| Author | Message | ||
| Karen L Monahan
Intermediate Member Username: klhmonahan Post Number: 743 Registered: 08-2004 |
Okay, I was invited to read tonight and I am terrified beyond imagination. Just picture me standing at that open doorway too afraid to say Geronimo! Anyway, I said I’d be there… What to read? They want three to five, e-gads, that’s just hell. Anyone near Waco? I may need a clapper. Wish me something! (((smile))) Karen | ||
| Michael MV
Senior Member Username: michaelv Post Number: 1164 Registered: 11-2003 |
Is this your 1st reading? You were invited - that's a good sign I do believe. Start with one of your strongest & finish with one of your strongest. Don't read too quickly. Enjoy! Have fun! "Don't you know that you are a superstar"  Michael (MV), an old pro at readings - in my younger days, I seriously viewed it as preparing for a concert performance. I memorized my poems. People(audience & other poets) would remark: "how can you you remember all those poems. I did it while I was young  in my concert days š š | ||
| Laurie Byro
Advanced Member Username: lauriette Post Number: 1557 Registered: 11-2003 |
best of luck, you'll be fine, it's a good sign you are nervous | ||
| Zephyr
Senior Member Username: zephyr Post Number: 3912 Registered: 07-2003 |
Good luck Karen, you will wow them! | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 6692 Registered: 11-1998 |
Dearest Karen -- break a leg, hon. I am a bonafide agoraphobic, dear heart (I have the papers to prove it). Trust me -- if I can do public readings, so can you. Here are some things that have helped me conquer the fear: 1. Realize that even though you feel like you might faint, throw up, or do something outrageous to embarrass yourself, these are only feelings. They are emotional and have no basis in reality. These things will NOT happen. The jitters are caused by an overload of adrenaline. This is completely normal. 2. No one else knows that you are feeling these things. You do NOT have a big TERRIFIED sign stamped on your forehead. 3. Your knees will begin to rattle and feel weak. There is no way to prevent this. If you can sit instead of stand during your reading, this helps. If they won't let you sit, walk around a litte while you read. It helps to distract you. Oh, don't forget to take the microphone with you. *LOL* 4. Maintain eye contact with the audience. Find a couple of friendly faces and read to them. Keep shifting your eyes back and forth between them and the audience will feel like you are reading to each one of them personally. Don't stare down at your papers and mumble. 5. Remember, the audience is made up of people, just like you. They are not judges, monsters, boogeymen, or critics. In fact, they are pulling for you. They want you to do well. They are definitely on your side. 6. Breathe! Lots of people forget to do this and this only increases anxiety. Breathe deep and often. This has the amazing capacity to clear your head. 7. R-E-A-D--S-L-O-W-L-Y. In fact, read so slowly that it sounds too slow to you. It's not. It will come across as normal speech and allow the audience to absorb your words. 8. Don't worry if your hands shake and your voice squeaks or quivers. It's not as noticeable as you think. After you've read a few lines, these things will begin to diminish. Don't let them throw you. Just keep going. 9. Introduce yourself and admit that you are nervous to the audience. This will help you to relax and make the audience even more sympathetic to you. Everyone understands nerves. This will make you more human to them. The worst thing is to try to hide your anxiety. This only increases the bad feelings. 10. If all fails and you do make a flub or two, laugh about it. Make a joke. Giggle. It will make you relax and your audience laugh. Nothing like humor to cancel out anxiety. 11. The emotional high you will feel after you've read is more than worth all the tension, anxiety, and jitters beforehand. You will feel like someone just shot you full of happy drugs. There is no better feeling in the world and you deserve it! Since you are waiting, I will be the one to yell "Geronimo!" You can do this, baby. Nothing is ever as bad as you imagine it will be. It just takes practice, like everything we strive to be good at. Nobody expects you to be perfect, so don't put that boat anchor over your head. Give yourself permission to mess up. It will probably only last about 10 minutes at most. Anyone can survive 10 minutes of anything, right? *smile* Hope something I've offered will help. We'll all be there in spirit, Karen. Just look in your pocket and there we'll be! Love, M | ||
