Interview commentary: Speaking gigs……

Today, I will include Claudsy’s commentary of my interview from yesterday. For more information on my interview and her commentary, please visit her blog at: www.claudsy.wordpress.com.

Irene

When I spoke to Irene Roth yesterday about scheduling speaking engagements, she told me that she tries to schedule them for spring and summer when she’s not teaching a full class load. The entire issue brings up some interesting questions.

I know several professors, teachers, writers, etc. who do frequent speaking engagements for a variety of groups. Each has personal rules of engagement, if you will. Some also speak to groups year round.

I have one friend from years ago who turned down as many such schedule-breakers as he accepted. He has been such an expert in his field long enough that specialized groups and institutions clamor for his attention and presence.

Others who take on the speaking circuit do so with an eye for the experience and networking as much as any other reason.

So, what should a person do to create their own speaking schedule? Writers do this juggling act all the time; if they’re lucky they have clubs, specialized groups, libraries and schools that want the writer to visit. But how does the writer get the gigs?

The writer must have something of value to contribute to the group in question. For instance: Irene gets invited to speak by medical groups wishing instruction and opinion on medical ethics issues. She’s asked to speak with corporate groups concerning ethics issues, as well, though not specifically medical in nature. She is an expert in the field of philosophical theory and practice.

Irene also contracts to write specialized academic books on specific philosophical theorems or questions. She then becomes an expert with branching arenas of study. She suffers from severe arthritis, has studied the disease and its effects, and so creates another speaking niche for herself.

I know you’re thinking, “I’m not a professor with a specialty. I can’t do those kinds of things.” Perhaps not, but everyone has something special about them; something they know, have experienced, can teach, etc.

Example: New writer, 45 years old, female, married with children, just sold her tenth story/article to a magazine and has landed a book contract for a craft project how-to book for kids. She’s not worked outside the home since having her first child, has no experience in public speaking, and when she did work, it was as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in a nursing home.

How can this woman get offered any kind of speaking engagement whatsoever? I’d say, umm, let’s look at this carefully.

1. Shewas trained to care for those no able to care for themselves.

2. She has children who need care, whether ill or not.

3. She’s a successful writer, having sold stories and articles and got a book deal.

4. Whether she’s had public speaking experience or not means little, because she knows how to speak with families.

5. She knows how to finish projects, juggle obligations, has something to say that others want to hear.

So what does this budding speaker do to get the gigs? She:

a. Calls the local Girl/Boy Scout headquarters and introduce herself. She tells them about her new project and asks them if they will have her as a guest speaker to address their group leaders about coming project possibilities, or about the kinds of projects their kids would like to see in a book. All sorts of opportunities could come from this one contact.

b. Calls the local public and school libraries to ask about speaking on-site. She might not get paid for the visit, but she’ll make contacts and gain future readers for the book that she hasn’t yet finished.

c. Contacts local retirement homes about spending an afternoon with the activities director and a group of residents who might enjoy exploring new crafts (perhaps take her children to act as demonstrators, depending on the crafts involved). Here she gains followers who have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her children learn a lesson. And she sees how easy/difficult the projects are in a group setting. Calls it practical research for the book.

d. Calls the local fraternal orders and asks about speaking to their memberships about children’s literacy and how the issue affects everyone at the local level. Who knows, she might start a community project for them just by speaking for half an hour or so.

e. Speaks to any service organization who’ll have her about the need for children and adults to come together for reading, learning, and sharing. She tells them of her own involvement and encourages others to join in.

f. Lines up book club engagements to talk about the process of developing, writing, and putting together such a book as she’s working on. Readers are often intrigued by how the writer does what she does. This also paves the way for second appearances and readings when the book comes out.

This writer has many avenues to drive down. It’s up to her to make the decisions and take the chances.

But what if you’re male, write literary pieces and don’t have children or write for them? Don’t despair. There are plenty out there who are in your boat. What kind of literary pieces do you write? Is it poetry? If so, you’re doing well.

Many literary groups, book clubs, etc. have a poet come in for readings. Libraries, too, enjoy readings of all sorts. Whether in a large public library, a school library filled with students and faculty, or a senior citizen’s center, people enjoy hearing poetry read well.

Every writer can find places to give a speech. After all, using words is our business. Whether it’s talking to local veterinarians who don’t often see exotic animals such as you know about, or teachers who’ve never gone on an arctic exploration, people are interested in what others have to say.

