JAG you posted, I was transported to the Paramount lot and walking down the street with you. You're really gifted, dude. Keep it up! I can't wait to get my hands on JAG.

Now, a message to Brett at O'Reilly: Can we get our beloved Uncle Willie a few East Coast signings, maybe in the Pittsburgh area? Please? Pretty please? I promise I'll buy more O'Reilly books, really...

And one last thing: Fans of Wil being Photoshopped, Behold Wil as the star of his very on 80's TV Phenominon! Fark didn't like my "Tweak old TV shows for modern celebs" idea enough to post the photoshop contest, so I thought you'ld all enjoy it...

Oh yeah. Forgot one thing. Pop Culture ref. revealed:

When we grew up and went to school, there were certain teachers who'ld hurt the children anyway they could... By pouring thier derision upon anything we did, exposing every weakness, no matter how carefully hidden by the kid...

But in the town it was well known, when they got home at night, thier fat and psychopathic wives would thrash them within inches of their lives...

Gotta Love Pink Floyd \m/ At least I hope that's where your entry title comes from... Just another Brick in the Wall, I suppose...

Wow from me too. ::points to self:: Am uber impressed, ultra excited, & excited to the max for JAG. High fives all around!

Nice Story sounds like you week break was worth it keep it up.

Duuuuuude! I am soooo excited, thrilled, over the flipping moon! I can't wait! I absolutely loved dancing barefoot, i was glued from beginning to end and i can't wait to see further into the life of 'Wil Wheaton', which fascinates me. I was moved to tears, laughed out loud and felt down right peeved (ahem William Shatner(i can't believe he was such a DICK! Grrr!)) feeling all those emotions and more- i couldn't ask any more from a book.
Well done!
We love you!

wow. that entry brought tears to my eyes. there is something about music, yeah? i'm happy to hear i was not the only 15 year old listening to squeeze. they are still one of my favorites.

"I have been a fan of yours for some time, but I don't quite understand why you hate William Shatner. Is it personal or just on principle?
Emily

Posted by emily at April 14, 2004 01:53 PM"

Emily:Another WW fan here who ponders that himself because I have not purchased or read Dancing Barefoot and I have not read all of WWdN blog entries. From what I've gleaned from context, reading between the lines, plus the tidbit offered in today's sneak preview post, WFS apparently treated WW with arrogance and contempt and hurt his feelings badly, so it's pretty personal. But I have also heard and read that WFS has proven himself to be uncool and not nice to various other people over the years. I did read WFS' book called "Get a Life!" which was WFS attempt to go on record saying that in the past he did not "get it" and that at some point a light went off in his head and suddenly he "got it". (Please don't hate me for reading WFS book; I did not buy it and it was before WWdN came along and it meant nothing to me, it was just a little fling. It's pretty funny actually. Sorry for my heresy here.) Supposedly WFS used to hate the Cons, did them anyway, but hated them and could not understand what the big deal with Star Trek (all gen's) was with Trekkies, Trekkers, fans in general. But he claims that at some point he began to understand the deep fanship and what Trek means to so many people. My question would be, was WFS so personally arrogant to WW before or after WFS wrote his book? Was it before or after he claims to have had this major change in attitude? Maybe it doesn't matter, and maybe WFS truly was a jerk then and will always be a jerk. I will never know since I'm not inside his mind, but I'm curious nonetheless. Even though this is not the shark-like environment of FARK where posters seem to enjoy eating each other alive (for spelling and grammar even!) I shall not be terribly upset if or when someone better informed and in better command of the facts takes the time to correct my entry here, but I hope it answers Emily's question a little bit until said clarifications appear.

Ciao

That's f-ing fantastic Wil! Get down with your bad self ^_^ Can't wait for this one to hit the stores, and mad congrats on the high praise. You've gotta be on Cloud 9 or somewhere close to it. Well done and well deserved.

Do you know *anybody* who doesn't play poker? :-P

That entry was well worth the wait. I'm dying to read JAG. I had to physically restrained from buying yet another copy of Barefoot, when I saw it on the shelf at Barnes & Nobel last night. Keep at it!

that is some serious good stuff right there
looking forward to the book

Someone already said it, but it bears repeating: Your editor deserves some sort of poetic punishment for using the word "literally" when he means "figuratively." It is his job to NOT butcher english.

