Today I’m teaching a
writing class, it will be the first one ever for me. I’m the local SCBWI rep,
so I’ve had meetings and write-ins, but this is different. This is me getting
in front of a room and speaking. I’ve agreed to hold a six session class
starting today and ending some time in November. I have notes and other props,
but each class is an hour. An hour. I’m
picturing me standing there staring at them and them staring at me and crickets
chirping somewhere. :)
And did I mention the students in this class are teenagers? Yikes. I'm thinking of bringing cookies as bribery. Any other suggestions?
Have a great weekend
everyone!
-Mel
Add some humor. That always helps.
ReplyDeleteYou'll do fine!
I agree with Alex. Humour and being light-hearted will help everyone feel more relaxed, hopefully. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteScotch is always a good idea. Or, to be serious, be prepared to have people absolutely, intensively fascinated by your process. It's a good thing to feel like an expert for a little bit.
ReplyDeleteOMG, me, too! I always assume every other writer is just SO comfortable with this stuff. I have two school visits this week with other authors--we're doing a group thing. And I'm STILL nervous about it! I ordered some Beta-Blockers...have you heard of those? It's an herbal supplement that supposedly helps with anxiety. Other writers have told me it helped them with their fear of public speaking, so we'll see.
ReplyDeleteI tend to find writing workshops and classes more interesting when the teacher can share a few stories about themselves. I've also sat in on stuff where the question and answer session was longer than the actual lecture. So when you feel like you've said all that needs to be said, you can announce that it's Q & A time.
ReplyDeleteI'm also an SCBWI member.*Goofy high five!*
Teenagers can be a tough audience but if they're interested in writing, it will probably be great. I've spoken to large groups of teenagers about writing but never taught a class. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteSusan Says