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I am an introvert by nature. I don’t do well around groups of strangers. I’m perfectly comfortable one-on-one, even with someone I barely know, but I shut down in crowds. It’s just who I am. My parents say I was so shy as a small child, they feared someone would think I was abused because all I would do around non-family was stare silently at the ground.
It’s cool. No big.
In August of 2011, I took a big, BIG leap and joined the Nashville KidLit meetup spearheaded by Janet Wallace of Social Deviants and UtopYA Con. I had lurked on the meetup boards for months before I finally just forced myself to attend a meeting. I didn’t know anyone there. Janet smashed through my attempts at being invisible within minutes and I found myself… having FUN. Forgetting to be socially awkward.
I am not exaggerating when I say that simple act changed my life. I found my writing group home and developed friendships that are very dear to me. I also finished writing the book that was scorching my soul.
After KidLit read my novel draft (which is now in the query letter stage), I was invited to be a panelist at UtopYA 2012. I served on the Goddess Complex panel with published, successful YA authors to talk about world-building. I was sure I was out of my league, but they—and the others in the room—embraced me with open arms. I even heard myself quoted later that day by someone I didn’t know. Better yet, I made some awesome writing friends whom I can’t wait to see this year!
Talk about a rush!
I’ve seen a lot of UtopYA attendees talking about their nerves as UtopYA 2013 approaches, and I just wanted to share my story with you. (No, the UtopYA team did NOT ask me to write this or know I was planning to write this.)
We’re writers. Many of us are poster children for social anxiety. And that’s okay. But seriously, don’t worry about UtopYA. Go with the flow. Come find me—although good luck picking me out because I chopped off 15 inches of hair since my author photo was taken! We’ll be awkward and nervous together.
This year, you’ll find me moderating the Goddess Complex and Finding Writing Groups panels, and I’m a panelist in the Query Letter Zone. When I’m not doing that, I’ll be somewhere in the audience, scribbling notes and asking questions and soaking up everyone else’s awesomeness. And maybe, just maybe, making new friends. How about you?
