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Shock and Awe
The last time I was excited about reading a piece of my own creation out before an audience I was let down by the audience reaction. Of 20 performers that night only a handful of them were worth the time it took to hear them out or see their piece, some ad libbed painfully badly, and others fell flat on an ill thought-out stunt. I said my bit and the rest was a bit of a let down, I didn't really feel as if I'd done my best.
Recently, in lieu of therapy, I started attending a writing course for short stories. In the first class I volunteered to read out something of mine in the next class and bring in copies for everyone to follow along with. Three other writers also volunteered. Before anybody read anything out on the night, the person running the class asked what sort of reactions would be appropriate. Laughter, said one person, applause said another. Polite, constructive criticism was generally nodded at. Stunned silence, I said.
The first person read their piece, it was a piece about how talented they were. The second person read, it was a piece about how difficult it was to write a piece on spec. Then it was me. I got my stunned silence and it was glorious.
I realised then and there that the reaction I most want to leave people with is an utter inability to put into words their own reaction. I'll shoot for it again now and see how well I score.
Oct. 3.2007