My New Presentation

Getting Through The Jitters

I’m so relieved. I finally delivered my new presentation, The Reporters’ Tool Kit for Novelists: Bringing Journalistic Skills to Fiction, and it was well received.

While I have a lot of confidence in my writing and research skills, I’m always highly anxious that I offer “content-rich” presentations. And, the first time I’m giving a new presentation makes me crazy with anxiety.

What if the attendees don’t find value? What if they walk away, saying my talk was a waste? OMG, a fate worse than death.

I always ask for feedback, because otherwise, how will I know what worked and what didn’t? What was a flop, and what offered value?

My jitters do not come from speaking in public. They come from my deep-seated concern of being a good speaker and offering valuable information, tips, and maybe some “ah ha” moments.

Back when I was working as a research director for Gartner, a big part of our evaluations came from being a good speaker and delivering content-rich presentations based on our unique areas of study.

In fact, we were graded on our presentations. Often, there were evaluation forms on the seats in the audience.

Talk about getting your attention.

Getting back to my new talk---using reporter skills for writing my first book, non-fiction. I did an enormous amount of research for that book….had I not had that training, I don’t know if I would have been able to get the data I dug up. In addition to having the investigative mindset, I was persistent as hell. It was my drive that got me information that had never been released to the public. Getting that info played a major role in landing a fabulous agent and then a great publisher.

I called three FBI agents who covered the event that my first book is about: Sara Jane Moore, the 45-year-old mother and doctor’s wife who shot at President Gerald Ford in San Francisco in 1975.

Each agent referred me to one particular colleague; Agent Richard Vitamanti. But the agents I did reach would not share his contact info with me. They all said they would tell Richard I wanted to speak to him. I kept after these agents to get me in touch. I wouldn’t stop. Finally, Agent Vitamanti called me. He decided it had been almost 30 years since Moore shot at Ford, and according to Vitamanti, “It’s time to set the record straight.”

He called Washington, DC to see if we can finally open the files and share what really happened that day.

It was that persistence that got me the government cover-up that had not been revealed at the time.

Don’t stop researching. Keep digging, keep calling, keep reading. You never know what will turn up next.

I think it’s two things that can make a difference: Persistence and the investigative mindset.

These are attributes that can play an important part in any type of writing. And can make a difference

.Photo by Paige Cody for Unsplash