BITCHIN' INTERVIEW

When you write and dare to call yourself a writer, you sentence yourself to a life of solitude. You spend hours, days, months, years in your mind wrangling with finding the right words to express the chaos of thoughts in your mind. If you're like me and do your writing the old school way with paper and pen, you probably go through more pens in one year than most people do in a lifetime. And if you're, really lucky and happen to be in the right place at the right time saying the right things for that moment, your words are given birth through publication.

Once you "get published" it would seem that your job as a writer is over, and you can comfortably move on to the next project. The thing that you don't think about, though, is that publishing is an end and a beginning simultaneously. Sure, your words are now out there for everyone to read. However, you still have to find a way to get your words into people's hands. As most of us are not Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, or some other big name writer, we have to find a way to make the sales happen. This means, that even though you live life in your mind, you also have to life as a social person. You have to get out there and talk -- a lot.

I had the privilege recently to go on our local Fox Morning show to talk about Bitchin' Bodies. Being interviewed about your work is a sobering and exciting experience all at once. During all those late nights of struggling to get a sentence perfect, or as close to perfect as I could, I would occasionally dare to dream of being on television talking about my work. When it started to become clear that this dream might actually come true, I quickly sobered up and became scared. I talk all the time in workshops and in class, but doing a live interview is a whole different experience. I'll be honest with you and say that I had a few freak out moments. Ok, if I'm going to be honest, I'll let you know that I completely panicked!

I started asking myself how could I possibly simmer down the wealth of information I discuss in nearly 200 pages of text to two minutes (or even the six I was given) and a few quick sound bites? Thankfully, I work with a wonderful media representative on campus, Gwen O'Brien. Gwen patiently listened to my fears, helped me boil down my overall message, and prepped me more than I thought I could be prepped. When it came time for the actual interview I was fairly calm and heard Gwen's voice cheering me on.

In case you don't have a Gwen in your life, I want to pass on some helpful tips. The first thing you should do is figure out your key point or points. Try to write these things down in 100 words or less. Yes, this is difficult to do, but it's absolutely necessary. The next thing you should do is try to find one or two things that are sexy or will pique the interest of media interest. Think bullet points and catchy phrases. Even if you never do a television interview, having this information readily available will help you describe your project when asked. Most people who ask you this question don't want to hear a long, drawn out, rambling explanation. They want quick and memorable.

If you're going to do a television interview, live or taped, do a practice run -- on camera. It is absolutely necessary to learn where to look and how to handle yourself. For example, I tend to talk with my hands. If I don't remind myself, my hands will be flailing all over the place. In fact, if you watch my interview, you'll see that around the halfway mark, my gestures increase. You know why? I lost my train of thought at one point and started punting. And part of my punting was over-compensating with my hands.

Another thing that doing a practice tape will help you address is your physical presence, your look. In this day of super celebrity, good looking people are all over television. While you may not be a super model, you still need to think about your appearance. (Sad to say, but it's a fact.) In my first tape, I wore a shirt that looked great in person. On camera, it hung funny, made my boobs look even bigger than they already are, and completely washed me out. I also learned that for me, it's best if I wear something fitted in a solid color and with a collar. These may seem like trivial things to worry about, and your writerly sense may be screaming at you that you're above all this. You probably are. But think about it, do you want to get your message our there or do you want people staring at you and thinking, "What the hell was she thinking when she put on that shirt?" As much as I believe that what I look like is less important than what I say, I have to admit that for now my appearance matters for these things. I hate this fact and I want to rebel against it, but even more I want to get people talking about Bitchin' Bodies.

These are only the proverbial tip of the iceberg of important things for writers to know. Stay tuned for more, and remember you can always comment or e-mail me directly for more information. Don't forget to check out Bitchin' Bodies directly at StepSister Press. Also check out their blog for the latest news on Bitchin' Bodies and other upcoming projects from me and their ever growing list of writers and artists.