WWdN: In Exile

free stand by me screening in houston on july 28th

I lived in Houston from 1976 to 1978 while my dad went to the Texas Heart Institute. All I remember about it is fire ants and thunderstorms.

Tomorrow night, at a place called Domy Books in Houston, there's going to be a free screening of Stand By Me. I don't know anything about this bookstore, but Houstonist says that it's the bookstore you've been looking for your entire life, whether you knew it or not. Based on the domy books flickr stream, I'd say it looks like a pretty cool place.

I kinda wish I'd known about this a month ago, so I could have talked to the store owner about sending some autographed copies of my books, but alas, alack, 'twas not to be.

Anyway, if you're in or near Houston and you want to see a free screening of Stand By Me in a bookstore/gallery that looks awesome, you can get all the details from Houstonist. Which is a funny name for a blog, like: "I can't believe you said that about fire ants and thunderstorms! You are such a Houstonist!"

Please note that I know about LAist, Gothamist, etc., and was just making a joke, which is now even less funny than it already was, because I explained it.

Please also note that this is a great opportunity for parents to introduce appropriately-aged kids to a great movie, great art, and great books all in the same place, which is kind of great.

at long last, your wait to see me, wil wheaton, interviewed at comic-con has come to an end

I'm home from Comic-Con, and in that weird state where I'm too tired to be coherent, but too adrenalized to go to sleep. It's pretty common to feel this way (like I've eaten a bag of Guatemalan Insanity Peppers) at the end of a long day at a con. There's an accumulative effect, though, for epic shows like PAX and Comic-Con, and after thee days there plus a 2 hour drive home, my dogs are speaking to me in Johnny Cash's voice. Also, someone's built a pro shop shaped like a pyramid in my back yard, the doll's trying to kill me, and the toaster's been laughing at me.

Uhm. Right.

So. Until I can get my pictures uploaded and my thoughts organized, I thought I'd share this interview I did with Mahalo Daily from the Dumbrella booth yesterday. I'm slightly more coherent then, than I am now.

Woah. Paradox.

i'm off to nerd prom

It's so weird to have this great week working on Criminal Minds that I can't talk about in any detail until October. I have no mouth, and I must scream, you could say. How about I just give up one little non-spoilery thing, and nobody tells on me, okay?

At the end of the shoot, I was thanking a lot of the people I worked with for making it such a great experience. Every single one of them told me that they wished I worked on the show every day. I guess the feeling was mutual.

So, yeah, that made me feel pretty good. If you get a chance to work on Criminal Minds, I highly recommend it.

Now, to business:

Tomorrow, I'm heading down to San Diego for an abbreviated stay at Comic-Con. Here's my schedule:

• On Thursday, I'll be on a panel called Star Trek Without a Blueprint: How books and comics keep expanding the boundaries of the Star Trek universe. We'll be talking about the future of Star Trek publishing in room 32AB from 4:00-5:00. I'll be on the panel with Andy Mangels (moderator and Star Trek author), Margaret Clark (executive editor, Pocket Books), Andy Schmidt (senior editor, IDW) and Star Trek authors Kevin Dilmore, Dave Mack, Scott Tipton, and Dayton Ward.
• The rest of the time, I'll be with my friend Rich Stevens at the Dumbrella booth, which is number 1335. MC Frontalot is going to be there, too, so if you're looking to fill that final square on Nerd Bingo, come and see us.
  

Oh. I guess it would be useful to know what I'm taking with me to sign and sell, wouldn't it?

In addition to some 8x10s from Star Trek and Stand By Me, I'll have copies of The Happiest Days of Our Lives , which I'm kind of hoping will sell out.

I'll have a few copies of Dancing Barefoot and Just A Geek. I'll also have a few copies of Volume 2 of the Star Trek Manga. I won't have any copies of Volume 3 of the Star Trek Manga, but it's just been released, so I'm sure you'll be able to pick up a copy somewhere. If you bring it to the booth, I'm happy to sign it for you.

Finally, I will have copies of this year's Chapbook, which is called Sunken Treasure. What's that, you say? You don't know what that is? You don't have time to click a link, you say? Well, my lazy friend, allow me to show you part of the author's note:

Every summer, I make one of these limited chapbooks and take them with me on the inevitable summer convention tour. In the past, I’ve pulled material from whatever I’m working on, as sort of a fall preview, but this year the book I’m working on is so top secret, I’d have to print the chapbook on self-destructing paper, and while that would make it a very limited edition, the costs associated are kind of prohibitive.

