A Wallflower in the Writing World
I read Miss Snark religiously. If you’ve not yet entered the hallowed halls of Snarkdom and basked in the radiance of Her Most Splendiferous Snarkiness, you should make the pilgrimage without delay. Not only is her blog extremely entertaining (Miss Snark does not suffer fools gladly. In fact, she doesn’t suffer fools at all.), it is extremely enlightening. I take what she says very seriously, as well I should, since Miss Snark knows that of which she speaks. So when two of her recent posts were on the importance of attending writing conferences, I shuddered. Hard.
You see, I’m a just a wee bit shy. Ok, so I’m painfully shy (in some cases almost phobic). Unless I know most of the people already, I don’t do well in groups of more than a dozen. I tend to shut down, hide in a corner (usually with a book), or find someone I already know and keep myself in their sphere of conversation. Heaven forbid I actually have to stand up and say something. Heck, I get paralyzed making phone calls to people I don’t know (making appointments and ordering pizza don’t count).
I know I need to get over this obstacle to my writing career. I’m much better than I used to be, that’s for certain. While the thought of joining a writing group makes me tremble, I am working up the courage to go (if I can find one nearby that doesn’t mind a 9 month old tagging along). I really want the peer review and support. But the thought of going to a writing conference is more than I can handle right now. Even worse, I would have to go by myself, since I don’t know any fellow writers nearby (and probably won’t until I go to the aforementioned writing group). I don’t think I can force myself to do it. And if I somehow, by sheer force of will and desire to get published, managed to haul my trembling self to a conference, then I’m supposed to introduce myself to total strangers, to start networking? Angels and ministers of grace, defend me.
So my dilemma is this–what’s a shy little daisy like myself to do? I write, I revise, I blog, I read other blogs, I leave comments. I’m fairly comfortable with this nice, safe method of communication (I firmly believe tongues too should come with a backspace key). But is that good enough?
Your comments are greatly appreciated, yea, desired.
Especially those of the estimable Miss Snark, should she miraculously happen upon this humble blog.
October 10th, 2005 at 4:15 pm
I wish I had more time– I would go to a conference with you.
And I also wish I had good advice… I get the super-shy-around-strangers thing too. Mine is so bad I actually make Jason order the pizzas and make the appointments; so you have a leg up on me. Hee. Are there any online writing groups? Maybe you could have the anonymity of the internet along with the honesty of strangers.
October 10th, 2005 at 11:01 pm
Yup - I think you should look into at least attending one writer’s conference, just so you can get some perspective from other writers. And take someone with you who also writes - maybe you can even get Mr. MBH.
But you can learn just as much online from others going through the writing process. And you just might consider getting in contact with an old college alum who has finished writing a book that he is working on getting published (I can get you the contact info for him if you need it).
As for writer’s groups - today they can be done online (which is easier for a mom) - but they can be beneficial, even if the writer’s don’t always see eye-to-eye. Take Tolkein and Lewis and their band at Oxford. Lewis and the others encouraged Tolkein though his long writings on Middle Earth, and even though Tolkein never fully appreciated Lewis’s Narnia (it wasn’t as fully developed a world as Middle Earth in Tolkein’s eyes), he certainly was an inspiration to Lewis. And in the end, Lewis ended up writing far more on a much broader variety of topics. Writers spur one another on - and Ideally in an edifying way to inspire even more creativity and commitment to finishing the course of a book.
So - the long and short of it - yes, I think you should at least look into a writer’s conference - and take someone with you. Hope you can get some good feedback from other writers out there. And maybe a visit from the esteemable Miss Snark.
ps. Shy little daisy? Certainly not how I would describe you. But point taken about being more comfortable in smaller groups. I think you’ve got more backbone and initiative than you give yourself credit for, though.
October 18th, 2005 at 11:38 am
I am with you on the whole shy thing. I hate groups of people. I even hide when my family gets together for Christmas (but, that’s another story entirely scary). I have, however, started to stick my neck out there a little. Our local bookstore has an Open Mic night, alot like the Open Blog night on RTB and twice now, I’ve gone and read my writing. I still shake, my voice still trembles, but I figure, it’s a start. Is there something similar in your area?
I’d like to find a writer’s group, too, but this is such a little bitty area, the whole Open Mic night threw everybody for a loop.