Here Today, Blog Tomorrow #16

For this post, I pose a question to any author, successful or starting, who writes a blog: Why do you suddenly stop writing the blog?

I've seen some author blogs where they ignore posting anything for months...sometimes years. Why? Well, there may be a reason as to their work load and if the blog is interfering. Some authors tackle multiple projects and give up blogs. But still, that doesn't seem to make their blog followers dip in the numbers. They're still patiently waiting the next post, if the blog is written well.

The longest I've seen a blog go without a post is three full years. I couldn't do that. A blog, to me, is like a writing workshop. Here you have the tools, the audience and the execution. David Wellington, author of titles 13 bullets, Monster Island and Frostbite, got his book contract by posting up chapters on his blog. People would comment, word of mouth would spread, boom, another writer is born. It just goes to show that if you have a following, even if it is just two people, you have a commitment.

The followers on this blog has just reached 28. Because of that, the pressure is on for new content and a lot more of it. I don't think I could ever go a month without blogging. Just thought you oughta know that.

Stand By It

No, I haven't been writing much. I've hit a mental block again. I just have to have one day to sit down and write non stop. And that day could either be Saturday or Sunday, when I usually get a bulk of writing done. I'm trying to stand by it.

But during my dry spells, I often research other aspiring writers. Or just writers in general to see what I can find. Today, you know who I found?

Will Wheaton.

I'll give you 3 seconds to figure out who that is.

1 . . .

2 . . .

Hey! Stop looking on IMDB! Cheater!

If you've waited the 3 seconds and still can't figure it out, I'll just go ahead and tell you. A long time ago, stephen king wrote a short novella called The Body. That story was adapted into the movie Stand By Me. Wil Wheaton played Gordie, the writer of the group of four boys walking on train tracks trying to find a missing person. Well guess what, folks.

He's a writer in real life.

He's written three books so far:

Just A Geek

Dancing Barefoot

Sunken Treasures

Who would've thought that the late great River Pheonix's sage advice, "You're going to be a writer someday, gordie." would actually be true?

I always knew what happened to all the other stars of stand by me. Last I heard river pheonix, deceased at 23, Corey feldmen has just done a return to his character Frog in a Lost Boys Dvd, and Jerry O'connel has gone to star in various movies and shows and was able to swipe up Rebecca Romijn. But what the hell ever happened to Wil Wheaton?

After stand by me he joined the series of Star Trek, which I briefly remember one episode with him in it. (Hey, I am by no means a trekki. It took me 4 days, 3 nights and a couple rockstar energy drinks and the power of time traveling DeLorean to remember that episode. And that was when I was channel surfing at the time.) Sometime in the show, he quit to become a more serious actor. To his dismay, after finishing drama school, all of Hollywood had forgotten about him. His dream of becoming a serious actor faded. It wasn't until he met a teacher from his old high school that he realized 'Hell, I should pick up a pen.'

He started a blog, which then grew to great popularity, which he then wrote the books based on his blog. From listening to an excerpt of him reading Just A Geek to an audience, he sounds like a helluva nice guy and one who will continue writing for a long time. He still writes on his blog. check it out!

http://www.wilwheaton.typepad.com/

Hear Wil Wheaton read first chapter of Just a geek

"Keep a diary and one day it'll keep you." ~Mae West

Update: Wil Wheaton is working with a new publisher and will publish a book entitled The Happiest Days of Our Lives. Here is a video of him reading an exerpt from that book to an audience. Enjoy.