So for 2008’s limited edition chapbook extravaganza, I’ve put together the first ever Wil Wheaton Sampler. With the help of my editor Andrew, who is a former ninja warrior and recreational time traveler, I’ve pulled together things I like from all three of my books, my blog, and this groovy collaborative fiction project I play with called Ficlets. I’ve also included, for the first time anywhere, one of the scripts I wrote for a sketch comedy show at the ACME Comedy Theater.

I am really proud of Sunken Treasure, and I think Andrew (my friend and editor) and I came up with something really special. I only sold about a dozen of them at San Jose Super-Con (there really weren't that many people there this year) and since I'm not welcome at the Creation convention in Vegas, the only places you can get copies of it will be Comic-Con and PAX. I'm anxious to get these little books out into the wild, though, so I hope you'll tell everyone you know, for a grand total of 150 people (you guys can coordinate this, right?) to come by the Dumbrella booth and check it out. It's so weird to make something I'm so proud of, and only get to share it with a handful of people so far.

I don't know if I'll be particularly motivated to post while I'm away. I'll likely be posting all sorts of things to Twitter, including where I am and when I'll be signing. There will also be pithy observations about my fellow geeks, so you don't want to miss that. Erm, provided I can avoid the fail whale, that is. Ahem.

The Internet is quiet as hell lately. I feel like I'm talking into an empty tube, so thanks for reading and commenting; it makes me feel a little less like a crazy old man with no pants standing on the corner ranting about the weather.

part two of my interview with comicmix

The second part of my interview with Comicmix is online, wherein I say things like:

I was one of the earliest Mac adopters. I had a Mac 128K in the first few months of its release. [. . .] I loved that computer. It was portable, which is funny to say now, because it only weighed like, 20-30 pounds. It had a handle on the top, so clearly, it was portable.

And:

I don't ever want to lose the experience of going to the comic shop on Wednesday and walking around -- even if I'm only there to get two books. Spending 40 minutes looking at everything and talking to the other geeks that are there and having the owner of the comic shop say, "I know you normally don't read this, but based on the years of you coming here I think you'd like it," I really like that.

And:

CMix: Do you read any of the Star Trek comics at all?

WW: No.

CMix: No desire to or you just don't care?

WW: It's not that I have no desire. It's not that I don't care. It's that I have a limited amount of time and I have to choose really carefully where I invest that time. If I'm forced to choose between a Star Trek comic or Criminal, I just enjoy Criminal more, so...

Um. In other words, I have no desire and I don't care, I guess. That sounds really harsh, but . . . well, I just don't know how to finish that without feeling like a dick. I guess that I like Star Trek a lot, but not enough to read the novels and comic books.

. . . yep, feeling like a dick right now.

Point of clarification: In the interview, I say "I've been reading Batman since Grant Morrison started working on it, because there are a few guys in the world that I'll read anything by. Grant Morrison does Teletubbies, I'm there." This makes it sound like I started reading Batman when Grant Morrison's run began, but I've actually been reading Batman since around 1987 or 1988.

You can read the entire interview (part two of three) at Comicmix. You may also want to read part one. Hell, for all I know, you may want to look at a picture of a duck*. Go nuts, I'm not the boss of you.

*I really wanted to link to a SFW picture of Jenna Jameson there, but I was pretty sure I'd get letters if I did.

a quick one while he's away

Hey, check it out! I found a tube that goes right into the studio, so I can ride the Internets while I'm between scenes!

Today is the day I've been waiting for since I booked this job. Today is the day that I get to really tear into this character, and mainline the good stuff that keeps actors coming back for more, chasing the dramatic dragon until we die. I was so excited to work today, I hardly slept at all last night, and woke up this morning before my alarm went off. I haven't felt like this since I was a little kid at Christmas.

God, I miss this. I didn't know how much I missed it until last week, but holy shit do I miss this. This cast, this crew, these writers, this director, this whole show is just incredible. I'm truly lucky to be here, and I'm so grateful that I can appreciate it, and not take it for granted like I would have ten years ago.

I wish I could say more about today's work. I wish I could identify and compliment the incredible actors I'm working with. I wish I could go into great detail about why I'm so excited to do what I'm doing today, but it'll have to wait until this episode airs in October.

I'll never stop writing, but I can't deny that there's a part of me who will always be an actor, and I owe it all to the people I've worked with on this show.

