SFContario 2014: My Panels 'n Stuff

This was my third time attending SFContario, and it wasn’t as much fun as before. Not the con’s fault, except that they booked the same weekend as the Book Fair. A large number of con regulars chose the Fair, so the number of authors on hand was significantly lower.

This is not to say I had a bad time. There was plenty to do and good people to hang out with. I made a new fan (hello, Jayden!), enjoyed my panels, attended a fantastic reading, and even managed to spark some completely unintentional controversy! Click here for that story.

I did a reading myself from my upcoming novel Apoca-Lynn, and once again faced a tiny crowd of only four people. Nevertheless, we had a good time.

Next, I went to the much better attended reading by Madeline Ashby. She read from a new story, and it had me on the edge of my seat. Full marks to you, Madeline!

I had four panels that weekend, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. My first was on writing horror for children with David Nickle, Madeline’s fiancée. It went well, and made me want to rush out and scare the crap out of some kids.

My second panel was about the TV show Marvel’s Agents of Shield. I was a little concerned with how that one would go – my memories for the details of that show are not as perfect as my memory for Doctor Who or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Luckily I had plenty of help from my fellow panelists, and a great time was had.

My first Sunday panel was Troll or Insightful Criticism, about the rise of the so-called ‘trolls’ on the Internet who disparage everything they see. We discussed the difference between a troll and a harsh critic, boiling it down to a matter of respect for the thing being critiqued. The conversation naturally touched upon topics like Gamergate and cyberbullying. Sensitive issues, but they made for a good panel.

Sunday also saw the debut of Adi Everett’s mental health and fandom panel at SFContario, renamed Fandom and Disability. We had a good turnout for that one, and the expanded scope to include all forms of disability led to some great discussion. The room we held the panel in was the least accessible for people with disabilities, an irony that was not lost on anyone.

After all was said and/or done at the closing ceremony, I went up to the Consuite for the Dead Dog, otherwise known as the afterparty. There was lots of food (I cut the ham!) and plenty to drink – it was hard to stick to my no-pop rule, but I managed.

The next day I was back at work with a fandom-sized hole in my heart. Until next year!

SFContario Controversy!

My final con for this year, SFContario provided a calm and stress-free outing punctuated by a case of unintended controversy. And I was to blame. Me, and my God Hates Bags satchel, pictured here.

A hotel employee spotted the bag in question through a window and thought it was the genuine article – a God Hates F@&$ sign used by the notorious Westboro Baptist Church. This employee was very upset, and he raised a stink at the registration desk. The Con staff had no idea what he was talking about until I ambled by a few minutes after the irate man had left. I straightened things out with the con organizers, and the other hotel staff were very understanding and didn’t make an issue of it. I would have hated it if I’d caused a rift between the convention and their venue!

I get a lot of compliments on my satchel from people who get the satire, but every so often there’ll be someone who doesn’t get it. I may have bought it at Pride Parade, but it’s the same font and only one letter away from being that message of hate so beloved by the Phelps clan. When I’m carrying it, I’m making a political statement, and I need to take responsibility for that. Not everybody is going to get the joke.

SFContario Coming Up Once More!

Another convention! When am I ever NOT attending one?

Well, most of the year, actually. Spring and Fall are con seasons for me, and there won't be another until Ad Astra in 2015. That's ok, though. I could use a break. And the time to prepare my next book, Apoca-Lynn, for launch!

Back to SFContario. I have a reading scheduled, and a few panels to do, too. I have three days to prepare before the con begins. Better get cracking!

Here's what I'll be up to:

Reading – Saturday 10 – 10:30 AM – Room 207

Horror For Children – Saturday 2 PM – Room 207 (M)

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, do we love it yet? – Saturday 4 PM – Ballroom C

Troll, or Insightful Criticism? – Sunday 12 PM – Room 207

Fandom and Disability – Sunday 2PM – Room 207 (M)

To answer my own question from my last post about why I was watching Agents of Shield earlier this evening, there it is - I have a panel on that show, and I need to get my studying in.

Yes, watching TV is studying. Not necessarily goofing off, not at all. Shut up.

Really Awesome Title

Wow, it has been a long time, hasn't it? There are all sorts of reasons why I just couldn't get back on track with this blog, and I don't intend to list them all here. Basically, I'm still doing ok, and I'm still writing!