But yeah, I'm all excited about JAG and I keep checking here daily for that "I'm all done" post we are all expecting. I even refrained from sending Wil the link to the "Guinness is a health drink" news story that ran last week so as not to interrupt. But that is what you should hoist in celebration.

hey wil,
that was so amazing. as so many other people have written, i was totally there with you! i really cannot wait for JAG to come out...i hope it'll be available over in the UK faster than Dancing Barefoot?!

anyway...
good job man,
take care
rach

Wil!

Hihi! Its wonderful to hear that you are almost done with the new book. Its good to see that you are already getting such high praises as well. It amazes me to pull up the comments and look through them and see that in one day you already have this many comments. It also amazes me to see that you can inspire such emotion within people. I wont lie, Ive been a fan for a long time, but I never really knew what did happen to you until recently. I am really happy for you and hope that life keeps bringing such wonderful things your way. I am hoping to get a copy of dancing barefoot, and I really look forward to JAG because of that excerpt. If money allows it I will certainly try to get both books. Good luck to you!!

Very awesome Wil! I am looking forward to JAG with anticipation.

To bad you are going to make it to Penguicon in Novi, MI this weekend. I was looking forward to seeing you.

-steve

Oh frell, you've just taken me way back. "Squeeze: Singles, 45's and under" was my favourite long playing record.

Am I a geek if I have "Squeeze: Singles, 45's and Under" on Vinyl AND on CD?

I'd buy you a beer, but I'm underage. So buy me one, k?

Muahaha. Excellent work, dude. I know where a chunk of my next paycheck is going.

So, after this book is a huge success, who do you think's gonna play Wil in the movie version?

Oooh...Just A Geek: THE MOVIE.
Can I play the role of the wildly attractive young journalist who interviews Wil at a Linux convention?

You rule. I drank a Guinness in your honor last weekend. Just A Geek is going on my bookshelf :) Take care!

Wil,

WOW !! What a fantastic report from your editor, Brett. Please thank him for recognizing us (your fans) as contributing to the success of your book.
And for those of us who do not understand your relationship with William F'in Shatner, they will just have to read Dancing Barefoot (pp. 46-48).

I'll guess you used at least 10 stamps to mail your work to the publisher.

Can't weight, I mean WAIT, for JAG.

Your fan, Freeman :)

Rock on, Wil! \m/ It couldn't have happened to a nicer, more all-around talented guy and fellow geek. I'm already queued up to buy Dancing Barefoot and am chomping at the bit for JAG! Congratulations, and - geeks represent! :)

Your editor rules.

Wow.

Best WWdN entry ... ever.

man...what a long way you have come!...i remember those days...at least those days as you related them on WWDN...the sadness in you was palpable...the pain was hidden in between almost every line...and sometimes not hidden at all...i could feel the disappointment you felt through the words that you wrote here...and that is something you do well...bringing people into your world...not only to read about the life of WIL WHEATON...but also to share the feelings that have made the stories you tell so much more than just another showbiz rundown...we got to watch as you approached the crossroads of your life...and made your choice...i for one think you made the correct one...from now on things will be much more interesting...i'm looking forward to reading all about it...good luck with the book wil...may it be everything you imagined and more.

Hoooray!! Huzzahh!! HoooRAH!!!

It looks great! You go, guy!! You Writer-Guy, you!

Tom

JAG available EVERYWHERE??? Even Canada??? I can't wait!!! So proud of you, Wil!

took a few times to finally stop and read it, but it was deffidently worth every second. great stuff Will. still as happy for all the success your getting as ever.keep it up my friend.

Oh my GOD! I cannot wait to get my hands on JAG. So glad to hear from you again. Been going to WWDN every day hoping for a post.

Is it going to be really everywhere? O'Reilly taking pre-orders yet? I have DB, but need a signed copy of JAG for sure. :) O'Reilly was a great hook up for you, Wil. They have been a super supporter of our Mac User Group over the last year, I can only imagine how great they must be for their authors.

Looking forward to kicking back with JAG soon. And I have Guinness in the fridge for the occasion.

Best of luck. So proud of you.

