Saturday, April 10, 2010

Courage

Today was the monthly HeRA meeting, HeRA is a local chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America), and I did something that scared me. For those who know me, I'm usually okay in front of crowds. I'm friendly, I'm easy going, I'm fun (no, this is not a personal ad), but when I stood in front of people I've only seen on two other occasions, and read the first 6 pages of my first book, I shook, I broke out in a sweat, and I worked to control my voice. It's not the crowd, or the reading outlound that got me, it was sharing of something that I've put so much work into, wondering if it was good enough, how it would be perceived and welcomed. One of the ladies put it very well today when she said it's like your baby, and you don't want people to tell you it's ugly. The women who commented left me feeling capable, not crushed. Yes, there are things I need to change, but they were also complimentary, and that made all the difference for me. I'm still working on developing a thick skin -which I've heard is one of the best tools in a writer's arsenal. So, come Monday, when it's time to get back to work, I'll be taking their suggestions and putting them to work. Thanks ladies!

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