The key is enthusiasm about your subject, having some fair knowledge of it, a willingness to share that knowledge, and allowing yourself speak for little or no pay until you get established as an interesting and knowledgeable speaker who can hold an audience.

And that talent, my friends, springs from the speaker’s understanding that all people have an interest in something. Humor, confidence, and honesty go a long way toward pulling an audience along the trail of any speech or reading. Practice with friends and family is all a person needs to begin.

Get out there and create a speaking schedule for yourself. Talk about blogging and how to begin your own website, if you have nothing else. Lots of seniors would love to know how to do that.

The bottom line is that all of this activity takes you to the future in many ways. Your name gets used almost as a logo for your writing career. That’s worth the aching feet and dry mouth.

Messy Tessy—Book Review

       The Muse Book Reviews
       Messy Tessy reviewed by Irene Roth
       Title: Messy Tessy
       Author: Leah Orr
       Illustrator: Josephine Lepore
       Reading Level: Ages 3 – 8
       Hardcover: 32 pages
       Publisher: Author House, 2009
       ISBN: 978-1-4389-9398-0    
              
       Leah Orr’s book is an enchanting depiction about how kids can become
       adventurous when they are left alone for a while. Every parent will
       be able to relate to this story. I know that it really gave me
       a chuckle because when my niece was really young she was a little
       bit like Tessy, too.
      
       The story is about a girl, Tessy, who is baby sat by her Aunt Fran while
       Mom is away at the gym. Aunt Fran comes in and before Tess knows it she
       is asleep. That is when Tess’s fun really starts. She does everything
       that her Mom always told her not to do, such as scatter all of her toys
       on the floor, write on the walls,applying Mom’s makeup to her face
       and to all of her dolls. While she was at it…well, I won’t
       spoil it for you but suffice to say she gets into more mischief.
      
       When Aunt Fran suddenly woke up, she went straight to Tessy’s room and
       discovered that there was a real mess that needed to be cleaned up before
       Mom got home. Aunt Fran bathed Tessy, put all her toys away, and cleaned
       the walls. When Mom came home she was impressed at how clean Tessy’s
       room was. As Aunt Fran was leaving, Mom noticed something in Aunt
       Fran’s hair and the sock stuck on to the back of her pants. She knew then
       that Tess was up to something while she was away that was less than
       admirable.
      
       In addition, Orr’s book is wonderfully illustrated by Josephine Lepore, Orr’s
       Mother. The pictures are so realistic and humorous, illustrating Tess’s and
       her Aunt’s personality. It is a really funny book, one that both kids and
       parents won’t be able to put down for too long. I can’t wait to read it to my
       nieces and nephews.
      
       Rating: 4 Roses
       Irene S. Roth
       The Muse Book Reviewer
       http://themusebookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/messy-tessy-reviewed-
       by-irene-roth.html

Staying Unstuck

       Some writers have to learn how to get unstuck. Getting unstuck is a
       mental game, a game in the head, and mostly an inside deal. In order
       to learn how to get unstuck, writers must learn their own mental
       rhythms.
      
       Many writers walk around either thinking that they are inspired to
       write or that they don’t feel like writing. But either way, they can’t
       tell anyone why they feel the way they do!
      
       Some writers feel stuck because they haven’t been writing. But they
       think exactly the opposite: They haven’t been writing because they
       seem to think that they are stuck. If all of this seems like a psychic
       conundrum, it probably is.
      
       Inspiration isn’t random or quixotic. Smart writers learn how to
       conjure inspiration by paying attention to what happens right before
       and during a good writing session. For instance, If I write three days
       in a row, I can count on the next four, five, and six days as being
       productive. If I miss even a day, when I start up again, it will be
       either really great (my unconscious has been at work or really awful
       and depressing (because I lost my thread).
      
       If I miss more than three days, however, I know it will take me three
       days of writing, of staying with it even though it is sucking horribly,
       to get my rhythm again. It seems the same for athletes and musicians
       and artists and parents who are away from their kids. It takes about
       as much time as you were away to get back to where you were.
       Knowing that, knowing how painful it is to write through these bad
       days, is what makes me very motivated to not miss many days.
      
       Some writers ask me: How do you do it? How do you write every
       day with everything that is going on in your life? You seem so
       disciplined.
      
       To which I answer:  I’m not disciplined. I just want to keep working in
       order to avoid the painful consequences of not working. I don’t want to
       experience gaps in my writing, which may take me days or weeks to get,
       back on track.
      
       I know how much I have to write in order to write fairly smoothly,
       without angst and drama.  I write two hours most days, missing
       very few days. Noticing this rhythm in my work has helped me stay
       unstuck in my writing and to stay unstuck.
      