I went to Can-Con two weeks ago, and plan to write a post about that as soon as I am able. This weekend I'm off to GenreCon, and am very excited to be doing so. And, if all goes well today and tomorrow, I'll have a new temp job lined up this coming Monday. SFContario is also in my very near future. I will have a lot to write about!

I'm glad I jumped in and posted this. Good for me!

Reversed Polarity: A Weekend of Who

Last weekend I attended Reversed Polarity, a special convention put on by the same people who have run Polaris, dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. It was another fun bash, with panels and good friends and well-known special guests including... get ready for it...

PETER DAVISON!
Peter friggin' Fifth Doctor Davison!!!

What a coup!

My programming schedule was light - only two panels - and problematic at first. I'd been attached to another Star Trek Into Darkness panel, and one on Doctor Who fanfiction. The night before the convention, however, I got an email saying I wasn't signed up for anything! Naturally I was a tad concerned, especially when my emails weren't returned (which is completely understandable, it was the night before the convention and the programming team were busy as all hell). It all turned out okay, as these things often do. My dear friend Corrine McGill (volunteer extraordinaire) took care of my issues in less than five minutes. My revised panel schedule had me doing Star Trek at noon on Sunday, and Fanfiction late Saturday night. Regrettably I had to back out of the fanfiction one; the bus schedule being what it was, I simply couldn't stay that late. That's twice now I've missed out on fanfiction panels! Bummer.

Now that I had my con badge, I was free to roam the con. There was considerably less of it this time around - only half the hotel space a Polaris con usually gets. Nevertheless, the fandom atmosphere was thick and omnipresent, with every second person clad in a Doctor Who costume. Peter Davison gave a talk on stage; I figured there would be an extra cost to see it, so I didn't go. Turns out there was no extra fee, and I'm an idiot. That's two Doctors I could have met this year but didn't (the other one being Colin Baker at Fan Expo).

I did, however, meet and chat with many friends: Jen Frankel, author of the horror novel The Last Rite, who told me she'd loved Epoch; her friend and frequent River Song impersonator Amanda Portelli, who is currently making me a Tardis-shaped notebook; Rebecca Lovatt, who sold me a red shirt for an extremely reasonable price (even though people are just dying to wear red shirts); and many others whom I'm too lazy to name.

The dealer's room did not disappoint. After less than half an hour I'd bought a Doctor Who novel, a Weeping Angel (very popular and hard to find!), and an almost-naked Wolverine action figure for Violet (which she described as "disturbing"). I attended an interesting panel on 4th Doctor Tom Baker, then reluctantly headed home for the night.

On Sunday I had my first and only panel - Star Trek Into Darkness. Violet came with me; she's a big fan of that movie (and an even bigger fan of Benedict Cumberbatch!). I'd been chosen to moderate, and what a job I had. Few in the audience liked the film, and I was the only panelist willing to praise it. And, I had to deal with one of those fans, someone who lives to nitpick in as loud a voice as they can. He interrupted or talked over me with grueling regularity, and my attempts to reign him in were less than effective. Such people can't be contained, only endured - I managed to get my two cents in when he paused for breath. The other two panelists were far better behaved, and just as enthusiastic. I came away feeling drained but still happy. Not long ago I'd have been angry, and I'd ruminate over what I could have/should have done better for hours. Not this time. For me, that's progress.

Violet and I stayed until five, taking in two more panels (6: The Misunderstood Doctor & The 12th Doctor) and even assisting with the putting away of chairs at the end. We also had drinks with friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in a very long time. Very civilized. I didn't get much self-promotion in, but I didn't have to. I was there with some of the best people I know. That was enough.

Later this month I'll attend SFContario once more! Good times.

It's August, the last month of the summer. The majority of super awesome blockbuster movies have come out, the CNE is almost upon us, and we've had hot days aplenty!

The world of work continues to confound me. Or, to put a more positive spin on my employment woes, the world of work continues to provide valuable material for me to draw upon for my fiction. I've had a couple of interviews; the first one seemed to go really well, but I didn't get the job. The second one also went very well. Does that mean I'm screwed?

Not necessarily, no. Only a negative, pessimistic, down-in-the-dumps person would think that! I am not that person. At least, not today.

I continue to write, but my speed and productivity have gone down. And, I seem to be suffering from rewriter's block. I'll do a post on that soon. And I've had another significant rejection to deal with. I'll blog about that soon, too. Nevertheless, I continue to advance the plot of Zombie Jesus Day. I'm keeping up with Toronto.com articles, and I'm always adding new reviews to Biblical Proportions. Here's the latest one.

