Panels With Professionals

...or, How To Be Totally Intimidated By Authors More Popular Than Myself

I've done a lot of discussion panels at sci fi conventions in the years since my first novel was published. Some have gone well. Some have gone badly. Some were well attended, others not so much. Some introduced me to new friends, and others revealed the bitterest of enemies. The topics have ranged from Fan Panels about the stuff I'm into (like Transformers and Doctor Who), to professional panels about writing, publishing and genres.

Fan panels are a blast, and they deserve their own blog post. Pro panels can also be fun, but for a fresh-faced newbie like myself... well, actually, I've been at this for six years now. But I still feel like a newbie among professionals. Especially when I'm sitting next to people who've been at this a lot longer than I have.

For one thing, they come Prepared. Not prepared. I'm usually prepared for my panels. But other pros come Prepared.

What do I mean? Here's an example from last year. I was on a four-person panel on the topic of humour in science fiction and fantasy. Should be a breeze for the author of Epoch and Evil, right? But while I was prepared to talk about the funny things my characters will get up to, the other three panelists were Prepared with the nuts and bolts of what makes a joke. There's something called The Drop. That's when the funny part of the joke happens. I've always called it the bit when the funny part of the joke happens. They called it The Drop, and thus appeared a lot smarter and knowledgeable than me. I ended up feeling so inferior that when it came time for me to reveal my humour-creating secrets, all I could think to say was: "I... um, do cruel things to my characters."

Another panel on the creation of believable characters in fiction was even worse. I got verbally chastised by a living legend for not doing it right. The other panelists (including the aforementioned living legend) discussed the facts about what makes a character into a believable person while I sat in my corner trying to look small and unobtrusive.

The kicker? All that stuff the other pros talked about that goes into character development? I already do those things. I just couldn't vocalize it properly, because I was feeling intimidated. And I wasn't Prepared.

I need to do better than that. I need to look at the way I write and find better ways of explaining those methods to an audience. I am, after all, a professional. I'm on those panels for a reason - people expect me to communicate what I do and how I do it.

And, I need to chill out, dude, when I'm around other pros. Just because someone has sold more books than me does not mean my opinion isn't valid. It just means I need to work a bit harder to make that opinion heard.

Time Out For Sick Leave

September was bad. Let's not dwell on it.

Once upon A Romance Review did a write up on The Cupid War. Very nice of them! Please check it out here.

I've also started posting videos on Youtube. I picked up a webcam for a very affordable price, and now I am able to promote myself in a brand new way. Here's my latest video, where I discuss The Cupid War.

I've been ill for a while, and it has taken its toll on my writing in the last couple of years. I have two novel projects on the go right now, but both are moving slowly while I undergo treatment. I am getting better; I wasn't able to write much of anything last month. I am moving forward, even if only by baby steps.

One thing that has changed for the better is that I have a better understanding of what I want to do. I'm planning to expand my writing to include articles for entertainment media, and ghostwriting. More on those plans as they develop.

3 New Reviews!

Hello, everyone! The Cupid War has been released, and currently sits at #100,686 in Books on Amazon.ca's Bestsellers Rank. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but it doesn't sound too bad.

I've found some new reviews out there in the web, and it is high time I posted links to them here. The first is from my dear friends at Charlotte's Library. They reviewed Evil? in the past, and I'm very grateful for their continued support. :)

The next review can be found at Ypulse, written by Sydney Coates. While she annoyingly refers to my main character as Richard and not Fallon (and calls the Suicides 'depressions'), she does give me a very enthusiastic thumbs up. Thank you, Sydney! :D

Finally, we have Gina's review on The Bucket List, a blog about books. Her review is extremely kind, and I could not be more pleased. I did find it amusing, however, that she rated the book "PG-13 for scary themes, nudity." There are indeed some naked people in the book, but fear not - I provided no illustrations. ;)

Also, I'd like to mention that on Amazon, my book has a 'Like' button on it. If you have a Facebook account, you can click and tell the world you like The Cupid War! If you do so I would be ever so thankful. Especially since, in the time it has taken me to write this post, my book has sunk down to # 101, 332 on the Bestsellers Rank. Hurry!

Polaris 25 Wrap-Up

Polaris was, once again, a very good time. I sold more books than I'd expected, and got brief hellos with many friends. I also did all that I could to get the word out about The Cupid War. Good for me, I say!

I spoke on six panels, two of which were fandom related (Doctor Who and Reboot), two were writing related (discussing character development, and the different types of fantasy), and two were topics of interest (the Young Adult market, and fictional afterlives). I felt a little out of my depth on the character panel, and I learned why I tend to feel that way when I'm on a panel with other professionals - they are so much better at verbally articulating what they do. I need to get better at that.

Thanks to my lovely wife, Violet, who came to help me run my table, I was able to do more con-related activities than I otherwise might have done. One such activity was the launch of When The Hero Comes Home, an anthology of stories on the topic of what happens next to a story's hero when the big event is over. Three authors whom I know and respect had stories in the book (Marie Bilodeau, J. M. Frey and Erik Buchanan), so I had to buy a copy. Plus there was free food. And a drink called a mamosa. It was nice. I had two of them.

