While in St Louis, Missouri at the Missouri Writers Guild Conference a week ago, I was asked if I would do an impromptu interview…on podcast. They struggled with it being live, and recorded it instead. They put it out three days later. I caught myself wincing throughout watching it.

Then I realized that was The Shy Writer talking to herself. Afraid of something different.

My environment is online, in newsletters, on Twitter, on Facebook, and on blogs. It’s all about the words I type, and has little to do with my age, looks, voice, or ability to speak intelligently. So when I was pulled into the motel bar, sat on a sofa, and sat smiling clueless as the interviewer set up his laptop on a table and read questions off his phone, I had no clue what to do. 

In The Shy Writer Reborn, I talk all about being prepared. Preparation takes away the uneasiness, or at least a major part of it. I was clueless what was about to come at me, so I had to purely wing it…adlib…off the top of my head. Add to that the vague idea where to look or who to smile at, and I sat there nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Sooner or later, when you are a writer in a public setting, you will be caught unawares. Just do your best and rock on. What could I have done if this went badly?

1) I could have asked the interviewer to scratch the interview.

2) I could have asked the interviewer to give me questions and reschedule the interview to a time I was better prepared.

3) I would have asked the interviewer to forward me the podcast before he released it, so I could ask him to delete a section or two.

But “went badly” is relative. As I endured the interview, as brief as it was, I told myself these lessons, straight out of The Shy Writer Reborn:

1) What if I wasn’t afraid right now? (i.e., If I wasn’t afraid, I’d smile, answer questions, and do okay.)

2) After this is over. (i.e., After this is over, I can change into my sweats and kick back on my king-sized motel bed with Roo cuddled against me.)

3) I’m really okay. (i.e., This podcast is minor, and unless I stumble all over myself in embarrassing manner, it will not only be okay, but will be a nice marketing tool.)

Suddenly, I was done with the interview, and I didn’t screw up too badly, and I didn’t come apart. And I was glad I endured it. That’s the thing about introverts who learn to step into the public eye. They are jittery inside, but they develop manners that keep them collected.

Then later…go have a big stuff drink! LOL

Spoke this past weekend as a small writers’ conference in Lake Charles, Louisiana. As always, I dread going to events like this, then adore it once I’m there. The new friends, the new ideas, the networking . . . all make me go home feeling glorious, proud, motivated, and better connected. Empowered is the best word for it, and we can all use a dose of that every once in a while.

Funny thing is that in a team of six presenters, two of them pretty much used over half my material, and I found myself needing to script a new presentation. Thank goodness we’re only talking a 50-minute moment in time. When I kidded the speakers, one of them told me she was a huge fan of my essays and op-eds in FundsforWriters, so she probably just repreached what I’d been teaching her for years. I was hugely flattered, and gladly  commenced to brainstorming for a new angle.

 Good thing I was used to coming up with writing ideas every day.

The speech went very well. In the midst of it, I came up with a very simple, logical explanation to writing daily, prompted by the fact I just had to rewrite a speech. I’m a firm believer in picking up my keyboard or pen each and every day, and am constantly chastised by others that’s it’s not necessary. I will disagree with them until my final days when I quit writing, and these simple experiences should hammer the concept home and explain why.

 Do not wait until the time is right to write.

 First, your writing is a job, part-time or full-time, if you are trying to earn money at it. Face that. You don’t go to work when you feel like it. You go because it’s expected of you.

Writing daily is a habit you have to acquire. Most writers do not do it, and ultimately make excuses online about why it’s not important. One speaker at the conference even said it was not important. I took issue with that claim. Think about it:

• Putting Kids to Bed - We train our children into a habit before bedtime. They take a bath, brush their teeth, maybe read a book. We get them accustomed to the routine, so that their little bodies start relaxing, and when they pull the covers up, they are fast headed to slumber. If you do not have this routine, you know how hard it is to make them settle down.

• Returning to Work After Vacation -  When we take off from the 9-to-5, and stay gone a week or more, we fine it difficult to fit back in when we return. The work is piled up. We have to catch up on what went down in our absence. We have to reread material and remind ourselves what we were doing before we left. All because we took a break.

•  Putting Down a Book – We all have books on the nightstand or beside the recliner. When life gets hectic, however, and we go a week or more without picking it back up, we lose our place. We even forget names of characters, or the events that made then act the way they are. So we shuffle back over previous chapters trying to orient ourselves. If we’d kept reading, we’d be oriented.

