Crimefest 2013: My Panel Experience and Other Insights

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I was fortunate enough to be a part of two discussion panels at Crimefest 2013. Being a first-timer at this, I was naturally nervous, but in the end, thanks to the moderators and the lovely welcoming audience, I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences!

FRI 30 MAY


Evening All: A  Policeman Calls



me
Kate Ellis
Pauline Rowson
Kerry Wilkinson

Participating Moderator: Ann Cleeves

This panel was all about the police detective as a protagonist. Everyone on the panel has featured a copper as the hero in their book(s). Being my first ever panel, I was understandably nervy, and the entire session went by in a blur, but fellow panellist Pauline Rowson has an excellent write-up of everything we discussed over on her blog. My only correction is my answer to my favourite fictional detective. I actually named Lei Texeira from indie author Toby Neal‘s brilliant series of crime novels set in the Hawaiian islands.

The panel for “Evening All: A Policeman Calls”. From left: Pauline Rowson, me, Ann Cleeves, Kate Ellis, Kerry Wilkinson.
(photo courtesy of Bob and Pauline Rowson)

I was so nervous leading up to this panel, I actually turned up 90 minutes early because I got my two panel start times mixed up! The fact I was sharing the stage with three established names like Ann Cleeves, Kate Ellis, and Pauline Rowson, as well as upstart Kerry Wilkinson, whose self-published first novel became such a runaway success he got snapped up by Pan Macmillan, made little old me with just one book under my belt published by an indie press, and miles from any bestseller list, feel way out of my depth.

But you know what? Ann was a brilliant and thoughtful moderator, and she really helped me feel at ease, as did the other panelists. The audience, too, seemed forgiving of my stammering and sometimes unintelligible mumble-rants.

SAT 1 JUNE


Fresh Blood: Debut Authors 1



me
Alex Blackmore
Fergus McNeill
Tom Vowler

Participating Moderator: Rhian Davies

This was the first of two panels chaired by the lovely Rhian Davies, introducing delegates to debut authors and their first novels.

Alex Blackmore’s debut Lethal Profit is a thriller about a ruthless biotech company turning a profit at the expense of human health.

EYE CONTACT by Fergus McNeill

Fergus McNeill’s Eye Contact is, in his own words, a serial killer procedural. It describes how a serial killer chooses his victims: the first person who makes contact with him when he begins his ‘game’ is his next target, and they get 24 hours before he hunts them down. Kinda makes me wary of making eye contact with fellow commuters on the bus/train now!

What Lies Within by Tom Vowler is a psychological suspense that weaves together two stories, one of a mother fearing for her family’s safety after a prisoner escapes from the nearby prison, and the other about a teacher living with the consequences of being attacked by her pupil.

Apart from being the first panel of the day, when many delegates were probably still feeling the effects of the night before, our panel also clashed with another one featuring big names like Zoë Sharp and Barry Forshaw. Which was why I was surprised by the audience turnout. I, too, was feeling the effects of two sleep-deprived nights, thanks to a combination of panel nerves and a baby not used to sleeping in a hotel room, but do think I definitely did better than in my first panel. It also helped that my fellow panellists and I were all in the same debuts boat, and that Rhian asked some incisive and thoughtful questions.

Insights

Despite the shaky start, I thoroughly enjoyed being on these panels, especially answering audience questions, and speaking to readers after. It’s a great way of getting Oracle out there, and I thank everyone who’s given my book a chance since attending these panels. Given the opportunity, I would definitely do it again.

One thing I noticed, though, is how articulate the other authors are when speaking in a panel. Some were witty, others downright hilarious, but every one of them got their points across with smooth eloquence. I, on the other hand, felt like I was speaking guttural caveman speak by comparison.

That’s me, a wallflower! (Image source: stock.xchng)

Now as a former schoolteacher and a kung fu instructor, I’m no stranger to public speaking, but my experiences have always required me to disseminate information in the most effective way possible, i.e. short sentences, simple words. I admire people who can elaborate on what they have to say with clever anecdotes, witticisms and conjecture. Can eloquence be developed with more public speaking experience?

Another observation is how all the writers I met were extroverts, with the confidence to walk into a room and strike up a conversation with complete strangers. As a self-confessed wallflower, am I just not meant to fit the image of the successful, loquacious, outgoing author?

Whether I can become more eloquent or outgoing with time and practice will remain to be seen, but in the meantime, roll on Crimefest 2014!

EDIT: National Crime Writing Month

Crimefest marks the start of National Crime Writing Month, an annual initiative promoting the crime genre, both fiction and non-fiction, nationwide. It is a great opportunity for writers and readers to connect, so check out your local library to see if they have anything on!

If you prefer to stay home, then check out the Crime Readers’ Association (CRA) blog. They’ve got a whole month of author spotlights, interviews, guest posts (look out for mine on 24 June!), and giveaways planned, so keep checking back!

What do YOU think? Can eloquence be learned? Are all successful authors articulate extroverts? If you are a fellow shrinking violet, how do you make yourself known?

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer