I want to do a quick shout-out to The Mastery of Self Expression workshop, which I had he pleasure of doing last weekend. Run by Larry Gilman and my good friend Tammy Cunningham, it was an experience like few others in my life.
The essential premise of the workshop, hosted in cities throughout the world, is to help people overcome the blocks that prevent them from being who they really are. I attended the three day workshop with ten others, all complete strangers to me but the best of friends by the time we parted on Sunday evening. Larry and Tammy led us in a series of exercises to identify and overcome our blocks, while several Mastery graduates participated in providing us with a safe and supportive atmosphere.
I'd talk about the exercises, but the Mastery is something best experienced fresh, without too much prior knowledge. One thing I can say, however: it was intense. I have never been more open and honest among strangers, and I saw transformations in my fellow participants that were exciting and exhilarating to witness. The benefits of the workshop depended on each participant, what they wanted to get out of the weekend, and how much work they were willing to put in.
Am I now a transformed person, free from all my troubles? No. It was a workshop, not a religious experience. However, I do feel more confident, and my life goals seem clearer. I expect to reap the benefits of that weekend for months and years to come.
So that's my shout-out. Drop by their website and give it a look-see. If you need a new perspective, and are willing to put in the work, the Mastery might be for you.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Closets on Sale For $2.99 Again!
Just wanted to post a note and let everybody know that my novel Closets is once again going on sale. The current discounted price of $2.99 will be in effect until Halloween. You can buy it on SynergEbooks' website here.
Ebooks on CD-ROM make great trick-or-treat pressies, you know. No sugar, for one thing. Just thought I'd point that out. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more...
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Feeling Low, But Getting Help
Blogging hasn't come easy, lately. I've been busy. Up to new things. I've been making some videos with my new digital camera. You can check them out on Youtube here.
The main reason I haven't been blogging, however, is that I've been sick. I mentioned this in my last post, but I decided to be a bit more forthcoming.
I live with two mood disorders - depression and anxiety. I take pills for both, and they help to some extent. Some days are good days, and some are bad. The month of September was a series of bad days.
I won't get into all the details of why it was a bad month. A fellow author advised me against detailing my personal problems on forums intended primarily to connect with readers, and to some extent I agree. I'm not going to pretend that I'm always okay, however. And if I broke a leg or caught the flu, I'd feel no hesitation at all in saying so. Mental health issues shouldn't be treated any differently.
One negative side effect has been a sharp decline in my writing. Over the last year my productivity has gone way down, and for days at a time I wasn't able to create anything. I still had ideas, but no desire to write them down. I just couldn't. I was terrified I'd lost that desire forever.
Luckily, it didn't. I've been getting some much-needed help, and slowly but surely I'm picking the pace back up again. My treatment continues, and I plan to make up for lost time. I hope to blog more, but when I have a lot on my plate I tend to feel overwhelmed. Be patient with me. Become a fan on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter - I'm on those a lot more than I am here.
Remind me you are waiting, and nudge me along. It will help. It really will.
The main reason I haven't been blogging, however, is that I've been sick. I mentioned this in my last post, but I decided to be a bit more forthcoming.
I live with two mood disorders - depression and anxiety. I take pills for both, and they help to some extent. Some days are good days, and some are bad. The month of September was a series of bad days.
I won't get into all the details of why it was a bad month. A fellow author advised me against detailing my personal problems on forums intended primarily to connect with readers, and to some extent I agree. I'm not going to pretend that I'm always okay, however. And if I broke a leg or caught the flu, I'd feel no hesitation at all in saying so. Mental health issues shouldn't be treated any differently.
One negative side effect has been a sharp decline in my writing. Over the last year my productivity has gone way down, and for days at a time I wasn't able to create anything. I still had ideas, but no desire to write them down. I just couldn't. I was terrified I'd lost that desire forever.
Luckily, it didn't. I've been getting some much-needed help, and slowly but surely I'm picking the pace back up again. My treatment continues, and I plan to make up for lost time. I hope to blog more, but when I have a lot on my plate I tend to feel overwhelmed. Be patient with me. Become a fan on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter - I'm on those a lot more than I am here.
Remind me you are waiting, and nudge me along. It will help. It really will.
Friday, October 21, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, October 14, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
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.
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.
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