Not writing daily is a two-step-forward and one-step-back situation. But if you just take, say, fifteen minutes to write each and every day, you do less back stepping, you gain more ground, and you keep moving forward with a firmer mission.

 You go to work because it’s expected of you. Treat writing the same.

Those who have followed me on FundsforWriters for a while, know that I shiver a little when it comes time to do a real-life interview or make a presentation. So when Austin Moss ask me to do a Skype interview for his podcast series “What the Glass Contains,” I told him I wasn’t very seasoned at this sort of thing.

Soon Austin had me working it like a pro, and we completed a lengthy but amazingly pleasant interview. Time just flew, and seeing Austin on the other end asking questions made the event elementary and fun. Here’s our interview in case you missed it.

Then along came WorkStew, a unique site that’s tastefully done in simplistic lines. Per their site, “The Work Stew podcast is a forum for frank talk about what people do for a living.” The host Kate Gace Walton recently interviewed me and took the conversation into a completely different slant than normal. Again, we used Skype. It’s a tad over 11 minutes long, so it’s brief.

“In this episode (of WorkStew Podcasts) featuring author C. Hope Clark, I learned that the work Ms. Clark is doing these days—penning mysteries and mentoring other writers—follows a decades-long career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In fact, Ms. Clark managed to take the darkest days of her time as a government employee—when a bribery attempt turned her life upside down—and convert that ordeal into page-turning fiction.”

 The  next one was a ball as teenagers interviewed me. Express Yourself!™ is the #1 YA radio program in the world. My interview with them airs on August 14th at NOON PM Pacific. You can listen from your computer by going to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself .If you miss the live show, you can find my interview archived at http://www.starstyleradio.com or http://www.BTSYA.com .

They are all about spreading positive messages. “Teens talk, the world listens on Express Yourself!™”

Finally, on August 30, I’ll be truly tested as South Carolina Educational Television (SC ETV) arrives in two trucks to my house for a two-hour interview on film for reproduction into a series about the literary map of South Carolina. Designed for schools, particularly middle and high school, the series educates others from the mouths of real writers and authors. It should be on their KnowItAll page for schools and education groups, a site recognized and praised by the American Library Association. I’m ecstatic to represent my profession to my state. I feel like one of those chefs on a cooking show! When that comes to fruition, I’ll let you know, but I’m awful glad that this event happens on the heels of many conferences, interviews and appearances, after I’ve had lots of practice.

One day I hope I can master how to put together a podcast. They are amazing to do and listen to. What do y’all think? Do you like Skype? Podcasts? Interviews you can see and hear?

If you’ve seen me speak, you will notice that I start a little shy then build momentum as I get wrapped up in what I have to say. People seem to enjoy my talks, and I always strive to be worthy of every attendee in the audience. After all, just like when someone buys my book to spend hours reading, these people took time out of their day to hear me speak. But it’s not easy for me because I prefer the solitude of my study.

But I’ve learned along the way that writers need a certain degree of people skills to make this business work. Out of all the speakers at a recent conference I attended, only one could be  labeled extrovert, and she was a professional public speaker teaching . . . wait for it . . . how to speak in public.

Writers eventually must confront people. Yes, that’s how most perceive it . . . confronting. Not that they dislike people, it’s just they perform best without a crowd. Bear with them. They are trying.

I recently read a piece entitled “10 People Skills Every Government Employee Should Have.” Having spent 25 years with the feds, most of it as some level of manager, I am nerdy enough to still read material about that environment. As I studied each skill on the list, I realized these apply to writers who have to crawl out of their holes to sell books, speak to crowds, attend critique groups and conferences, deal with bookstores, or address agents, publishers and editors. See if you’ve mastered this list of people skills, and which might need more of your attention. I’ve combined some since they are closely akin:

1. Openmindedness / Tolerance

Not everyone will love our writing, style, dress, characters, or home state/country. Many people judge too quickly. Be the person in the room who doesn’t pass judgment so quickly, and is willing to entertain what others have to say. We often have to utilize this one in chat rooms and on listservs where anonymity or distance empowers some people to express their views.

2. Listening

Introverts are amazing listeners, so you might have this trait down pat. Just remember that every person has a right to be heard . . . at least for a few moments. Being a good listener often gets perceived as being smart, and as a minimum, polite.