I thought I was out, but they pulled me back in!

strange as it seems his musical dreams ain't quite so bad

We've been shooting nights this week on Criminal Minds, and I've worked every single day, which doesn't leave any time to write, or do much of anything else. I got home at 4 this morning, didn't fall asleep until 5, and then had to explain to my dogs that, no, just because I was in bed and the sun was coming up, I'm not interested in getting up to do stuff with them.

So I only got to sleep for seven disturbed hours, and I feel like I'm on the road to Bat Country right now. Luckily for me, I don't go to set until 5:30 tonight, and I don't have any dialog today.

Despite the havoc the last few days have unleashed on my body (which is very confused by the hours I'm forcing it to keep, and [spoiler]) I have loved every second of the experience.

I'm keeping a production diary, which I can't release until my episode airs in October, but I can safely say that working on this show, with this cast and crew, creating this character, has reawakened my slumbering love of acting. I'll have more to say about that when I can really analyze how I feel about it and why. (short short version: I miss the camaraderie of being in a cast, and I'd forgotten how good it feels to discover interesting moments with the director, writers, and other actors. I work best while collaborating, it seems.)

Anyway, I feel so blurry that the doll's trying to kill me and the toaster's laughing at me, so I'm going to sign off. But before I do, a couple of things:

• I missed the Watchmen trailer. It was up and then down while I was at work. Dang. Oh! Wait, there it is on iTunes. Wow, that was awesome.
• 
  
• I am too tired to see Dark Kinght (I didn't correct that, because it illustrates exactly how tired I am. Yes, I misspelled the title of the freakin' Batman movie I've been waiting my whole life to see. Jeebus) today, and probably won't get to see it and the Watchmen trailer until next week, right before Comic-Con.
• 
  
• I did not miss Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and neither should you. It's absolutely magnificent, the whole cast is outstanding, and my fellow ACME alum Felicia Day is sensational. I want the soundtrack, and I want it NOW! Shane Nickerson said that it's probably the best thing he's ever seen that was made for the Internet, and better than most sitcoms. I totally agree, and wish Shane would stop saying these things before I get a chance to say them.
• 
  
• Wheaton's Books in the Wild at Flickr has 77 members and 48 supermegaawesome contributions. Yay!
• 
  
• This is a reminder to everyone who has tickets that I will be at Comic-Con from Thursday until Saturday of next week. I'm probably going to sell out the second printing of Happiest Days while I'm there. I'll be with my friend Rich Stevens at the Dumbrella booth, which is number 1335. MC Frontalot is going to be there, too, so if you're looking to fill that final square on Nerd Bingo, come and see us.
• 
  
• On Thursday, I'll be on a panel called Star Trek Without a Blueprint: How books and comics keep expanding the boundaries of the Star Trek universe. We'll be talking about the future of Star Trek publishing in room 32AB from 4:00-5:00. I'll be on the panel with Andy Mangels (moderator and Star Trek author), Margaret Clark (executive editor, Pocket Books), Andy Schmidt (senior editor, IDW) and Star Trek authors Kevin Dilmore, Dave Mack, Scott Tipton, and Dayton Ward.
• 
  
• Finally, TrekMovie has the poster we've all been waiting to see. It looks awesome.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

metahumor ftw

My love of metahumor probably comes from the same place as my love of obscure references, which can be traced, in part, to MST3K.

John Kovalic has been killing me with the metahumor this week, so for my fellow members of the metahumor appreciation society, I present Monday's and today's Dork Tower comics.

changing gears for criminal minds

In about an hour, I'll be at the studio to be fitted for my Criminal Minds wardrobe. Tomorrow, I start work on the show.

The script's been rewritten a few times since I first read it, and I've been able to read each draft in its entirety, which has been really interesting to me as a writer, as I track the changes and try to figure out what network and studio notes they were intended to address. It's got to be so difficult for these writers to take a certain scene or character in one direction, write really great dialog and stuff to get them there, and then be told that they have to throw it all away and take things in a different direction. And do that three times in five days. I honestly don't know how they do it.

People ask me all the time if I'm working on a screen play, or if I'm interested in writing for television. In fact, a staff writer from a show we all watch told me last year that I'd fit right in on that show, and that I should think about taking my writing career in that direction.

I said thanks, but no.* I know how hard it is to write a good story with compelling characters and an engaging plot. I also know how arbitrary and soul crushing the entertainment industry is, and that's just as an actor. The people who write for television are basically writing the equivalent of thirteen features a season, serving several different masters, including the show's producers and the people at the network. For a fascinating insider's view of this process, you must read John Rogers' posts about his show Leverage:

Leverage: Lessons from the Script Pile
Leverage Week 1
Leverage Week 2
Leverage Week 3
Leverage Weeks 4 + 5
Leverage Week 6

(There are more Leverage posts, but that's a good place to get you started.)

