Last Saturday was the last of my RWA Chapter’s Amore and More Workshops. The title of the panel was Romance Something For Everyone. I talked about how everything I have read over the years has influenced what I write. Be it romantic suspense or mystery with romantic elements.
I was a wreck before hand.
Yes, those of you who think you know me well can stop laughing please. Most of the time I have no problems talking, especially about my books and my writing. However I was nervous with this one.
So how did I overcome this.
Something my husband taught me something he speaks of on his FB page PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR SHY WRITERS.
First I made a list of what could go wrong
and what could go right.
1– Both speakers could not show up and leave me alone.
That would not happen, my chapter members would step right in and I knew it. As it turned out one of the speakers did get sick. However, the author who was coordinating stepped right up and read her speech.
2- I could forget my notes.
Well, that has happened before and I survived. I sat down and recreated them and the speech that time came out even better.
3- I could forget the books I was going to use as examples.
If it did, they were on my keeper shelf and I knew the title and authors by heart so I could still give them as example.
4- I wouldn’t be able to answer any questions asked of me.
So? Enough people will be there that someone knows the answer and if they don’t you can research it and get back to that person.
5- I lose my voice, or faint.
Now, I was getting just plain silly I’ve never lost my voice and I’ve never fainted in my entire life..
The other thing I did was a visualization. Starting a few days before I started visualizing the panel. Where I would sit, talking to the other panelists, giving my talk. By the time of the workshop I won’t say I wasn’t nervous. I was NOT AS nervous. For me that’s a start.
Now next month I’m speaking at the Tucson Festival of Books. I’m speaking July 13th at 4pm on a panel with Susan Wiggs and Bette McNichols. I’ll let you know how it goes.
It's Better Than You Think 