3. Empathy

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. We often fail to use empathy when we are rejected, or someone leaves a poor review of our work. Be empathetic and you are more likely to retain a fan or acquire an editor for a future project.

4.Self-Awareness

We might be overly aware of ourselves, but take it a step further. Understand what makes you behave the way you do so you prevent yourself from overreacting, getting worked up, or becoming frustrated. Have personal adjustment tools at the ready.

5. Patience

This business is anything but high-paced. Accept it. Others won’t respond as quickly as we’d like. We often forget that they have more to do than serve our needs.

6. Stress Management

Writing is actually a low-stress profession. Whatever stress happens, we bring on ourselves. Just remember that. Have skills in place to chill when you don’t think things are occurring as you would prefer.

7. Leadership

But we work for ourselves, right? None of us works in a bubble. Even in a forum as simple as Facebook, you can recognize leaders and followers. Leaders are motivators, and you want that skill in your portfolio.

8. Negotiation Skills

Why do you think writers love agents? Why do you think many self-publish instead of traditionally publish? One of the key reasons of both is so the writer doesn’t have to negotiate terms. You can’t dodge it forever. Sooner or later you’ll have to discuss options with someone, with the hope of getting your way . . . especially if you decide to freelance and take on clients.

9. Courtesy

Negative behavior doesn’t compliment anyone. We can brag about getting our way or overcoming someone’s pig-headed stance, but if we aren’t courteous in the process, we aren’t very likeable. This is one of the most important skills of all.

What people skill do you need to work on? Or what skill do you think is missing from the list?

I walk away from many writing events exhilarated . . . at other times crushed. And it scares the be-Jeesus out of me not knowing which emotion will rule me when I finish and leave.

And it frustrates the hell out of me being so uncertain of myself.

Each time I step behind a podium, a mic, even a telephone if the interview is long-distance, I have a plan, a rehearsed plan. I have passion, no doubt about that. I’m doing what I love to do, often wishing there were more hours in the day so I could do more, perform better, deliver more profoundly to those I hope to serve. Write more.

There aren’t enough hours, days, or years to complete the stories I wish to write, or deliver my passion to the world to such a a degree that everybody I touch “gets it.” I find that so important . . . passion. It pains me when I don’t connect, and it pains me more to see writers going through the motions instead of jumping, dancing arms wide, being writers with something to say, wanting people to read their work so badly that they sometimes make fools of themselves. I would rather buy a book or read an article from somebody who trips on his feet, stumbles his words, or mixes a metaphor, and then laughs at himself, than I would the person who stoically follows the rules, shows the way to their book, then leaves the room, leaving nothing of themselves behind.

However, I think the worst pain of all to a writer is silence.

The silence of no questions from the room. The silence of no comments on a blog post. The silence of no ReTweets. The lack of likes on Facebook. The lack of reviews. Less than stellar sales. We all know some of these.  Hopefully nobody knows them all. That’s sad when you try and wait . . . and are left waiting. Maybe that’s why some leave quickly, stoically, afraid to see nobody has questions.

Such silence can make a writer choke on self-doubt, even shove them toward quitting. Why do writers feel ashamed when others don’t read them? It’s failure on an extremely high level, and we often quietly “disappear into that good night.”

We’d rather be rejected, have something  proactively to address, gnaw on, or refute. Even booing is a response. Give us a bone, for God’s sake.

But that silence . . . oh God that silence.

Writing should be my voice, the page my podium.

But it’s not. Not in this world where noise is required before you can be seen and then make your point. So just remember this:

== When you read a book, write a review . . . somewhere. Leave your thank you for the writer who dared expose his heart and oh-so-sensitive soul to you.

==When you read a blog post that is smart, touching, witty, or informative, leave a comment. Or forward it, Tweet it, FB mention it. Again, thank the person for daring to show personality to a very critical world.

==When you hear a writer speak, watch him, follow him, then clap madly at the end. Ask a question, just so he knows you listened. Thank him for being there . . . for being him . . . for giving to you.

Some may wonder what’s brought such a melancholy post, but the fact is, I’m writing for so many who’ve confided in me about one of these points or another. Maybe the latest email just pushed me far enough. So many silently hurt, almost physically, at the platform effort, dog-and-pony show we’re forced to endure, even if only online.

I want to tell them to DARE!