I had a hard enough time coming up with something clever to write every week for Games of Our Lives and Geek in Review, and in both of those cases, I only had to make one editor happy. I don't even want to think about what it's really like to make a whole bunch of different people happy, especially when all of those people work in the entertainment industry, and there are millions of dollars at stake. I have nothing but respect for the people who can do it.

Anyway, this post is about changing gears, so I suppose I should get to that.

When I went for my Criminal Minds table read last week, one of the writers introduced herself to me and offered to answer any questions I had about the character and script. My first instinct was to ask if I could some sit in the writer's room and take notes, but before I could jam my foot in my mouth, I reminded myself, "You're here as an actor. Do your job." It was then that I realized I'd have to switch gears before I started work on this show. I'd have to take off my rookie writer's pants, and put on my veteran actor's pants for a week. That sounds simple and logical, but it's been tough, especially because I was really building momentum on these short stories I've been writing. I guess it's a good problem to have, though, so I'm not complaining.

This week and last week have been weird for me, because though I don't think of myself as a full-time actor any more, I can't deny that I'm super excited to bring this character to life, and I'm proud of myself for booking the job. Allow me to quote Shane Nickerson: "There's something to be said for not needing it and not seeking it, isn't there? I won't say not wanting it, because I am too keenly aware that no matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise, we actors may never stop wanting it, somewhere deep inside." That is 100% true, and I'm not even going to try to deny it. As much as I hate dragging my ass all over town for auditions, and as frustrating and demoralizing as the whole process is, when I'm actually working with other actors and creative people to take words on a page and bring them to life, it's almost worth it.

Almost. Which is why I've mostly traded taking the words off the page for putting them on it.

Yesterday, I tried to spend the day writing. For eight hours, I did everything I could to knock ideas out of my head and give my characters interesting things to say and do. I failed in every attempt at masonry, growing more and more frustrated with each highlight and delete. Finally, I accepted that my internal creative CPU wants and needs to be doing actor things, like breaking down scenes, developing and understanding this character, and learning my lines. Luckily, I've done this long enough that it's all second nature, and it's all deeply satisfying, so it doesn't feel like work at all.

You know, it feels strange, but also good to change gears for a few days. Hopefully, I won't grind them too much.

*There's been a lot of confusion about this, and I want to clarify: I wasn't offered any jobs on any shows. I was told by an experienced writer that, in that writer's opinion, I would be able do it if I wanted to, and I said I wasn't interested in that kind of thing, because I don't believe I have what it takes.

announcing wheaton's books in the wild

Based on the positive feedback from yesterday's sighting of Happiest Days in the wild, I made a flickr group for other people who want to show off their book in its natural habitat:

Do you have Just a Geek, Dancing Barefoot, or The Happiest Days of Our Lives, by me, Wil Wheaton? If you do, this is your chance to show me, Wil Wheaton (and everyone else in the world, now that I, Wil Wheaton, think about it) where you've taken them.

So get creative, and show us your books!

From time to time, I crack myself up by calling myself "me, Wil Wheaton." It's a joke that J. Keith van Straaten and I came up with when we were doing his show together at ACME. It's certainly funnier in my head (and on stage) than it is on the screen, but that's never stopped me before, so . . . yeah, I'm just going to trail off now . . . . mmmpthhptt.

happiest days sighted in the wild, keeping good company

I always tell people who are successful to take a moment and enjoy it, especially if it's someone I know and respect, and I know how hard they've worked to earn their success. (Otis, I'm looking in your direction right now.)

But I'm not so good at taking this particular bit of my own advice. My sense of responsibility to my family, and the uncertain economy we find ourselves living in right now forces me to keep my head down and stay focused on whatever the next thing is. This keeps me motivated, but it doesn't leave a lot of room to just sit back and enjoy things, which is something I think I need to do a little more often, especially on a day like today where I just feel . . . stabby.

It's easy for me to lose sight of the thousands of copies of Happiest Days that have made the journey from my office, through my living room, and into the hands of real people all over the world, but in an effort to enjoy the good things a little bit, I present this photo of The Happiest Days of Our Lives, keeping some very good company, on vacation.

It made me really happy to see this picture, for a lot of reasons that I can't detail without feeling like a jerk, so I'll just say thank you to WWdN and HDoOL reader Amanda C. for sharing a little bit of her vacation with me, and allowing me to share it with you.