Man, Wil, the tears welled up just reading this entry, and I wasn't even on the bloody show! In fact, I have never been on any show, yet for some reason I feel like I can relate. I can't wait to read JAG. I know, I know, I keep saying that - I guess I am a sentimental old slob - but mostly, I am a person who loves to read good writing, and I am looking forward to reading yours. And hey, don't forget the book tour in Canada, eh?
Cheers...Deborah

Never in my life have I "thrown the goat". Not because I'm some freak who sees is and shrieks "Satan!", I've just never been compelled to do it. However, after reading the excerpt and the praise from your editor: \m/ Rock on, Wil.

While I certainly am planning on buying your book, while I certainly admire your accomplishments in writing, and while I absolutely respect you for your courage in being as "out there" as you are with this blog and all your public appearances, I have to say that the blatant push-the-book entry from your publisher is not necessary. I'm sold, already, okay?
(You had me at "Hello.")

Best Sneak Peek Ever.

Wil, your JAG entry has whetted my appetite. I haven't looked forward to anything like this, since LOTR in 2001. Already bought Dancing Barefoot, and looking forward to Just A Geek. Bring it on!

Can't wait, Wil. Can't wait.

BCH

. . . the blatant push-the-book entry . . .

You know, I almost didn't post it because I was afraid of that perception . . . but I don't think that was Brett's intention. I can understand how some people would take it that way, though.

Sweet comment from the editor. I can hardly wait to watch the Enterprise episode (Shockwave, Part I) too.

Wil,

Once again.. you have captured my imagination, and i thank you!

i cannot wait to read JAG and i hope it will be readily available in the UK, *holds out for a special copy*

hugs and love to the family

love ya man!

Andrea xxx

P.S. WFS is an ass..he always has been and always will be... i dont like the guy and i didnt like him when i was a kid *long before i realised the universal dislike and Wils dislike* i guess he just makes people want to hit him... he is an oaf!

Yay!

Its going to be available in the UK though Wil? Right? *twitches* you wouldn't hold out on us would ya buddy? *another violent twitch* Come on buddy! I need another fix here!!!!!

Our boy has made the cartoons again!

hee hee

http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/nodwick/ffn/ffn.htm

Woo!!

I didn't know you were in FHM, Wil.

Nice piece of work!

I do have to say though... doesn't editing and rewriting suck? I find that the initial draft comes out so easily and then it takes three times as long to polish it and make it fit for human consumption... maybe it's just me!

Wow!! Thanks for sharing

-gil

*crosses fingers and makes wish*

Oh please come to Canada on book tour... please come to Canada on book tour.

TEASE!!!!

Oh my, Uncle Willie sure knows how to keep a girl wanting MORE! (She said in a deep sultry voice) >

Can I have some more? ;)

Seriously tho - awesome, wonderful, stupendous, fantastic........golf clap ensues...panting with anticipation.

Sorry to be a thread jacker, but neil gaiman mentioned you on his blog...
http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/journal.asp

No html skills here...

Welcome back! Congrats on the manuscript completion, and thanks for giving us something to read. I was going into withdrawal!

-AT

Well yet again I was there with you Wil, as you drove into Paramount and you felt those emotions, and experienced those memory's. You manage to inspire me, wow me and utterly amaze me, with your writing skills and ability to tell those story's so wonderfully.

Thank you Wil

K

WTG, Wil. Keep up the good work.

So, what does a girl have to do to get a signed copy of JAG? Seriously, I missed the boat on Dancing Barefoot, and I'd like a signed copy. Just say the word!

Wil, will you now allow yourself a rockstar moment? Or will you wait until the book's release? Will you now proclaim yourself a fucking writer and stop(at least for a while) being so damn modest about all your success? Man, I just want to hear you proclaim, "I'm the greatest!" that's all. I want to see some swagger in your step. I want to see that famous Wil Wheaton attitude everyone else talks about. In short, I want to see this go to your head-but not for long because then you might forget about us and that would not be a good thing.
I'm totally happy for your success,man. Your book will be a monster hit and I look forward to seeing you promote your hard work on the talk shows.

Trying like hell to be,

Tommy

Great post.

Nice to see another Oingo Boingo Fan. God, I miss that band!

--tj

You simply MUST send someone at /. an advance copy to review. I think it would be great.

Wil:

The minute you start turning into WFS, the armies of your loyal fans will set you straight.

Best of luck on the book.