I haven't been to a con since Ad Astra, which is sad. I do love them. For one reason or another I've missed a bunch of them this summer. I hope to make it to Can Con and SFContario in the fall. Of course, it's hard to get all gung-ho about promoting my stuff when I have so very little stuff left to promote... There I go, getting down again. It's hard not to, with depression on top of stressful circumstances. I need to turn things around, but it's going to take a lot of passion, energy, and hard work.

I still believe in the dream. I just wish I felt like the dream believed in me.

SFContario Weekend Part II

And now for Sunday, the second half of my SFContario experience. Although it wasn't really half the experience - I had only two events, compared to the five I did the day before. Nevertheless, it was a very full and rewarding day!

My first event was the Writing in the Digital Age panel in Ballroom BC, with fellow panelists James Bambury, Lynna Merrill, and my new best friend Sarah Water Raven (seen here stuffing a pen up her nose).

The panel started at 10 in the AM, which is a problem to anyone who understands the Sunday schedule of the TTC. Basically, the trains don't start running until 9:00 AM, with very little service before that (including my local bus!). From the time the first bus of the day picked me up, I had about 45 minutes to get to the panel on time! And somewhere in there, I had to squeeze in another cup of tea, too! Once more I was extremely grateful for that Tim Hortons inside Finch Station.

I got to the Ramada Plaza Hotel in decent time (read: not too late), but I still had to find Ballroom BC. See, the rooms in that hotel were tricky to find without a strong sense of irony. After all, the Gardenview had no view of a garden, the Courtyard wasn't anywhere near an actual courtyard, and the Solarium had no sun. The name Ballroom BC suggests a very large dancing room with a stone-age theme, so I knew I to look for a small room with lots of tech lying around. And that's pretty much what I found!

The panel itself was insightful and fun. I got a chance to gripe about how I had to learn Internet marketing by trial and error, and the others spoke about what had worked for them. I learned some good tips about ebook publishing, for which I am grateful to my co-panelists.

Afterward, I visited the con-suite with Sarah the pen-sniffer and her minion, Keli. It really is terrific for authors and other panelists to have a place to go and relax with a snack and a drink in-between our scheduled bits of programming. Having had a table at most other cons, I would often return to said table instead of taking advantage of the con-suitey goodness on offer. My lack of a table this time meant I sold fewer books, but I had the chance to unwind in the company of some awesome people. And Keli the minion bought a copy of Section K from me, so it was awesomeness all around (thank you, Keli!).

My last bit of official programming was a book signing, located in the Hallway. Which hallway was the Hallway? That's what I had to find out with all speed. Luckily I received directions, and was delighted to discover that the Hallway was, in fact, a hallway! No irony in that designation at all. I shared a table with Violette Malan and two other authors whose names I really should have written down (sorry, guys!). The Hallway was empty, with nobody for us to sign books for. It looked to be a very dull and depressing hour...

...but then my friend Rebecca Lovatt arrived with brownie cookies and chocolate chip & cookie dough muffins! And there was much rejoicing. Nom, nom, nom!!! Words cannot describe how awesome Rebecca's baked goods are, so I won't waste any trying. No books were sold or signed, but boy were we well-fed! Nom, nom, I say again, nom!

The signing ended, the muffins were woofed, and one last bit of business for me remained. My friend and fellow author Ira Nayman (Alternate Reality Ain't What It Used To Be) had requested a copy of my first published novel, Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters. Who was I to day no? He is probably the last person on Earth to have purchased a copy... at least until I sell it to another publisher!

I left that day feeling grand. SFContario had been good to me, and I definitely plan to return next year.

SFContario Weekend

Another good time was had by me at SFContario. Or, rather, I had another good time at SFContario! Much better. Always avoid passive voice if you can.

But I was far from passive at last weekend's convention, ever so conveniently located(for me, anyway) in the heart of downtown Toronto. I turned up bright and early on Saturday morning at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, ready to do my half-hour reading, three panels and Kaffeeklatsch(which I still can't pronounce). My reading at 11 was poorly attended, but two wonderful people did turn up midway through to hear me read from The Cupid War. Suzanne Church came in for the next reading, and she was just terrific. She read a story in which Death orders breakfast at a diner before going to Niagara Falls. All three of us were hooked, hanging on her every word. Then she ended her reading without finishing the story, which can only be seen as an intolerable act of cruelty. >:( Shame on you, Suzanne Church, for writing such a compelling story!

