NEWS
I discovered how to travel in time.
No not really, but wouldn’t it be cool if I had? I could be like Doctor Who parading around the universe in a little blue box and a trusty assistant by my side.
It’s been a whole month since my last update. A month of helping people move, having BBQs in the rain, visiting relatives and writing as much as I can. So what’s there to chat about?
My friend Sanjay at the 2013 Convention: upstaging everyone without even trying
1. Nine Worlds Convention – Guest Speaker
They say you should save the best news for last, but I think that’s a load of <insert rude word here>. Why would you not want to tell people that you’re speaking at a huge conference? If you swing by the Radisson Edwardian at London Heathrow on Sunday 9th August you can catch me on a panel discussion. I’ll be speaking on the future of the Star Trek franchise (hell yeah!) in addition to other bits and bobs. You can book tickets through the Nine Worlds Website here if you’re at all interested in this sort of thing. It’s a fun science fiction and fantasy conference and has something for everyone.
2. Blogging
I’ve been continuing to blog as often as I can in between the paid gigs. You can catch a guest post I wrote for SFF World here. In it I discuss the secret fans of sci-fi and fantasy who like to pretend that they’re not really interested in ‘that sort of nonsense!’ then rave on about Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead.
3. Speaking
I’ve recently joined the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). It seemed like a sensible thing to do considering the fact that in the future I hope to be speaking in public a lot more. It seemed doubly sensible as people often make a career out of speaking. I think of it as another string to my bow, another tool to add to my arsenal of creativity. There’s nothing worse than standing up in front of people and then going ‘er…….’
4. Anyone want to help or buy a mobile Optician’s Business?
It’s a good business. But not for me in the long term.
I’m trying to sell (or shift off as much of the day-to-day) the opticians business I run to allow me more time for writing. It’s hard work running 2 businesses at the same time and I feel like I can never devote 100% of my time to either. If you know anyone who’s interested in helping to run or take over the running of a decently profitable small business, drop me an email or phone call.
5. Writing
As a writer I’m often asked how I find the motivation to carry on in the face of overwhelming odds. I write, but like all writers I often write in isolation. There are literally billions of writers around the world all doing what I’m doing. Everyone has something they want to say. We feel crowded and alone at the same time. How messed up is that?! The truth is we never know if anyone will want to read or listen. So we keep trying new things to find an audience interested enough to want to know more. Sometimes I feel very alone in this job and it can be hugely demoralising. Fortunately I’m learning there are many ways to reach and engage people. The internet is a great utensil. It allows us to meet new people, go to events and conferences we wouldn’t have known about and basically hang out and chat with like minded people. I have to remind myself that I am not alone at all. And that dear reader is a very good thing indeed.
RANT
To be honest there isn’t much I want to rant about at the moment. Except maybe
1. People who walk along the street staring at their phones
I walked into one the other day. On purpose. He was still looking at his phone even as he stumbled. D**k.
2. People who won’t let me off the tube even though they can’t get on till I get off
I refused to let anyone on the southbound Jubilee to Stratford until they let me off. I made a point of it the other day by basically blocking the doors and saying “If you step back and let me off you can get on the train! Now step back or I will torch your rude asses with this new flamethrower I happen to have in my bag.”
I didn’t really have a flamethrower. They did let me off the train though.
3. Painful Prosthetic Eyes
I got a new eye the other day to replace my old-doesn’t-fit-as-well-as-it-used-to prosthetic due to soft tissue movement in the socket. The new one is bloody uncomfortable. It feels like someone’s trying to fit a bowling ball in my eye socket. And I have to wait 3 weeks for it to settle down. Ouch.
ADVICE
- Don’t trust the Ocularist when she says ‘It should settle down in a few days, but if you’re feeling any discomfort in 3 weeks come back and see us’
- Rude commuters move remarkably fast when you look insane and threaten to torch them with a flame thrower
- You are not alone