Welcome home, my friend; yes, you have been missed.

Congrats on the great words from your editor; I hope that if I ever finish a project, I get an editor half as awesome as Brett seems to be.

Payday today; guess it's time to bite the bullet and hit Amazon.com to order Dancing Barefoot (and a few other choice O'Reilly titles from the User Friendly collection), then plan to camp out in line overnight for JAG. Really looking forward to it!

Wil - great to hear that Just a Geek is so close! I'll be sure to start pestering the local bookstore to get my copy.

Any chance your book tour will bring you up to Ottawa/Montreal? It would be most excellent to thank you in person.

Thomas.

So last night, i was flipping through the digi cable and watched Toy Soldiers! Wow! Remember when Sean Astin had abs? I hope he can lose those 40 pounds he gained for Lord of the Rings. And Wil, is your ear still pierced?

*A

ohh, that O'Reily editor-man-thingy sounds just right as someone to work with you-he has the sarcasm, freedom to praise and the intelligence to recognize a 'writer' when he sees one...it's so exciting

I'm sure that you're getting this from all directions, but I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to see "Just a Geek" in print. The snippets you've been posting here and there are only whetting my appetite.

You've arrived as a Popular Author, Wil. I just hope you realize it. :)

cheers,
Phil

I finished reading "Dancing Barefoot" a few nights ago and I'm now passing it around to my friends. They love it, I love it and I can't wait to read "Just A Geek". Keep up the good work Wil. :)

I just read your wish list and I wanted to tell you:
I'm only 29 but I've been rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. It was a two week trip and very expensive but WELL WORTH IT. I highly recommend you take your family on this one - ya'll will love it!

first off:

\m/ !

OK.. it's all been said in the comments, so I'll just sum it up in ... "yeah! What they said!"

P.S. I love how everyone's jumping all over your editor's grammar. One guy, Jakob said "It is his job to NOT butcher english.", while splitting his own infinitive! Something about glass houses comes to mind... hehe.

Congrats. Will definitely pre-order it if given the chance.

Tom

Thanks for the preview. I sure am rooting for you, Wil. Missed your updates the last few days, but everyone needs a life, right? Good luck!

To properly split an infinitive is one of the hallmarks of someone who is fully capable of using the language to completely convey his meaning.

:-)

(In other words: it's not a real grammar rule, and no editor worth the title worries about split infinitives much.)

Wow! This exciting tidbit coming out AT THE SAME TIME the SciFi Channel is promo'ing the heck out of the *premiere* of "Deep Core" or something to that effect - starring Wil Wheaton and the gal that used to be on DS9 and that show with the guy from Cheers!

;-)

Who'dathunkkit?

Congratulations!

MO'B

Depeche Mode has been my 'rock', so to speak, for ages. Their albums have taken me through a lot of experiences (both good and bad) in life. It was cool to see another fan..listening to one of my favorite albums, too, by the way! :)

Sincerely,
Janelle

Right, now I know I'm pathetic because that almost had me in tears. It also triggered the theatre geek in me and reminded me of the lyrics to 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' from Sunset Boulevard. Not that you're Norma Desmond, Wil! But it is a good song - and this looks like it's going to be a hell of a book.

Oh, in case anyone cares, the lyrics I mentioned are at http://www.poplyrics.net/waiguo/soundtrack/sunsetboulevard/021.htm

Fantastic.

After reading your site so much, watching TNG reruns is never the same for me. They were rerunning "Parallels" the other night on Spike and I was kind of half watching it while working on something and instead of thinking "Oh yeah, Wesley's in this episode" when I saw you on screen, I thought "Oh, yeah, Wil's in this one". I've never been much for being starstruck by actors, they're all human, but I look at you so differently than I do the random actors I've met at conventions.

Can't wait to read the book! Congratulations on all of this.

Dude! You rock! And we geocachers know it! :)

So... when ya going to mention the geocache page which publicly honors your writing talent, eh? Hey, we didn't put in all that work into "Dancing With A Barefoot Geek" for nuthin'! :)

Just teasing ya. Seriously though, thanks for your part in helping make that whole thing happen. You do know how to help create postive memories for people, and we appreciate that. :)

(Other folks: check out http://tinyurl.com/325xv for context on this.)

