Into the Fire

. . . and the things you can’t. Sometimes one doesn’t know exactly what those things are. We might think we can do something and find out to our dismay that we can’t. Or we might think there’s no way we can do something else, and whaddaya know: we can.

I have a tendency to think I can’t do a number of things. But those things I think I can do, I’m fully convinced they’re a slam dunk. One thing I believe I can do, which many people cower at and freak out about, is speak in front of a crowd. Alone on stage. Not sitting at a table with five other strangers where I’m required to give a 30 word explanation of one of my novels. That does not qualify as “speaking in front of a crowd”. At all.

It’s funny how some areas and people in publishing demand a professional approach but insist they be treated as just another human being like you. Okay. But they’re not. Not really. They’re the professionals. You’re the amateurs or wannabes or the snobby-have-it-all-together types. They react to you like any other stranger. You either connect with them or you don’t. They either have their resistors on or they don’t. They either hope for relationship or they’re skeptical that they’ll find one. How many agents and editors at some of the conferences honestly believe they’re going to find that diamond—in the rough or otherwise?

Just the things I’m contemplating for this year’s conference . . .

***Friday: Review of Mike Dellosso’s latest novel Darlington Woods***

***Monday: Guest post from Mike Dellosso***

***Tuesday: Interview with Mike Dellosso; Part One***

***Wednesday: Interview with Mike Dellosso; Part Two***

Father, lead me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.