       So writers, I urge you to set up a consistent writing time in which
       you could write for an extended period of time each day. If you do
       this, you won’t be stuck very often.

Irene

Should writers be Naked?

       Your writing voice is what makes you naked but also very
       authentic. In fact, you can’t write authentically without being open
       to the reader. And being open to the reader, you are ‘naked’ in a
       sense with the reader.
      
       Why are writers worried about being naked with the reader? It is
       worse to be clothed and inauthentic then naked and open, isn’t it?
       And one other thing, if you as a writer are not naked to the reader,
       everyone will probably know that you are faking it. And how awful
       is that!
      
       I have always practised openness and honesty in my writing. In
       fact, I am usually brutally honest in my writing. I make sure that
       my voice isn’t forced and that I am authentic in my writing.
      
       When I am in my writing studio, I have to tell the truth as I know
       it. I have to bear my soul and expose the good and the bad. I try not
       to protect myself with false fronts, false selves, and officially
       sanctioned book material. My work is to reveal what is not easily
       seen. Yes, I feel naked. But this is why I love writing.  It is a ‘space’
       in which I could be completely naked without worrying too much
       because I am supposed to be honest in order to write well.
      
       There are a lot of swimsuit shower writers in the writing world.
       These are writers who write inauthentically and who try to hide the
       obvious, making their voice sterile and inauthentic. I think that
       writers who write this way should stop writing and do something
       else with their time.
      
       I once knew a writer who kept all of his writing to himself. He
       didn’t want to share his writing with anyone lest they judge him
       wrongly. He was so paranoid about not wanting anyone else to
       know his true self that he never sent out any of his material to
       publishers. He just kept his writing to himself and still does as far
       as I know.
      
       I decided early on that I would not be a secretive writer. I decided
       that I would write openly and honestly and I would let the chips
       fall where they will. And I still do that. I don’t mind sharing my
       work with anyone because I feel that I have nothing to hide.
      
       What kind of writer are you?
      

Irene

Having Faith in Your Writing is Similar to Having Religious Faith

      If you write a book, you are going to be monk-like sequestered, but
       the comparison goes deeper than just the physicality the two
       endeavours share. Faith means not worrying. That is what can be
       called a  fearless, focussed writer. If you write, at some point, you
       give yourself over to the process. You let the book write you.
      
       I know this sounds like you are writing unintentionally.  But that is
       not necessarily the case. When you write a book, the book will take
       on a life of its own. And that is very natural. It is the way good
       writing is gone and must be done. If you write any other way, the
       book you write will appear forced and inauthentic.
      
       When you set out to write a book, your practising the exact same
       habits of mind and spirit that the deeply devout practice. Writing is
       a daily practise. When you’re a person of faith, you’re always that
       faith, not just when you go to the mosque or synagogue or temple or
       church. You might behave in unfaithful ways: you will surely slip up.
       Most religions are designed to help us understand human nature
       better. And the point of religion is to help us become better
       individuals. This is exactly what a daily writing life creates in you. It
       makes you be a better person.
      
       Like writers, people of faith focus on process, not results. Of course,
       you`re going to miss writing days. Of course, you`re going to
       experience the temptation of other book projects. You will probably
       not finish your 100th book. However, you can accomplish something
       worthwhile when you write.
      
       When you write, you believe in something that no one else can see.
       You spend lots of time committed to a project for which there are no
       assurances, and no guarantees. Being a writer subjects you to the
       same doubts, the same unpopularity, the same nagging questions
       that believers struggle with. Writing is communing with the unseen.
      
       Not everyone will understand why a normal, intelligent, educated,
       seemingly balanced person would devote her energy to something
       that can`t be proven: i.e., your writing success. A novel-in-progress
       may not exist for a long, long time. But you believe in it anyway.
       And, even if you forget to believe in it, even if you doubt it, it is still
       there to greet you each and every day.

Irene

Positioning your writing

        Some writers find that have to organize their writing so that it fits just right
   into their schedule. Others plug on forward with their writing without any
   rhyme or pattern. And then there are writers somewhere in between who are
   organized some days and they lack organization other days.
  
     I try to write in an organized manner most of the time. This means that I try
   to plan my writing most of the time the night before and I try to know where
   I will position my writing into my work day. Writing has to be a priority in
   order for books and novels to get written.
  