Wil has literally busted his tail to get this done

I hope your tail gets better.
On a similar note, I wasn't aware you HAD a tail!! I mean, you must, since you LITERALLY busted it.

Great write up though. BA-ZING!!

Joy! Just joy!

Loved reading a letter FROM the editor, and a snippet of JAG.

(from a newly-hooked WWdN addict, missing Wil's blog posts!!)

Update to earlier post: After I got off work, paycheck firmly in hand, I went to my favorite local independent bookstore to pick up a couple of books. Just for the heck of it, I stopped at the information counter and asked, "I'm looking for a book -- it's called Dancing Barefoot by Wil Wheaton."

The guy at the counter did not look at me like I was some weird alien creature. He punched a few keys on the computer, and said, "Well, looks like we've got one left."

I managed to restrain my shouts of joy, and said, "Where is it categorized?"

"Let's see, it's under Essays...let's take a look."

After a few minutes, we found it -- it had been put back in the wrong place. (If anyone here has been at Kepler's in Menlo Park and was trying to hide the last copy till you could get back with the cash, apologies.) I held it at the front counter while I quickly walked up the street to deposit the aforementioned paycheck and cash back enough for my purchase plus lunch.

Read it during lunch, plan to read it many more times. And there's a chance of rain in NoCal this weekend; wonder if the spouse would like to go for a walk... :)

Kepler's rawks. \m/

And you definitely rawk, Wil -- the book is definitely freakin' awesome! \m/ \m/

Wil,

Indeed, you have superior taste in music. Oingo Boingo, Depeche Mode AND Squeeze UK. Ah, 1989. Senior year in college for me. Watching TNG, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Always good to reminisce, huh? Take care!

Ariel in the South Bay

For tj,

I miss Boingo badly, too! I spent many a Hallowe'en during college at Irvine Meadows.

No one lives forever! :)

Ariel

Wow. Just...yeah wow. I can't express how wonderful a writer I think you are, Wil. I know I'm going to enjoy reading JAG if that small peek was any indication.
Have you ever watched show, really enjoyed it and seen one of the acotrs and thought, "that guy is gonna do great things"? Well, I did. Sure, I was like...5 years old in 1987, so it was probably more like, "Ooh, that guy that plays Wesley is really coooool," but STILL!

I don't post comments very often, but I wanted to let you know that I think this piece of writing is phenomenal. I like your writing generally, but this... this gave me chills. That doesn't very often for me--not with you, not with many authors. If this is representative of the quality of your whole book, then, jesus, I can't wait to read it. Good freakin' job.

-Sarina

Hi. Long time reader, first time poster from Ireland here. Geek out on this! :)
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/elements.php

sounds like I need this book.
Very happy to see the works being penned and soon to be ready for the eyeballs! =P
Thanks for taking out the time, energy and devotion.
Best Always,
RJ

Don't want to put a hex on the whole thing (and I pray to [insert favorite diety or other hallowed figure here] that I really don't), but it's gnawing at my brain, and I gotta say it...

I smell Bestseller! \m/

And to all the Oingo fans: Fret not, since former OB mainstay Danny Elfman does alot of movie scoring these days. His most recent work includes Big Fish, the theme for "Fable," and will be scoring Spider-Man 2 and next year's remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Always Quote Your Sources

Too early to hit the bar for a Guinness... Will do so when I get there to run Karaoke tonight.

Just came in from a visit to Neil Gaiman's web journal. Apparently he's going to Penguincon and realized you won't be there -- and is a bit disappointed because he wanted to meet you. Phwoar.

I loved the excerpt you posted. What a wonderful piece of writing! I do hope that your books make it over to the Philippines -- otherwise I'll just have to start saving money to order them online somehow.

Here's wishing you all the best!

This has nothing to do with Wil's post but I thought you guys might find this interesting:

Movie Captures Lives of Klingon Language Enthusiasts


Source: PR Newswire

DENVER/PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The entertaining documentary EARTHLINGS: UGLY BAGS OF MOSTLY WATER captures the lives, passions and quirks of the members of the Klingon Language Institute during their annual qep'a' (conference). Klingon is, of course, the warrior language invented by Linguist Marc Okrand for the Star Trek television show and movie franchise, including the feature Star Trek: The Search for Spock, among others. EARTHLINGS will make its international debut at the upcoming Cannes Film Market, May 12 - 23, 2004.