| Gary Blankenship
Senior Member Username: garyb Post Number: 6847 Registered: 07-2001 |
Lady M, that would make a good essay. Smiles. Gary A River Transformed The Dawg House December Fireweed | ||
| Karen L Monahan
Intermediate Member Username: klhmonahan Post Number: 744 Registered: 08-2004 |
Y'all are great. I am shaking now! My muscles will be sore tomorrow. M, that is the best advice and I am printing off the page for reference later. I think my fear stems from being such a crippled stutterer, and still at times I get caught-up with words. I am just going to breathe, and breathe some more. I have no idea how I am going to look at the audience- cheese and crackers!- I have been reading one poem outloud to my G-baby, she keeps saying "stop!" lol She's not invited. Well, I am going to wear bangs so they can't see any signs, and will wear large pockets for y'all to be comfy. Thank you thank you for the well wishes and the most needed backbone given in spirit. I will use it, I promise. Hugs!! (((smile))) Karen | ||
| Dale McLain
Advanced Member Username: sparklingseas Post Number: 1886 Registered: 11-2004 |
Karen~ I hope it goes well! I'm just north of Dallas. If you read again let me know and maybe I can come with my pompoms!! break a leg~dale | ||
| Emusing
Moderator Username: emusing Post Number: 2859 Registered: 08-2003 |
Karen, now that you have had your first reading, the next time will be much easier. I think the trick is to keep doing them and build confidence. Please let us know how it went! E | ||
| Karen L Monahan
Intermediate Member Username: klhmonahan Post Number: 745 Registered: 08-2004 |
Dora and Boots singing "We did it, we did it, we did it, Yeah!" I barely remember what I read, but, I didn't stutter. I shook, man, did I ever shake. lol If there'd been a Richter scale recording, Bush would have sent the National Guard. I was fifth to read. I read three, then came back and read one more at the end. There were twenty-plus poets and the coffeehouse was filled with folks on computers, couches, stools, steps... lol I don't get out much. The only way to describe how I feel is alive. Dale, they do this on Thursdays, email me and we can read then go chase cows or something. (grin) I was invited to a reading at Baylor U on April 6, we could do that one as well. Thank you all for being there, and M, thanks for being there before me. I can get better at this. (((smile))) Karen | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 6703 Registered: 11-1998 |
Dearest Karen -- hate to say it (no, I don't *LOL*), but I told you so! See, you can not only survive, you can thrive. And those endorphins afterward are a real high, aren't they? *grin* Congratulations, hon. I knew you could do it. And congrats as well on being invited to do another. That's just great! Keep doing readings, Karen, and in no time, you'll be a pro. Eventually you'll begin to wonder what made you so nervous and frightened in the first place. Love, M | ||
| Deborah P Kolodji
Valued Member Username: dkolodji Post Number: 237 Registered: 04-2005 |
Karen, Congrats! I'm sorry I'm chiming in to late to give advice but I just had my first reading a few months ago, so I can relate. I'm glad it went well for you. Debbie Deborah P Kolodji www.livejournal.com/~dkolodji www.kolodji.com Editor, Amaze: The Cinquain Journal Amaze: The Cinquain Journal | ||
| Lazarus
Advanced Member Username: lazarus Post Number: 1278 Registered: 10-2005 |
Wow! How exciting! I gotta get out more too! M- thanks for all those great pointers. I've saved that for later myself. Congrats Karen on your success. Keep it up! The Age of Nations is past. The task before us now, if we would not perish, is to build the earth. - Teilhard de Chardin | ||
| Christopher T George
Senior Member Username: chrisgeorge Post Number: 4264 Registered: 12-2004 |
Hi Karen So pleased that things went well. Bravo. Chris Editor, Desert Moon Review http://www.desertmoonreview.com/ Co-Editor, Loch Raven Review http://www.lochravenreview.net/ http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/ |