     Most mornings I wake up early, usually between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. and
   write for an hour or two. Then I have breakfast and exercise. After that I
   either do a bit more writing or I go off to my part time job and come back in
   the evening and write then. But I always try to know when I will be doing
   my writing, given what I is part of my schedule for the day.
  
     To organize your writing, you have to place your work within your life in a
   prominent position so that it as viable and realistic as the other parts of your
   life. That is absolutely key to making sure that your get the writing done each
   and every day.
                                     
     Positioning your writing into your life is especially important when you are
   writing a larger manuscript, such as a book or a novel. Failure to set a specific
   writing intention the night before, and to do so each and every night, is one
   of the reasons that books fester inside of us, turn against us, and then slip free
   from our needy, clingy, and distracted grip.
  
     So, writers should try and play it safe. They should try to lay out their
   writing intentions the night before they go to sleep. If you are writing a
   novel, determine which scenes you will complete the night before. If you are
   writing a book, determine which chapter you will write the next day. This
   planning will reap huge dividends in your writing output.
  
  
        Developing a writing schedule requires attention and organization in short,
   to effectively write a book or novel, you must position your writing so that
   you know when and what you will write that day. I must say that there are
   day that I don’t plan my work like this. However, it really shows when I
   don’t position my writing and when I do take the time to position it in terms
   of my output.
                                
    So writers, the choice is yours. If you want to feel confident about your
   writing, you should take the time to plan your writing ahead of time. It is
   worth the time and effort that this requires.

Irene

Writers should not write too fast…..

Rushing blinds us to the obvious. Rushing comes from fear and is designed to keep the
writer from looking down into the canyon and seeing how tenuous your perch may be
on the wire. Rushing is a survival skill for some writers. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, the
brain tells the body. Chemicals course through the writer’s veins. Book deadline!
Whooooooooooosh, go. Go, go, go, go, go. If you work hard and fast, it will get done!
But is that always true?

  Writing too fast, wanting too much too soon, is writing scared. A lot of people I know
write too fast. They’re the opposite of the I-can’t-start, I’m-stuck-people. The important to
remember is that it is the same fear, but it is manifested differently.

Writing is slow.  It always has been and it always will be. Writing books and novels is,
and should be, really, really slow. Slow is good. Slow is great. But to say this is counter-
cultural because our culture loves speed. And only quick people get noticed. But should
writers be quick?

Rushed things, such as days, sewing projects, workouts, weddings, rehearsals, and so
on, are time wasted. You hurry, but you don’t get anywhere since nothing important or
good happens. Books can’t be rushed. Art making is a natural process. Nature has rules.
Some experts say that it takes two years to write a book. Complex projects such as
books and novels take a long time to ‘cook’.

Are you, like so many new and experienced writers constantly berating yourself for
not writing more, for not having started sooner, not finishing pieces, not being
published yet, wasting your time? If so, you are quite possibly internalizing cultural
tendencies this inexorable push for speediness at the cost of quality.

Writing is supposed to be slow.  It is supposed to take a long time. Instead of resisting
slow, lean into it. Get accustomed to it. Do you need to bring more slow things into
your life, slower music, slower reading, harder books, slower pace of life, fewer
activities? I know I do.

Irene

Writers must read a lot

  Writers must read many, many examples of what they’re trying to write. Some
experts say that writers must read at least 100 books in the genre that they are
writing.

  For instance, say you want to write a picture book for kids. Experts suggest
that you read at least 100 picture books so that you could a hang of how the
book is organized, worded, how the illustrations work in sync with the text and
so on.

  Writers should surround themselves with books. A hundred well-chosen
books act as your base camp, your buffer, your personalized M.F.A. writing
program. Use the library, interlibrary loan, and books on tape. Notice what you
like and what you love. Writers learn more from reading than from all the how
to plot books in the world.

  Read like a writer, sitting up, not in bed. Use a pen, note cards, and stickies.
The purpose of reading these books is to troll on technique. Notice the plot. You
should ask yourself the following questions:

1.  Why did the author start the second chapter at this point?
2.  How does the author end his chapters?
3.  Why is this material introduced in chapter 1?
4.  Why does the author the book in this way?

In other words, read the books actively. You aren’t so much reading for
pleasure as you are reading as a detective.

  One of the purposes of reading so many books in one genre is that as you
read about seventy five books or so you will become an expert in the particular
genre. You will be informed about that particular genre. Knowing your field will
give you the platform you need to write your own books.

  Therefore, writers should read as much as they can in the genre that they
plan to write. This will help them write good books in their genre and to
ultimately get them published.

Irene

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