"Language fascinates me," says Dr. Lawrence Shoen, Director of the Klingon Language Institute (KLI). "By age five, we have learned a lot of our language, and it defines our humanity, forms our society, and helps to develop and transfer our technology."

Humanity and society are just two of the themes examined in EARTHLINGS. Director Alexandre O. Philippe artfully shows the interplay between culture and language, communication and emotion, and the rather delicate line between reality and fiction within a science fiction-like background of visual textures, lighting and images. Philippe's Picture Show Earthlings is serious, comedic, intellectual and sad, as the various KLI members speak about what drew them into learning a constructed language.

Among the many 'ugly bags of mostly water' (a term used to describe Terrans, humans on earth), the Picture Show introduces Rich Yampell (Captain Krankor), the musical composer for whom the Klingon national anthem, 'taHaj wo' ('Long Live the Empire') might turn out to be his only hit song, Dr. d'Armond Speers, a Denver-based linguist who spoke only Klingon to his son until age three-and-a-half, and Michael J. Oetting, a studious postal worker, who attends the 2003 qep'a' to pass a language facility exam because, "It's about acceptance. If I pass the test, it's official -- I am one of them."

EARTHLINGS Producer Steve Williams of SONEW productions insists that, "EARTHLINGS is not a TREKKIES imitator (the 1994 documentary of a Star Trek convention), but instead it's an entertaining view of an intellectual (and sometimes not-so-intellectual) endeavor to sort out and to explore humans and language and the definitions of success and failure."

For more information about Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water, please visit www.earthlings-movie.com.

Copyright (C) 2004 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.

Nice article, Lawless1, but the Klingon community consist of nothing more than the worst society has to offer.
I used to be a trekkie for many years. I wore the starfleet uniforms and endured every foul and negative ephithet(?) thrown my way. I endured the constant harassment and I've had my fill of live long and prospers to feed a third world country tenfold. I have been beaten mercilessly(this all happened in my teens and early twenties,mind you)and had my coveted starfleet uniform(at the time with ensign rank)ripped to shreds by some neophyte dipshit who just loved to pick on me. I even had my ass kicked in the parking lot for wearing said uniform to my high school prom(which I attended alone because trekkies just don't get the chicks). I was convinced that had I adopted the ways of the Klingon and not the Federation life just might have been different. So, I ditched the starfleet uniform (burned it, more like it),purchased Marc Okrand's Klingon dictionary and taught myself the language of a savage species so that I wouldn't be messed with anymore. Well, take a wild guess if you think anything changed for the better.It just got worse.
Flash forward to my first ever Trek convention. I was in full Klingon garb,feeling warrior like and ready to lash out. I run into 2 other Klingons and strike up a conversation in, what else,klingon. Before I know it, I'm given a drink by my esteemed comrades in battle and told to drink up. And I did because that's what we Klingon's do, right? Next thing I know, I black out and awake in the convention hall's restroom only to find my costume around my ankles and one of the Klingon's I drank with "feeling " me up. I protest this and I'm told that this is an initiation ritual of sorts,that it's common among the Klingon race especially when preparing for battle. I'm too drunk to fight them and I am taken advantage in a way that is inhumane and traumatizing.
I have sworn off all things Trek. I cringe when I hear anything Trek related and I'm reminded of the harassment both in high school and at the Trek convention. Those people are weirdos and to think I wanted to be a part of them! I saw that Trekkies documentary and was apalled at how untruthful it was. I should have made my story known! Whenever I hear "taHaj who", I'm reminded about the restroom incident because that's what the Klingons sung as they humiliated me.
Thanks for listening. I guess being a trekkie hasn't completely worn off. Like a trekkie, I still want to embrace something I'm not and which doesn't exist.

Holy Christ!

So...I'm just minding my own business watching a little Stargate SG1 on Sci-fi channel just chilling after a hard week when an ad for an upcoming movie pops up. It looks a little cheesy, alright, darn near hoakey, but it looks familiar. Then it hits me. This is that movie Wil always gives a disclaimer to before mentioning, and then just to confirm my suscpicions, the announcer says "Starring Wil Wheaton and Terry Farrell...Deep Core."

