It’s probably no surprise to readers of
this blog, but most writers are—by and large—introverts. Oh, some do the
schmoozing thing at conventions and workshops, talking to fans and giving
readings, but I’m willing to bet they need alone time afterward to recover.
The main difference between extroverts and
introverts is this: extroverts gain energy from crowds, from interacting with
other people; introverts lose energy from crowds and need alone time on a
regular basis to recharge their social “batteries.”
At least, that’s the way it is with me,
which is why I kinda panicked when the folks at my local library asked me to
come talk to their writers’ roundtable about e-books and e-publishing. I
couldn’t say no. The folks at the library have been wonderful to me (heck, they
even carry my books!). And I had taken a great workshop on e-publishing last
year, an enterprise for which I received a grant. Since the public purse funded
my learning, it was my duty and privilege to share what I had learned with
other writers.
I spent two weeks preparing for it:
reading over my notes from the workshop, talking to my e-published buddies,
trying to distill an ocean of information into a 15-minute talk. I barely slept
the night before. I showed up early and babbled incoherently to the organizers
(who were probably doing a little panicking themselves at that point). Fifteen
people showed up, which is Very Good for my little town. I could feel my
batteries starting to drain.
Then it started, and honestly? I can’t
remember a darned thing I said. Thank goodness I had written up notes and made
copies for distributing. I hope I made sense, but some of those writers
probably wondered if I was having a heart attack, my face was so red. They were
unfailingly kind, and it only occurred to me later that they were writers, too, and knew exactly what I was going through.
It’s not the first time I’ve spoken in
public, including giving readings, but I always react the same way. I can’t be
the only one with this problem. How do others deal with it? How do some writers
manage to do great readings AND talk to their fans afterward? I know some
writers, like RobertSawyer, who are very comfortable in front of a large group and seem
to thrive on the energy from the audience. I know other writers who need to
take a few days off after a conference to recover.
What’s the difference? Am I in the
minority?
