Stepping out into the world

Next month, I will be taking part in the Elgin Literary Festival, an event organized to promote literacy and celebrate the written word. I will be in stellar company, including the NYT best-selling author, Simone Elkeles (and if you've ever met her/seen her/heard her, you know she's a hoot. I swear this woman has no filters). She's the keynote speaker, and every address I've heard her deliver has been highly entertaining (if slightly "blue").

Authors, by nature, tend to be introverted sorts, so stepping out into the limelight can be overwhelming. I've posted on this blog before about "gearing up" to meet people. I'm not painfully shy, although I am the one who would prefer to stand quietly in the corner of a room and observe rather than step up and introduce myself to everyone at a party.

I am always happy to meet the people who buy my books, happy to introduce newcomers to what I've written. I'm excited to be part of a panel at this event, which more or less puts me "on stage." Excited by the opportunity, and yet it will require a skill I've only developed within the last ten years (and probably only six, but who's counting?): speaking when I have something to say.

As the youngest of four girls, I grew up in the shadow. Don't speak unless spoken to. Mine was the fourth (and therefore least important) opinion. For years, I deferred to my older, and therefore wiser, sisters. Eventually, we all grew up. I'm not that mouse in the corner anymore.

In my professional life, I was able to speak to people individually with ideas, but often struggled in large groups. Those individuals helped me to break out of that. One friend in particular encouraged me to share my "great ideas" with the group. I credit one of my mentors/bosses with giving me the opportunity to prove myself, and there were enough "individuals" who'd heard my voice to push me forward and give me the confidence to speak to the groups.

As an author, I've been able to translate this confidence into approaching people I don't know, especially at events like this one. If they're at a literary festival, that means they like books. I write books, what a coincidence! Instantly, we have something in common, something to talk about. And if they like MY books, well, that's a bonus. And that's what keeps an author writing.

Afterglow

See, this is why I love writers conferences.  I blogged a couple weeks ago about how I'm not a "people" person and it's an effort to come out of my shell to socialize, but every time I do, its so worth it!

I met a lot of people this weekend, people I have a lot in common with.  Went to some great workshops (special note of thanks to Jade Lee, who did a wonderful session) and some agents and editors, one of whom really liked my pitch for Epitaph!  So keeping my fingers crossed that she likes my writing as well as my pitch.

Among the people that were there, Simone Elkeles, who recently hit the NYT Best Seller's list.  My personal note on Simone - at my very first writers conference, she was the organizer and she held my hand.  She got me into a pitch session when someone else chickened out (a priceless experience) and she is one of the nicest people I've ever met.  Her success is well deserved and I couldn't be happier for her.  At the booksigning, she got as many people at her table as the headliners did.  Congratulations, Simone! 

And the beauty of these types of conferences is that in addition to the successful authors, you meet the struggling and still learning.  It's so much fun to hear their passion and enthusiasm when a group of writers gets together, and to share the journeys we all have in common.

Am I gushing?  Then you know I enjoyed the conference.  To all the people that put the conference together, kudos on a job well done.  And now I have to polish up my submission one more time, make sure I've dotted all my "i"s and crossed all my "t"s so that the editor loves my hard copy as much as she liked talking about it with me.

Anon