Will Wight, New York Times Best-Selling Author of 'Cradle'
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In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.

Where's Will?

7/22/2014

8 Comments

 

My traditional answer would be "I'm behind you," but I'll do my best to keep it a little more serious today. You know, so you can tell that I'm not making crap up.

Those of you who can count may have noticed that I haven't put up a blog post for a month now, and that this isn't usual for me. I also haven't responded quite as assiduously to email or blog comments.

So why is it? Where have I been?

Well, about a month ago, a good friend of mine died. His name was Rick Doolin, and he had two kids: ages ten and seven.

He had been struggling with cancer (mesothelioma) for about a year, and it was so advanced from the beginning that doctors didn't even realistically give him that long. So this wasn't sudden, but it was still difficult.

On a personal level, Rick had also asked me to conduct his funeral.

Why? A few reasons. First, Rick was a lot like me, and a lot like many of you: he was a geek, he didn't like being too dramatic, and he had a very dry sense of humor. Rick knew that if I was involved in the funeral, it would be a service he would enjoy. And it wouldn't get too sappy.

I was onstage in a "Trek Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself" T-shirt and jeans. True story. Many of the audience members wore superhero shirts and capes, and one guy was in full redshirt cosplay. We showed clips from Star Trek movies; it was awesome.

I actually ended up co-leading with the pastor of Rick's local church (who otherwise would have done the service alone), which was great. We got Rick's permission to team up, so don't worry about that.

Even splitting the burden with somebody else, though, it took a lot out of me. Way more than I expected.

Rick really was a good friend of mine: I hung out with him at least once a week, and I could always count on him to go with me to see terrible sci-fi movies. So the loss of a friend was one level.

But planning and executing a funeral service was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

From the point that Rick started to get worse to the end of the funeral was a little over two weeks. After that, I had zero energy. I was practically dead.

So I went on vacation. To the mountains, as some of you may remember that I love.

I've been disconnected for weeks. But the good news is that I'm back, I'm rested, and I (strangely enough) came out of the vacation with three chapters written of Of Sea And Shadow.

One of which I'll share with you in a few days. Anyone checking this blog has been patient, and I appreciate that. I'd like to reward that patience with a preview of the world.

This chapter of the new story does not follow the main characters; in fact, it's kind of like a really short spinoff story, of the sort you'd find in the Chronicles. But it gives a brief, colorful look at the world.

Thanks for your understanding, everybody, and keep an eye out for an original scene from the Of Sea and Shadow world!

...in a few days.

8 Comments
Brett
7/22/2014 08:02:48 am

Sorry for you loss. Death is hard, but a part of us all, so making it a party is the way it should be done. Bless you for being a good friend. I am terribly excited for the up coming sneak peak. Be strong and write on!

Reply
stacey
7/22/2014 08:38:56 am

live long and prosper.

Reply
Elder III
7/22/2014 03:47:48 pm

I am sorry for the loss of your friend and for the loss of a father to those children. I can identify with the situation, and it is definitely a pain that cannot be quantified without experiencing it or a similar tragedy.

I am looking forward to your next piece of wordsmith art as always. Don't be afraid to take your time, GRR Martin has been taking far longer and I haven't tarred and feathered him..... yet. :)

Reply
Angel Nevaeh
7/22/2014 10:43:02 pm

I'm so sorry to hear that, and I know exactly how you feel. My father died of leukemia last april. Even though he had it I never thought I would lose him. I thought that we were special and that we'd make through this because stuff like that doesn't happen to me. But it did. I never thought I'd lose my father at the age of 16. And I realized that life felt kinda like a book. It had unexpected twist and turns. And to this day I still don't think I truly believe he's gone. Because I feel like I'm still waiting for him to come home....

Any way this isn't about me, but I'm sure you can relate. Even though you're told that person won't make it you still don't believe it until you see it with your own two eyes. And then you still don't believe it. But I'm glad that you're healing and you back on track with your life. Your friend would have wanted you to be happy. And I'm not sure what your faith is but I hope you believe that on day you will see him again. Stay strong. :)

Reply
Mordin
7/23/2014 06:40:21 pm

I cant say that I feel your pain, because every loss hits every one a little differently, but I too have lost friends and even family... I guess I just wanted to say that I am here as a reader and fan of your work and that I wish you and the children of your friend as much happiness as you can stand. Hope you all get/have the support you need and that everyone deserves after being faced with tragedy.

Reply
Kevin
7/23/2014 11:14:22 pm

Sounds like a great friend and a service that honored the man he was.

Reply
Mark Jaeger
7/25/2014 01:17:47 pm

Wooooohooooooo! Wait. That's for the book not the funeral. As for your friend I'm sure he's enjoying the perks of nerdvana.. Three breasted women... Magic.. The force.. And an internet devoid of trolls

Reply
J. Moore
8/13/2014 11:48:59 am

I'm sorry for your loss.

Reply



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