Writers. My people. You know how most of the time we’re all by our lonesome, waiting with a bulldozer’s patience for our best ideas to flow through and out, all smooth-like? How accustomed we are to the time alone, thinking, stewing, churning so we can get exactly what’s driving us insane sparkling in our imaginations onto paper?
And you know how, sometimes, we writers get the rare chance to stand up and read those best ideas? Out loud, in front of other humans, on the spot-lit stage, like the shiny-happy-people?
Well, come January, I will be shiny and happy. While nothing terrifies me more than a quiet audience, hands in laps, waiting for me to speak words into a microphone, I’m honored to have been invited to read at an upcoming literary and art showing. I’ll do you proud.
Maybe I’ll watch this video a few times to get up my courage. I figure I’m the horse in her stall, though I deeply long to be the ostrich towards the end. Who do you long to be?
i long to be one of the audience members.
where we going?
(today, i spent some time (ahem) distracting my thoughts at barnes and noble and stumbled onto a shelf of sport biographies and i thought, “one of teri’s books will be here one day.”
now this. i’m psychic, y’all.
oops, almost forgot: CONGRATS!!!!
From your keyboard to the right agent’s ears …
Squeeeee!
In case you missed that gushing…once more, with capitals:
SQUEEEEE!!!
Oh, it’s time, you! These magnificent words want out and out they will get.
Can I hassle you for more details? When and where? How long is the piece? And what type of chocolate did you buy to celebrate this wonderful news!?
I’m all about the Sqeeeee. Have you had those organic chocolate bars with the sea salt chocolate? Special occassion candy.
This is so cool! We’ll be wanting video, of course!
You’re going to be great!
And the video is a keeper for those dark days. Not kidding.
Oh, Teri! Congrats. May this be the beginning of a long and lustrous career of reading out loud. In public, that is. Post a You Tube video afterwards so we can be part of your audience and blush with pride like clucking mama hens.
Congrats! You’ll do great! Practice is key, along with (in my opinion) making some small edits to the piece so it comes across better when read out loud. Hearing a story read aloud vs. reading it on the page are completely different experiences, so I usually make some changes for the audience’s benefit.
Listen to me, talking 1) as if I know what I’m doing and 2) as if reading my own work out loud to an audience doesn’t make me get all red-faced and awkward and weird. But you? You’ll be fantastic!
Woo Hoo!!!!
Yes please more details and yes to YouTube. If vivian swift is on you tube giving a talk why not you ?
Fabulous! I’m putting my dancing shoes on right this minute.
You don’t need to make us proud. We already are.
I can’t express how thrilled I am that you were picked so that now a wider audience can see and feel your work.
Love.
Excellent! Please send on any public speaking tips as I am usually a blushing stumbling mess!
Thank you, thank you everybody. I was remembering the last time I read and that I wasn’t nervous at all. I was so sick — the constant hacking, coughing, eyes watering kind of sick — and I was worried I’d lose my voice. Who had time for nerves?? While I waited through the readers before me (when I’m usually hyperventilating and pretending I’m not) I kept hauling out the Chloroseptic bottle in my purse and spraying the back of my throat.
Have you ever tried to use that spray in public? On the sly? Red syrup dripping everywhere, trying not to spray the guy next to me. Ha!
But it did kill the nerves.
Shoot, maybe I shouldn’t have had that flu shot.
Woo-hooooo!!! Congratulations, Teri. As you know, I’ve got no words of wisdom or advice for such a situation, but I’m thrilled to bits for you and certain you don’t need my help in any case.
So freakin’ proud of you. Of all of us, and where we’re going as writers.
Big hugs.
It’s never happened to me, but I imagine after the initial thoughts of holy crap I have to read in front of people I’d be thinking hey, affirmation! Congrats, Teri!
And, I’d probably be the gorilla or the bear just swinging around. Get me on a dance floor and I always make an ass of myself.
Ha! I think I feel too much the gorilla in real, everyday life, swinging my arms all about, trying not to have my fun while not knocking anybody or anything over … Alas, I often fail.
Give me some Love Shack on the dance floor though, and I’m totally that ostrich.
Coooooellllll!! I agree with Downith. You tube it baby!
I’d be much like those mice, running in circles and going nowhere.
But you? You will encompass all these animals’ enthusiasm but demand attention and garner laughs in just the places .
Don’t sweat it. The anticipation is most of the worrisome stuff. When it comes to the real thing? You’ll nail it.
Congrats.