I went from the readings straight into my first panel, Urban Fantasy. Joining me were fellow authors Violette Malan, Michael Mattheson, Shirley Meier. Turns out I was the moderator! That's not something you want to find out at the last minute! I'm happy to report that I rose to the occasion; I thought up some decent questions to ask my fellow panelists, and kept things running smoothly.

The Kaffeeklatsch was a non-event. I hung out in the room with my good friend Mike Bryant for half an hour, then we left to go have lunch. I had the blandest bowl of beef and barley soup I have ever eaten; not gross, just kinda ho-hum. Glad I brought my own sandwich.

At 4 o'clock it was time for revenge. And guilt. Scheduled to appear with me on the Vengeance and Guilt as Motivation panel were Herb Kauderer, Michael Mattheson, Gareth McGorman, Tony Pi, Caitlin Sweet. And yet, I seem to remember only four people on that panel, including me. I can't say exactly who was missing... I should've taken names at the door! Anyhoo, the panel went well...ish. I got a little muddled while trying to make a point about heroic behaviour vs. vengeance. Overall, though, it was okay. Not feeling vengeful. Maybe a little guilty.

My final bit of programming for Saturday was SF and Gender, with Kathryn Allan, Shirley Meier and Sarah Water Raven. I was a tiny bit late, having left the con to grab a burger and do some writing. Ten minutes can only stretch so far! I spoke once again about James Alan Gardner's Commitment Hour. And that's about all the speaking I was able to get in! It felt a bit like the others were hogging the conversation, but that's only because they were so very enthusiastic about the subjectmatter. The panel covered a lot of ground, and managed to be completely different from the similar panel I did at Can*Con (except for me talking about Commitment Hour, which is a fabulous book).

Sarah Water Raven had come to promote her new novel, Detective Docherty and the Demon's Tears, and SFContario was her first con! She and I hit it off, and I wasted no time making fun of her main character's last name. Y'know, Docherty. Doche-rty? Douche-bag? Well, I thought it was funny...

I think I'll stop here for now, and make a new post for Sunday. Until then!

SFContario Schedule

Next weekend I will be attending SFContario at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on 300 Jarvis St. It won't be that far of a walk from College Subway Station; for once, I'll be attending a con that is really, really easy to get to by TTC!

I have no programming on the Friday, but Saturday looks to be quite busy. Here is my schedule in brief:

Reading - Saturday 11:00 AM Gardenview

Urban Fantasy: Fairies Around Every Corner (Timothy Carter, Violette Malan, Michael Mattheson, Shirley Meier) Saturday 12:00 PM, Solarium

Kaffeeklatsch – Saturday 2:00 PM Room 207

Guilt and Vengeance as a Motivation in Fiction (Timothy Carter, Herb Kauderer, Michael Mattheson, Gareth McGorman, Tony Pi, Caitlin Sweet) Saturday 4:00 PM, Courtyard

SF and Gender (Kathryn Allan, Timothy Carter, Shirley Meier, Lynna Merrill) Saturday 6:00 PM, Solarium

Writing in the digital age (James Bambury, Timothy Carter, Lynna Merrill) Sunday 10:00 AM, Ballroom BC

I also have a book signing session on Sunday at Noon.

Just what is an Kaffeeklatsch? I had to ask about that.

Apparently it is some sort of round table discussion between myself and approximately 20 people on... anything. I suppose I'll talk about my areas of expertise: writing, blogging, conventions, Transformers, Doctor Who, being unemployed, freaky religious stuff, mental health, and tea.

This will be my last con of 2012 (or ever, depending on what happens on December 21st!), so I plan to have as much fun as possible. It will be a long stretch before my next one, Ad Astra 2013.

I'll Be A Panelist @ SFContario!

This month I'll be taking part in a new sci/fi convention - well, new to me that is. I met some of the SFContario people at Can*Con, and before I knew it I was made a panelist at their con!

Cool beans.

I'll be doing a reading from The Cupid War, participating in at least four panels, and taking part in an autograph session, too. I will not have a table, however; fans who want signed copies will have to bring their own. I'll bring some, but only what I can carry.

The con takes place on November 9, 10 & 11. I'll update with more information soon!