Yes, that's right. Wil Wheaton, top billing. Great way to top off a long week. And for those of you wondering, its on Saturday at 9pm EDT.

I don't think he busted his tail in a literal sense, but I'm quite sure he has in a literary sense.

I had a dream where I was in a bookstore and picked up a copy of this book, not expecting much, and then I read a bunch of really cool chapter titles and bought it. This proves: a) I have boring dreams (no offense, Wil, but how many people dream about browsing in a bookstore?) and b) I spend too much time on this site (honest, I haven't been here for almost a week).

"This is Wil's O'Reilly editor, piping in to let you know where Wil has been lately. As he mentioned a few days ago, I've been cracking the proverbial whip (well, let's just say it's proverbial, to protect the innocent), and figured I'd write something about "Just a Geek" while I've got him slaving over a keyboard."

...Signed Epstein's Mother.

ps great excerpt, Wil. I will buy a copy.

Egads Clarence!!! As a female I NEVER drink anything that's offered to me in situations like that. I hope you got yourself some help, you do realize that you did nothing wrong. As far as Trekkies go, I've been to a few conventions and always wanted to go in the TNG uniform but just didn't have the figure for it. I did wear some of the jewelry tho...

I've always wanted to learn Elvish. One of my best friends used to write notes to friends in class in dwarvish.

Saturday at 9 pm *writes that down* I've never heard of Deep Core.

heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy weeeeeeeeeeellllllll. I'm drun hee hee! See, seriousl this is where i am when im drank! I v just cum home and thoht of u! Hows the fmily ad stuff?! Dood, ur writing maks me wannacum here evry day man! The stories of u lif mak me feel feelings and everything. In my dranken state, I want to say than u!

thank u!111!!!1!!!11!1

Just makes you remember, going home again is a painful thing.

Out of Curiousity though, Blood Angels, Space Marines (Any Chapter), Chaos, or what?

This years going by so fast, it seems wierd but i kno i'll miss it when it's over i've grown up so much.

the part about Wil and the whip....is it a big whip?....does it cause much pain?....a friend wishes to know....carry on your fine work....

As someone who watched you grow up in movies (yeah, I'm old) I'd have to say that any mother would be proud to claim such a talented young man. Actor, writer, community care,...but as that mother, I would also have to say that for each wonderfully polished achievement in your life, you take a bit of the shine off when you use foul language. I won't be listening to anymore of your audio blogs. I will, however, continue reading your site. I look forward to your book. And I'm happy to see your involvment in your community.

So are all publishing agents as fake and condscending as Brett? Sheesh. Does he think we all have to be SOLD on your abilities and brilliance as a writer, Wil? Cos if he does, he's clearly not understanding us, and he's pissed me off TBH.

We love your writing and your bit on this thread about returning to the "lot" was, as always, poignant and beautifully crafted. I can't wait for JAG to come out!

Go you. And tell Brett to get off the used car lot.

PS ... I agree with Leif ... Christmas season isn't that far away. Let us know when JAG is available for online purchase! And I'm TOTALLY with Andrea re WFS and what an ass he is. Before and after his "fan appreciation rebirth". *gag*

So WFS wouldn't let a kid on his bridge, eh? I've only got one thing to say to that:

"BONK BONK on the HEAD!!"

I take great exception to calling my editor a Used Car Salesman.

As a matter of fact, I'm pretty fucking offended by that. I know Brett. I've worked very hard with Brett for many months on this and other books, and he is not effusive with praise, so it meant a LOT to me that he wrote what he did.

He and I know that there's a better than average chance that WWdN readers will want to pick up Just A Geek, so he doesn't need to "sell" it to anyone. His comments made me feel good, and he said that I could share them with the rest of you. I'm sorry that the cynics can't see that. Anyone who's read this site for more than a few months should know that I'm not about "selling myself" to anyone.

He looked up at me. "Oh my god. You are Wesley Crusher. You look so . . . "
Washed up?
". . . grown up."

Okay, that sucks. When one meets a former child actor, what's the proper way to address him or her to try to avoid that sucky feeling you describe?

I used to work in television, Toronto area, so I know the pressures of the business and frequently met famous faces. Admittedly, I was technical crew (generally cameraman). Dealing with the Tom Cruises and the John Travoltas is pretty easy - no gawking or asking for autographs, treat 'em like a normal person, and get what they want.