The event was fun but exhausting. I'm afraid I may have babbled a bit with a couple of my readers, and appeared a bit manic to others. The excitement of the con versus anxiety about my panels, combined with general tiredness, may have made me appear a bit strange (well, stranger than usual) to some. Nevertheless, I still had an excellent time, and I look forward to next year.

Off To Polaris 25

This weekend is Polaris 25, the big sci-fi and fantasy con that for me is an annual event. Good times will be had, money will be spent, and hopefully lots of books will be sold. I will make a brief appearance tonight, then I'll get real busy tomorrow with four discussion panels. I have a panel on Doctor Who bright and early Saturday morning at 10, followed by a writing panel on creating memorable characters at noon. At 2 I have a panel on medieval fantasy and modern/urban fantasy, and at 5 I finally get to do a panel about writing for the Young Adult market!

On Sunday I have two panels: at 2 I will discuss fictional depictions of the afterlife, and at five I'll do a panel on Reboot, one of my favourite animated shows.

That's all my official stuff. I'm hoping I'll also be able to do some Geek-offs and maybe have a drink or several with friends. It will be a packed weekend, but it will be fun. It always is!

And Another Cupid War Review... from Kirkus!

The Cupid War is reviewed in the July 1 issue of Kirkus Reviews [5,000].


THE CUPID WAR
Author: Carter, Timothy

Review Date: July 1, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 240
Price ( Paperback ): $9.95
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN ( Paperback ): 978-0-7387-2614-4
Category: Fiction


Life was bad enough for Canadian teen Ricky Fallon; who knew death came with pink spandex?

Fallon actually planned to off himself. He was on the Pape Street Bridge ready to jump because his girl dumped him, his dad was a prick and his “best friend” Susan was the most clingy, depressing person on the planet. He changed his mind…and slipped. Fallon wakes to find Bud, a Soul Reaper, ready to take him to—his new job. Souls with Karma to work out become Cupids, genital-free, Love-eating spirits who exist to increase the supply of Love in the world by getting the living to couple-up. Fallon’s new boss Louis is a huge jerk. Bad enough that he’s got to suffer that (and the heart-emblazoned spandex), but, with little training, Fallon also has to avoid Suicides, the dangerous, misery-eating antitheses of Cupids. When he finds Susan has attached herself to a new unfortunate, Fallon suspects there’s something more than meets the eye to that downer-girl. Can he save her new target (and maybe the world)? Carter’s newest is a darkly humorous, fantastical frolic. Fallon’s snark is tempered by his conflicted feelings about his runaway mother. Other characters aren’t as well-rounded, but the unique afterlife and a surprisingly spiritual twist will keep pages turning.

Fans of funky unconventional fantasy will lap it up and roar for more. (Humorous fantasy. 12 & up)


Three reviews in, and I'm still smokin'! I'm a very happy author, yes indeed!

First Cupid War Reviews!

Hello, everyone! I've been ignoring the blogosphere again in favour of Facebook, and don't even ask me about Twitter. I need at least one clone of me to keep up with all this stuff.

But I'm here now, and happy to share with you the first review of The Cupid War, as posted in CM Magazine and written by Ann Ketcheson.

The Cupid War has also been reviewed in the June 2011 issue of VOYA by Heidi Uphoff. The full review is posted below:

Carter, Timothy. The Cupid War. Flux/Llewellyn, 2011. 240p. $9.95. Trade pb. 978-0-7387-26144.

Ricky Fallon decided at the last second that he did not want to end his life after all, but he slipped and fell from the bridge anyway. In the afterlife, Fallon discovers that he must repay a karmic debt for ending his life early by donning a pink bodysuit and helping people fall in love. That is right—Fallon becomes a Cupid. Little is cute about his situation, however, as Fallon learns that the Cupids are at war with the Suicides, dark beings that cause depression in their human victims. The story gets complicated when Fallon learns that the lecherous girl, Susan Sides, who drove him to his suicide attempt, may be a human/Suicide hybrid. Fallon meets other Cupids along the way and even falls in love with a psychic teenager whose friend is Susan’s next target.

Carter has created a whimsical story focusing on the serious subjects of suicide and depression. Unlike his previous work, Evil? (Flux/Llewellyn, 2009), The Cupid War leaves readers wondering what message, if any, Carter is attempting to convey. Carter also misses giving depth to the story by not developing potential sub-plots such as the early death of Fallon’s mother. Despite these minor flaws, young adults who enjoy light-hearted, easy-to-understand stories with happy endings will be drawn to this book.


Not quite as positive as the CM one, but it could have been worse. I'd like to point out that while Susan Sides displays many leech-like traits, she is in no way lecherous.

Two early reviews, and the book isn't for another month and a half! Huzzah, and words to that effect.