on how to fight stage fright.

Hello fellow authors,

You are a published author. What a great accomplishment!
Don't you just love to talk about your book? How about poems - are you really creative? And those short stories which are hiding on your hard drive (or here on the den) - have they meet an audience, yet?
Ahh - the magic word.... AU-DI-ENCE!

Sure you love to talk about your book and even read out loud from it. But to whom? Well, to your better half of course, or maybe to the rest of your family.
Have you read yet to a group of your friends? Aha! - so I thought, that's when it starts to get a little uncomfortable, am I right?

Lots of questions, with one big answer: You suffer of a what seems to be an incurable disease....Stage fright!

Imagine your book would do exceptionally well and you'd get famous. I mean really famous! Oprah wants you, Larry King wants you, the Today Show wants you.
Granted, you will hire a professional who is going to teach you how to properly sit, look, dress, and talk.

But in the mean time; wouldn't it be nice to talk and read about your work (in public), even if you're not (yet) the new, hot author every one is raving about? Wouldn't it be nice to gain experience in public speaking? Well, it certainly would be nice. You can - the opportunities are everywhere!

Pretty much any bigger town has cafes and book stores who offer events like 'open mic' or 'poetry bash'. Just call around, you'll find them. (I have blogged about poetry bashs before)
It doesn't matter if you have written poems of your own. Many events are happy for you to read known work. Just make sure you mention the author. You may also read a chapter of your book instead of poetry, or a short story you composed.
And if you think that 'stage fright' will hold you back, grab a friend or find another local author, and team up. Practise in the privacy of your home(s) if you feel more comfortable doing that first, and then hit the road.

Sure, the first time I participated in an open mic event I had to swallow my own heart a few times, and my voice still gets a little jittery now and then, but practise makes perfect. It will seem to get easier with every new event you do.
Also, you'll be better prepared for radio or even TV interviews once your name gets out there. Believe me, your smile on camera is a lot 'brighter' when you're not a nervous wreck.

As I said many times before - Just Get Out There!!

Rebecca~
www.rebeccalerwill.com