I want to tell them to APPRECIATE DARING in others!

I want people to feel better, try with passion, and know that every time they receive silence in response to their effort, thousands others understand. Keep trying.

Dare NOT to be silent, no matter which side of the podium you’re on. Appreciate each other. The passion, talent, and success spewed into the world would be astounding.

For some reasons, writers are notorious for spouting what they won’t do when it comes to honoring their profession,

== I won’t self-publish.
== I won’t pay an entry fee for a contest.
== I won’t write for free.
== I won’t wrote for less than ten cents/word.
== I won’t do Facebook.
== I won’t travel to self-promote.
== I don’t have time to blog.

As a previous administrative director, which meant one of my departments was human resources, I used to tell people never to put what you couldn’t do on a resume. Now, as a writer, I advise others in my profession to only talk positive in a query.

Don’t say you are retired which can insinuate fixed income, limited resources, or inability to travel to young eyes. Instead of saying retired, say you write full-time and your  time is your own to promote and write.
Don’t say you are a new writers without clips. Instead talk about your strengths and knowledge about the subject matter being pitched.

Don’t say you are fresh out of school trying to find your place. Say you have a degree and propose you have the qualities that would make for a good employee, columnist, freelance contributor.

It isn’t about what you won’t do. You define yourself too tightly and tell the world that you can be narrow-minded. You also tout your weaknesses in many people’s perspectives, and in this day of rampant competition, you want to be remembered for who you are, not what you aren’t.

Instead, state what you PREFER to do. Hear how pro-active and positive that sounds?

You prefer wholesome writing (you are not anti-erotica).
You like contests (you aren’t anti-entry fee).
You promote heavily online and in your region (you aren’t anti-travel).
You maintain a website (you aren’t anti-blog).

Ears perk up when you define what you aren’t, but that’s how people cull who’s in their world. Nobody likes negative. You might be selective, but let your positive choices drive your image, not the negative. Be remembered as the one wearing the white hat.

I’m trying to decide whether to do a book tour. I’m weighing all the options, costs and time expenditure. I’ve about come to the conclusion that they aren’t worth the trouble.

Now, that’s not to say I won’t go to a conference and promote at the same time. That’s not to say I won’t do an event that happens to fit into my already packed agenda. It’s just to say that if an event is going to drain my pocketbook and impede my writing time, I might just have to let it go.

These days, readers choose books via word-of-mouth and online connections. Some still like to peruse bookstores. However, few watch for book signings and show up to make a determination whether to buy a book based upon the author’s presentation. Per a Wall Street Journal post, partially copied at the blog Passive Voice, bookstores don’t even want writers who just read from their book or sit behind a table, waiting for interested parties. They want an event . . . something that attracts people who crave active entertainment.

The world today throws too much competition at people. Competition for leisure time, in which book reading falls. If someone has five hours after work to fill with eating, errands and reading a book, what will an author offer on the premises of a bookstore to entice that individual to deter from an already heavy schedule? Like I said . . . it has to be an EVENT. Add music. Have hors doeurves. Give away items (more than a book). Have dancers, actors. Present an app for a phone or computer. Animals. Who knows?

Therefore, I lean toward conferences and online. Yes, I have somewhat of a platform that gives me an edge, but that platform was developed for this purpose – to reach readers, via computer, who don’t want to go to the bookstore to find me. It’s what every writer should be trying to do. It’s how book sales work these days.

More and more people are writing books. More and more people are competing for the reader’s hour in bed, in the study, on the bus, during lunch. Therefore, you have to decide what works best for you in terms of reaching those readers, convincing them that YOUR book is better than others. Analyze your book, your reader, your mobility, your online expertise, your network . . . then decide how best to distribute your book and connect with readers.

Frankly, I love smaller groups. So once my book is out, and my conference schedule is in place, I want to hear from you guys. If you live in a city enroute, I’d be interested in dropping by your writer’s group, church or library meeting place, and visiting. Let’s have coffee. Let’s talk like it’s not a formal event. Let’s just talk books and have a grand old good time

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C. Hope Clark is editor and founder of FundsforWriters.com . Writer’s Digest selected FundsforWriters one of its 101 Best Websites for Writers every year since 2001. She is also author of the Carolina Slade Mystery Series, available via Bell Bridge Books, Amazon, B&N and all bookstores.   www.fundsforwriters.com / www.chopeclark.com

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