I need some advice...

Tomorrow I have to read an excerpt for a short story I wrote to a bunch of graduate students and professors.

It's hard enough to read to large audiences as it is, but the idea reading something I personally wrote to someone other than family is scaring the shit out of me. Especially since it's a story meant for children, not adults, and this is my first time to publicly read a story of mine.

It's amazing that this is bothering me this much when I can go out in theater productions and say all sorts of things without a second thought. How contradictory. I guess it's just more personal when you wrote the thing yourself.

Has anyone else done something like this before? Are there any GOOD ways to reduce the stress of this? Or other advice?

Get really stoned first. It will relieve the stress and all childrens books were meant to be read stoned.

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Originally Posted by Mman

Get really stoned first. It will relieve the stress and all childrens books were meant to be read stoned.

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Man, shut up. :P It's not that kinda book, else I wouldn't have submitted it.

Just have fun with it, and you'll be alright.

I'm not scared of being in front of people anymore because of my experience in Texas. Wish I could figure out some way to convey that experience in a way that would be relevant to you. But I can't.

My advice: Fuck it. If you're nervous, who cares. Just go up there and read your story, and rock out.

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Originally Posted by CynicalSphere

Tomorrow I have to read an excerpt for a short story I wrote to a bunch of graduate students and professors.

It's hard enough to read to large audiences as it is, but the idea reading something I personally wrote to someone other than family is scaring the shit out of me. Especially since it's a story meant for children, not adults, and this is my first time to publicly read a story of mine.

It's amazing that this is bothering me this much when I can go out in theater productions and say all sorts of things without a second thought. How contradictory. I guess it's just more personal when you wrote the thing yourself.

Has anyone else done something like this before? Are there any GOOD ways to reduce the stress of this? Or other advice?

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Something no one really thinks about when it comes to stuff like this.

Don't read it word for word. Take natural pauses. Acknowledge if you screw up a word badly with a little joke.

Little things like that will help you find a groove.

And thats the only real trick about public speaking really, finding a groove.

Viciously masturbate immediately beforehand.

Or, as Homer Simpson tried to do, picture the audience in their underwear.

Honestly, I bet if you masterbate first it would help. It seems like it would calm you.

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Originally Posted by Icepick

Just have fun with it, and you'll be alright.

I'm not scared of being in front of people anymore because of my experience in Texas. Wish I could figure out some way to convey that experience in a way that would be relevant to you. But I can't.

My advice: Fuck it. If you're nervous, who cares. Just go up there and read your story, and rock out.

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Yeah, you're right. Guess I'm just taking this way too seriously. It's been too long since I've been up in front of people...

Can't say I know 100% what your Texas experience was like, but during my work in theater I think I've experienced something akin to it. There's nothing like the company putting on a performance that makes the entire room fall as silent as a midnight graveyard before exploding into applause at curtain's fall, heheh...

i hate talking in front of people too - avoid it whenever possible, hell i dont even like being loud in restaurants. My advice is to follow Icepicks adivce, just don't think about it and get it on over with - although Dole's idea of viciously masterbauting may have promise. And hey, a little weed never hurt anyone. But then again, you are in grad school where that type of thing is frowned upon.

For what its worth - my advice, drink a hard alcoholic drink before hand, just one - enough to get you buzzed but still able to comprehend, drinks always relax me and make me laugh alot but the relaxing thing is important. It may help.

And if you ever get so nervous you're about to barf or cry, think of this line: "Chester A Arthur fall down."

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Originally Posted by CynicalSphere

Can't say I know 100% what your Texas experience was like, but during my work in theater I think I've experienced something akin to it. There's nothing like the company putting on a performance that makes the entire room fall as silent as a midnight graveyard before exploding into applause at curtain's fall, heheh...

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For me theres nothing like rocking the faces off of 3,000 kids, and having no idea what I'm doing.

Just be confident. If you fuck up, no one will notice.