But you've just made me feel like I should be walking on eggshells when I meet people who are typecast or otherwise out of current favor. So, if I run into someone I like - either for their personal website (ie. you) or for their body of work (Jeremy Miller's "Ben Seaver Scream" always cracked me up) - what can I do to try to minimize any of the trauma you apparently live with?

Thanks, man. I'll keep on reading. :)

Sounds pretty cool but i'm a little confused. Am I to assume the thing about midget and the bucket of mustard is in one of the earlier chapeters? Because I distinctly remember being promised midgets and mustard. :)

How to deal with meeting WIL WEATON? Hummmmmm?
NO springing across a table to give him a headlock or dutchrub....i'm sure he's long beyond that sort of childish amusment.
I'd just come up to him,smiling like a drug-crazed chimp,say my name....say something like..."Wow,WIL WHEATON...I really like your work,man(be ready to name a few things,he'll appreciate that)" Then have him sign any books,film boxes,body casts etc. you might be carrying. He's a fine person is WIL WHEATON...I get NO MONEY for saying this....which doesn't really make me happy....now,move along....THANX

SOMEONE has had the umbrage(look it up) to criticize WIL WHEATON for his degree of MANLY LANGUAGE in his audioblog thingys. I shall now take valuable time from my efforts to have WIL WHEATON declared a living saint to respond...not that WIL WHEATON needs my defence.
His language is the strong,MANLY language of a man-of-the-people.
He left the monestary at a too tender age,signing up to work on shrimp boats off San Diego....and you MUST know how shrimpers talk...when that didn't work out....he became a child actor...and everyone knows the way film lot teachers can swear....he came to such language as to MOTHERS MILK....I say...YOU GO WIL WHEATON...speak your mind....we who worship the gum wrappers in your garden will always be there for you....behind the big tree...I won't move suddenly....you have dog...

A few words in favour of the Klingon-speaking community: Klingon enthusiasts and Klingon language enthusiasts move in different spheres with only a few points of intersection. Carbonated beverages and chocolate are the drugs of choice at Klingon language events, and no one gets roughed up.

And Wil, I admire you for, so long ago, playing your character so faithfully that many people could not distinguish between the terribly annoying Mary Sue character--who was not your fault--and you yourself.

Jesus, Shatner WAS a huge tool, wasn't he? You should have ripped that road kill off the top of his head and thrown it in the fountain near the Melrose gate.

I am truly looking forward to JAG. And now that I have an idea of your writing style, I will have to pick up a copy of "Dancing Barefoot".

Based on this entry alone, I have decided to order Dancing Barefoot off of Amazon.com. I've been following Wil's blog off and on for several years, but never felt compelled to check out his published writing until just now.

I can't wait to dig in.

However it WILL have to wait until I finish reading Masters of Doom by David Kushner.

On the Shatner thing...I recently got a copy of Dancing Barefoot, and on reading that story I remember thinking "God, I'm glad I didn't know about that when it happened". It would have really bothered me, as a kid, to know how he could treat someone. Now...well, it doesn't mean I can't still love Captain Kirk. I still think Shatner was a git, though.

I think I watch J.A.G. too much...
Every time I read JAG, I kept thinking the TV show... :)

Noel

I have never been a Trek fan. Ever. Not even now.

I only say this because I find myself playing TREKKIES a little more often and coming to this site, when I don't see you on Fark every now and then, just to see what you're up to. I am very eager to check out JAG when it comes out. I would say more but I can't without sounding like a tool; a sander, to be specific.

Depeche Mode - My favorite band
Oingo Boingo - In my top 5
Star Trek TNG - My all time favorite show
Stand By Me - In my top 5 movies of all time

Hell yeah I'll be buying and reading your book.
It's nice to see how far you have come along. Keep up the good work.

Never Let Me Down....Indeed!

Good to hear that JAG is moving forward in the right direction. Salute to you and your editor. I after reading “Dancing Barefoot”, I look forward in your next passage in JAG. I have read the excerpt, which by far is probably one of the best blog spot you have ever written. Keep up the excellent work!

P.S. Excellent choice in music.. you never let us down.

There's something wrong with your blog. After you post something new, there will be a few days where it will not appear and then reappear. Just like today.