Sometimes I'm slow about doing things. I finally took down the link for the Epoch website, because the site has been gone for two months. It served its purpose, but the time has come for a new site.
Rather than have a different site for each book, my wife Violet and I decided I would be better off with a site that encompasses all of my stuff. It will be found at www.timothycarterworld.com, and will work in conjunction with my other blog, Worlds of Tim.
When can you expect to see this new site? Soon, I hope. Violet is designing it, and I need to come up with all the content. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, Timothy Carter's World will be ready for the new year.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sick... of Work
Long time readers of my blog know how much I love to complain about my jobs. Some have been worse than others, but none of them have been the type of thing I really want to be doing with my life. Lately it's taken a toll on my health - I had my first cold in a long time this week, and have had to take four days off work. Sad thing is, I was kind of hoping something like that might happen to me. When you're wishing for ill-health to get you a couple of days off, it's time to leave.
Luckily, my contract expires at the end of this month. My plan is to take December off to research the kind of things I like doing, what I'm good at, and what's out there, so that when I job-search again I can look for the right job for me instead of just whatever office job happens to be available.
Is my current job That Bad? Yes and no. My co-workers are very friendly and nice when they're not feeling swamped with work, and my boss has been pretty reasonable. I haven't had to write a report justifying my worth to the company, I haven't been taken to task for not 'hitting the targets', I haven't been told that I was a few minutes late getting back from lunch and am I planning to make up the time? I don't feel like I'm being watched, and I can take breaks when I need to take them. As workplaces go, I could do a lot worse. But...
The workload has tripled since I started, and all of it is boring as hell. When there were three of us doing it, we were just barely scraping by. Now there's only two of us, and the work just keeps on coming. When I leave, there will be only one person doing that job. Several projects (like rearranging the filing room) have been put on hold because we simply don't have the time to get to them. And it's not just us - everyone there is overworked and stressed out. Some of them thrive on it, but not me. I have no desire to burn out in a corporate environment like that.
I'll be back at work tomorrow, and then I'll have three more weeks. I think I'll make it, but only just. I need a job that I actually look forward to. December is when I start to look.
Luckily, my contract expires at the end of this month. My plan is to take December off to research the kind of things I like doing, what I'm good at, and what's out there, so that when I job-search again I can look for the right job for me instead of just whatever office job happens to be available.
Is my current job That Bad? Yes and no. My co-workers are very friendly and nice when they're not feeling swamped with work, and my boss has been pretty reasonable. I haven't had to write a report justifying my worth to the company, I haven't been taken to task for not 'hitting the targets', I haven't been told that I was a few minutes late getting back from lunch and am I planning to make up the time? I don't feel like I'm being watched, and I can take breaks when I need to take them. As workplaces go, I could do a lot worse. But...
The workload has tripled since I started, and all of it is boring as hell. When there were three of us doing it, we were just barely scraping by. Now there's only two of us, and the work just keeps on coming. When I leave, there will be only one person doing that job. Several projects (like rearranging the filing room) have been put on hold because we simply don't have the time to get to them. And it's not just us - everyone there is overworked and stressed out. Some of them thrive on it, but not me. I have no desire to burn out in a corporate environment like that.
I'll be back at work tomorrow, and then I'll have three more weeks. I think I'll make it, but only just. I need a job that I actually look forward to. December is when I start to look.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sequels?
Yesterday was a rare lazy day for me, which to me is the best kind of Saturday. I caught Halloween: Resurrection on TV, and found it to be a pleasant waste of time. And, as it is the eighth film in the Halloween movie franchise, it got me thinking about the possibility of doing a sequel.
I used to love writing series, but my luck with them has not been all that good. Three small press magazines that printed short story follow-ups to previous works of mine ceased printing, two before the entire series could be told. Then there's Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters, my first published novel and the first book in the Soul Hunters series. I'd written the second book by the time the first one was in print, and was halfway through the third one when the second book (and thus the continuing series) was rejected.
The world seems to want only stand-alones from me, and for the most part I've tried to oblige. Epoch and the upcoming Evil? were written without followups in mind (though the possibility isn't exactly ruled out), and my latest project, Apoca-Lynn, follows suit. And yet, I would love it if I could bring some characters back for a bit more fun.
