Friday 18 November 2011

In my world, the stage is a magnet. One side pulls me in, the other pushes me away, generating an involuntary psychological push-and-shove with no resolution in sight.

Me performing with my band "spAnk" at
Melbourne University back in 1999, I think.
Just like Melody in String Bridge, I suffer from stage fright. But I'm WORSE than Melody. Just the thought of getting up on that stage makes me want to vomit. Like right now. I'm gagging writing this post and I already feel like peeing because the thought makes me nervous.

I wasn't always this bad. It's gotten worse the older I've become. What's with that? It sorta reminds me of how the older you get, the more ill you feel on a roller coaster. I really wonder what it is, with age, that exaggerates small fears until they blow out of proportion. Have you ever seen a grown man jump on top of his desk at the sight of a cockroach? I have.

Okay ... seriously. I can't talk about this. So I'm just going to ask you ... what's your biggest fear?

________________________

Lovely blog participants today ...

Katrina Lantz ~ (Review) One of the sweetest in the blogosphere.


"Katrina Lantz is alive in spite of an airplane crash over Texas when she was two. She conquered her fear of flying on a commercial flight to D.C. when she was sixteen. She conquered everyone else's fears of sky diving at the SkyDive Ranch in Canada when she was nineteen. She has yet to conquer her fear of airports."

Madeline Sharples ~ (Review/Interview) Amazing author of Leaving the Hall Light On, and cherished friend.

"I’ve worked most of my professional life as a technical writer, grant writer, and proposal process manager and began writing poetry, essays, and creative non-fiction when my oldest son, Paul, was diagnosed as manic depressive. I continued writing as a way to heal since his death by suicide in 1999. My memoir, "Leaving the Hall Light On," released on Mother's Day 2011 by Lucky Press LLC, is about living with my son's bipolar disorder and surviving his suicide. I also co-edited Volumes 1 and 2 of "The Great American Poetry Show," a poetry anthology, and completed the poems for a book of photography, called "The Emerging Goddess." My poems have been recently published in "Memoir (and)," "The Muddy River Poetry Review," "Perigee - Publication for the Arts," "Unfold," and the "Survivor Chronicles."


Mel Chelsey ~ (Review) High fantasy writer and reader ... this shall be interesting ...

"My name is Mel Chesley and I'm a fantasy author (soon to be published! With Hellfire Publishing!), a mom, a wife and a keeper of kittens. This is my blog, such as it is, with ramblings and musings of my writing journey. Sometimes I'm a smart ass, sometimes I'm not. But I do try to be somewhat entertaining and hope to at least get you to laugh, or maybe even cry on this journey we call writing."



Phanee ~ (Review) Fellow Grecian, lovely lady ... :o)

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.”

Rosie Connolly ~ (Review) Thank you for being such a wonderful supporter!

"The left half of my brain is trying to suppress the creativity of the right half, while the right half of my brain is trying to suppress the order of the left. It makes for one disoriented life. As a writer of light Urban Fantasy, I tend to write extended, multi-volume works. I also dabble in drabbles and short stories when the mood strikes."

Sherry Auger ~ (Review) Her kinds words were music to my ears ...


"Writing has become necessary in my life. It is in the air I breathe, the food for my soul, and the path of resistance. Having my novels published is my aim. Short stories in magazines and online websites is good, but to achieve success requires dedication, patience, and humility".
________________________

String Bridge purchase links:

eBook
:
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK

Paperback:
Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Barnes & Noble

Soundtrack:
iTunes ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK

To see a list of other online stores where you can purchase
Melody Hill: On the Other Side, please go to: AWAL

17 comments:

  1. I'm totally with you - stage fright all around! I have never performed any of my music live, and it took serious guts to even admit to anyone that I'd written it. Whenever I'm playing in front of other people (which is very rare), I get kind of...timid and crappy with the playing. I don't play properly, just strum without any proper rhythm, and if I should even dare to sing...well, that's a little mouse's voice right there. haha

    In general, I just hate being the centre of attention. While I secretly (well, not so secretly now!) crave praise and adulation for my 'creative' stuff, I still don't want anyone looking at me while they give it. I hate public speaking, hate teaching (I've tried it), and just all-round hate a roomful of people staring at me. I guess I've got the stage fright of life! But I still make myself be outgoing and I make myself get out & be amongst people. Or else I'd totally be a cat lady librarian hermit by now. (the only thing I'm not is the hermit)

    But let me shut up now! Except to say that my email is tay [dot] sedai [at] gmail [dot] com

    You got an email from that address recently after I ordered your book so you probably have it in your inbox already :)

    Cheers!

    Trisha

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not stage fright though that does make me a little nervous. For me, it's squirrels and hornets. Both freak me out!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That guy loses man points for that!
    I'm not much for public appearances, so I understand that fear. Biggest fear is losing my wife, because I'd fall apart without her.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My biggest fear? Wow, why is nothing coming to mind? I guess I'm afraid of illness. Not cold and flu season stuff, but the big maladies that can cut your life short. Cancer. AIDS. Auto-Immune disorders. Finding out I or someone I love has contracted one of these horrible sicknesses would devastate me. I'm definitely afraid of that happening one day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Spiders.

    And yes, my fear has gotten much worse as I've grown older. I used to get panic attacks when I saw a spider up close. Now I get panic attacks when I see pictures of spiders. Pictures! You'd think my mind would realize I'm not actually in danger, but it doesn't.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Probably flying. Actually, it's not the flying so much as the dread of crashing and burning. I'm like a little baby when I'm on an airplane.

    ReplyDelete
  7. One benefit of old age, fear is no longer a problem :0)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Biggest fear? Loosing my hubby or of our children. That would be the end of me, Jessica! *waving*

    ReplyDelete
  9. You know whats odd, I actually do better up on a stage because it forces me to rigorously prepare for what I'm about to present, but put me in front of a regular group of people, friends or not, and I'll stroke out just trying to make idle conversation. :(

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm nervous before I go on stage (with either my band or to do a poetry reading)but when I'm up there I enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do suffer from fairly serious stage fright - every time I send a new manuscript/draft to my agent or editor, I have spasms of terror. I don't even want to imagine what I'm going to be like when it's release day!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've faced my greatest fear - losing a child. everything else feels like a walk in the park.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I get nervous before a speaking engagement. But I remind myself to just relax and be myself. I try not to take it too seriously!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm not afraid of getting on a stage got used to that. My biggest fear now that I'm getting older is what eventually happens to us all....Death. frightened of being on my own I suppose.I'll stop being morbid and tell you what gives me the most pleasure my grandson Harry, he is my daughter's only child, born on Christmas Eve 12 years ago, he is wonderful.I do have three other grandchildren but have lost touch.

    Have a most enjoyable week-end.
    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  15. My biggest fear is failing.I always judge myself and critic even before i get to do the actual project. I am a new follower. :)

    ReplyDelete

“I'm using my art to comment on what I see. You don't have to agree with it.” ~John Mellencamp

“Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without comment is a wonderful social grace” ~Judith S. Marin

“I don't ever try to make a serious social comment.” ~Paul McCartney

“I'd make a comment at a meeting and nobody would even acknowledge me. Then some man would say the same thing and they'd all nod.” ~Charlotte Bunch

“Probably what my comment meant was that I don't care about the circumstances if I can tell the truth.” ~Sally Kirkland

“We're not going to pay attention to the silliness and the petty comments. And quite frankly, women have joined me in this effort, and so it's not about appearances. It's about effectiveness.” ~Katherine Harris