Insecure Writers Support Group

It's the monthly meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and as I told fellow IWSGer, Jennifer Lane, this month's topic is easy for me. For you see, this weekend I am to speak.  In public.

The whole reason I write is because I communicate far better that way than verbally, so it's a cruel irony that a byproduct of writing is being asked to speak.  And yet silly me gets excited every time it happens. I jump at the chance. And this particular opportunity is pretty cool and low key---it's to do a reading at a the annual Art in Your Eye fine art festival in my current home town.

It's not until I hit about this point, days away from the gig, that I ask, "What the hell was I thinking?" So please join me in my anti-pscyche-out exercises.  What I do is look at my fears and then find some way to allay them.

Fear #1: What if nobody comes? Well, if nobody's there, then it isn't public anymore, is it? And therefore not scary at all.

Fear #2: What am I going to talk about?They asked because they think I have something interesting to say, so I'll just keep pretending to be who they think I am.  When all else fails, read from my written works---and in this case that's what I'm supposed to do, so bonus.

Fear #3: What if I flub up?Marketers keep saying the best way to connect with readers is to do so on a personal level, let them know you're human---what better way than by making a mistake or ten?

There, I feel better.  How about you?