Thursday, March 13, 2008

Note to Self: Trust the Audience

Remember those workshops you helped me with? Well, I'm in the last stages of polishing them.

I'm practicing my two Keynote presentations---that's Keynote as in the Mac version of PowerPoint, not Keynote as in keynote, important speaker---obsessively worrying that this new software will freeze on me, buying adapter cables to make sure my laptop hooks up with the external display, backing up the presentations to PDF files that I'm emailing to myself, and other geeky computer-related activity.

I'm also printing out lists of books mentioned in my presentations, gathering my props, and marking passages to read aloud in the books I'm featuring.

Later, I will pick out clothes which make me look professional and yet, approachable and casual. Shoes that are cute, but don't hurt. Lip gloss that matches my slide background color. (Oh, wait. That would be green.)

Even later, I will allow myself one small crazy moment of panic. What if they HATE me?

I like talking to other writers. I'm usually comfortable speaking in front of groups. I'm looking forward to my workshops. But the prep stage goes on too long for me. In a way, I'd rather be thrown out there with no prep, and be forced to make a connection based on the raw fear and vulnerability that all writers face every day and would completely relate to. But that wouldn't be wise. I must prepare, and then connect.

I trust an audience filled with writers, you know? I really, really, do.

9 comments:

  1. Break a leg with your presentations this weekend!

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  2. You'll be great. And they're gonna LOVE the green lip gloss. ;-)

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  3. They're gonna love you.

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  4. Sheesh, could you be more organized? I'm so impressed by all your preparation!

    But you needn't worry about any of it. You're right, an audience of writers is the best and friendliest, and Jules and Jennifer are right, you'll be great and people will love you. How can they not? You're just naturally warm and personable and delightful.

    Have fun!

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  5. I wish I could be there! I would love to hear you speak, and I wouldn't care what you wore - lol! I would enjoy hearing your presentation on picture books vs. young adult novels and where the industry is headed. I'm a creative writing student at Hollins University, but so much of it is writing for adults.

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  6. Thank you! I'll be imagining each and every one of you in the audience, helping me. :)

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  7. How could they not like you? C'mon. You'll be fantastic.

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  8. Sara, you will be wonderful, and they will love you. We all do, and we don't even get to see you in person!

    (And I'm doing all the same stuff about upcoming school visits I'm a bit freaked out about. Sigh. Maybe green lip gloss IS the answer.)

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