I'm already more or less committed to one; my friend Monica (Burningeffigy Press) wants some more Section K stories. The plan is to release a few chapbooks featuring the main characters to attract new readers to the first book, then follow that with a full sequel. The second book would be shorter, and thus easier to publish on a small-press scale. I've got some fun ideas, and anticipate having some good fun with this. The concept of Section K is wide open for more stories, and in fact it practically begs for them.
However, Section K is a book for grownups, and the main bulk of my writing projects focus on the young adult market. I've had a few people asking me what happens after the end of Epoch, and I've actually got some ideas that might lead to an interesting second book. Should I go for that, or work on another stand-alone?
In the end, the decision to do a sequel will be determined by the story. Will it excite and entertain me enough to get me through the time it will take to write it? That, more than anything else, determines what I will write.
I used to love writing series, but my luck with them has not been all that good. Three small press magazines that printed short story follow-ups to previous works of mine ceased printing, two before the entire series could be told. Then there's Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters, my first published novel and the first book in the Soul Hunters series. I'd written the second book by the time the first one was in print, and was halfway through the third one when the second book (and thus the continuing series) was rejected.
The world seems to want only stand-alones from me, and for the most part I've tried to oblige. Epoch and the upcoming Evil? were written without followups in mind (though the possibility isn't exactly ruled out), and my latest project, Apoca-Lynn, follows suit. And yet, I would love it if I could bring some characters back for a bit more fun.
I'm already more or less committed to one; my friend Monica (Burningeffigy Press) wants some more Section K stories. The plan is to release a few chapbooks featuring the main characters to attract new readers to the first book, then follow that with a full sequel. The second book would be shorter, and thus easier to publish on a small-press scale. I've got some fun ideas, and anticipate having some good fun with this. The concept of Section K is wide open for more stories, and in fact it practically begs for them.
However, Section K is a book for grownups, and the main bulk of my writing projects focus on the young adult market. I've had a few people asking me what happens after the end of Epoch, and I've actually got some ideas that might lead to an interesting second book. Should I go for that, or work on another stand-alone?
In the end, the decision to do a sequel will be determined by the story. Will it excite and entertain me enough to get me through the time it will take to write it? That, more than anything else, determines what I will write.
Monday, October 6, 2008
EVIL?
I have a special announcement to make...
The title for my upcoming book is:
EVIL?
Formerly named The Right Hand of Evil, it now has a title more in keeping with what the publisher (Flux) wants. Not exactly what I would have chosen, but I'm happy with it. It still gets at what the story is about, and it's another short 'E' title like Epoch. They tell me they even want to do a similar cover design.
While I'm happy with the change, it means I don't get to use my original tagline for the book...
This Summer, Things Are Gonna Get Out Of Hand!
No problem, I'll come up with something else soon enough. In the meantime, it's time to start creating buzz! Tell all your friends and family, EVIL? by Timothy Carter is coming!
The title for my upcoming book is:
EVIL?
Formerly named The Right Hand of Evil, it now has a title more in keeping with what the publisher (Flux) wants. Not exactly what I would have chosen, but I'm happy with it. It still gets at what the story is about, and it's another short 'E' title like Epoch. They tell me they even want to do a similar cover design.
While I'm happy with the change, it means I don't get to use my original tagline for the book...
This Summer, Things Are Gonna Get Out Of Hand!
No problem, I'll come up with something else soon enough. In the meantime, it's time to start creating buzz! Tell all your friends and family, EVIL? by Timothy Carter is coming!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
I'm Back! Did You Miss Me?
Wow, it's been a busy few months! I'd been putting in 10-hour days at work during August, then using my weekends to rewrite The Right Hand of Evil. Needless to say, I'm pretty tired.
Work has eased up a bit, and I no longer have to put in long hours. They've also extended my contract until the end of November, so I don't need to worry about finding new work for a while. Hopefully this means I can blog a bit more often.
I also finished my rewrite of The Right Hand of Evil and submitted it just in time for the contractual deadline. Whew! Hopefully this new draft will meet with approval, though there are bound to be a few necessary changes between now and when the book comes out. More on this as it develops.
Work has eased up a bit, and I no longer have to put in long hours. They've also extended my contract until the end of November, so I don't need to worry about finding new work for a while. Hopefully this means I can blog a bit more often.
I also finished my rewrite of The Right Hand of Evil and submitted it just in time for the contractual deadline. Whew! Hopefully this new draft will meet with approval, though there are bound to be a few necessary changes between now and when the book comes out. More on this as it develops.
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