Wow--that title is a mouthful. But an excellent articulation exercise if you say it out loud (that's the speech teacher in me ;)
I had originally signed up to post today because I'm the keeper of the list of award winners for the blog, and had planned to post a final list of all the reader winners from December's blog blitz. But, with the new format here on the blog, we've been able to post the daily winners as we go along. So, CONGRATULATIONS!! to all the winners who'll be receiving (or have already received) their prize books! But I won't bore you with another list ;)
Instead, I'm here to make a deal with you...
Since the site was down for 4 days during the blog blitz, due to technical difficulties, we missed 4 days of possible winners. So, if there's anyone out there who didn't get his/her name drawn during December, post a question or comment to today's blog. The first 4 commenters (whose names aren't listed in the lefthand margin already) will get to choose a book from my backlist and I'll send you the prize! With a few exceptions, I have copies of all the titles listed at my website. Once I know who the 4 winners are, we can work out the titles you'd like to read.
Everyone is welcome to comment, of course. By next Monday, if we don't have 4 new names, I'll open it up to repeat winners.
But the gist of today's blog is--there are 4 more books to give away!!
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Need something to blog about? How about sharing your favorite tongue twister or proudest/scariest public speaking moment. Trust me, in all my years of teaching speech/theater and directing plays, I've got some doozies.
I could tell you about locking my hands on the podium and not being able to sit down when I was finished with my persuasive speech (embarrassing to have the professor come up and pry your hands open and whisper to come see her in her office for some tips on speech anxiety--that meeting was a blessing! made me always incorporate ways to deal with public speaking stress as part of my curriculum when I became a teacher)
Or, the football player who fainted giving a speech--this guy was so big, he had to duck and turn sideways to get through the doorway. But yep, he was nervous enough to pass out. You could see the color draining from his face before he slumped. And then, boom! He made a big noise when he hit the floor. We tried our best, but he was too big to catch--and too macho to take the suggestion that he lie down and put his feet up.
Or, there was the time when I was in the middle of a "fight" scene onstage--my costume broke. In order to continue the scene, I ripped off the skirt that wouldn't stay up and continued wrestling with "Helen Keller" in my pantaloons!
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And, on a side note, for those of you who've asked me (and anyone else who might be interested), my monthly newsletter is now posted on my website at www.juliemiller.org. It's updated the first of every month. So you don't have to sign up to receive anything, you can just go check it out whenever you want! Thanks.
Julie Miller
I already won for a book for December but I wanted to comment on your blog. Giving speeches in front of a group of people makes me ill and usually I won't do it. I think I am so nervous that I just can't do it.
ReplyDeleteI am terrified of speaking in front of a crowd!
ReplyDeleteI have won also.
Hi Julie! No, my name wasn't drawn during December. Public speaking? Just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach. I'm with Tiffany and Estella ---- I'm just too nervous and terrified to speak in front of a crowd. Thank goodness I'm usually not asked to give speeches in front of a group of people!
ReplyDeleteI hate public speaking. I remember having to recite a scene in from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in junior high. I couldn't make eye contact with my classmates. I kept my eyes trained on the back wall. I felt like I was going to faint.
ReplyDeleteOkay so I am strange, have never feared public speaking and my high school speech teacher was always disgusted with me because I sdeldom prepared ahead of time and did't stay with the only outline she made me do. (at my age now I may have more trouble, I don't know because no one has ever asked me to speak).
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the books that I won. I have so enjoyed blogging with all of you.
I am so afraid of public speaking! As a speaker I only write well, even in private speaking sometimes I'd rather write than talk. I even hate talking on the phone. I haven't won books yet!
ReplyDeleteI was on the debate team in high school. We had a visiting school and it was my turn to speak. I think it was foreign trade or something like that. I went to quote an authority. I was supposed to say geologist. But what came out was gynocologist. I turned beet red, got flustered, and couldn't finish.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, I did win in December but this is very nice of you.
ReplyDeleteI am very afraid of speaking in public. I went back to school a few years ago and we had to stand in front of the and do Power Point presentations and I hated it.
I already won a book. On public speaking--I am a retired teacher and one of the things I had to do as a teacher was speak in front of other teachers for workshops. I HATED that and was never comfortable with speaking. I had to look over the heads of people because if I looked at their faces I would panic.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Connie! You're a rarity when it comes to public speaking. But how fortunate for you. According to a survey I once read (can't think of the source off the top of my head), public speaking was rated as the #1 stress-causing thing that people face--even more than a family death or a divorce! Yikes! That's major stress!
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot of tips and tricks over the years to help me with public speaking. Even teaching classes, I had to incorporate some. The number one thing that helps reduce the stress is to be prepared. Actually, practice the speech out loud. That was always a hard one to get my high-schoolers to do. I was terribly shy growing up, and I used to think I was the only one so terrified of public speaking--now I know better.
And acting, I could always do. For me it has always been easier to be someone else in front of an audience instead of myself.
Hugs to anyone who has to stand up and give a speech soon!
Julie Miller
Congratulations to Deborah and Blythespirit!! You're our first two lucky missing day winners. (does that make sense?)
ReplyDeleteTake a look at my website at www.juliemiller.org and find the Booklist or sort through the pages to see if there's a book in particular that interests you, then shoot me an email. If it's not one of my rare titles, it's yours!
I'll wait through the rest of the week to see if we get any other new commenters. If not, I'll choose two more next Monday. So check back.
It's been a lot of fun doing the blog blitz. So many great posts!
Here's to an equally fun and intriguing 2009!
Julie Miller
As a child I had a speech impediment (sp?) so I would do everything I could to get out of public speaking, including the speeches we had to do every year in school. I'm better at public speaking now but sometimes I have flashbacks to speaking as a child. So much for my life as a drama queen. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI am afraid of a lot of things but public speaking is not one of them for some strange reason. I am terribly shy, so you'd think it would be a nightmare for me but I'm able to kind of disassociate myself from it so I'm not scared. I wish I could do that with other things!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners and Happy New Year!
Congratulations, LJ White and Cynthya!! You're numbers 3 and 4 of our missing blog day winners!
ReplyDeleteSo... LJ, Cynthya, Deborah and Blythespirit--let me know what book you're interested in, and email me with your first choice. If I don't have extras of that one, we'll work out a second choice and get you hooked up with a prize book.
Thanks for commenting!!
I think shy people actually have an advantage in some ways when it comes to public speaking. We tend to think things through and have contingency plans and be more prepared for facing people than others. It's hard to catch us off guard. Teaching in front of a class room, performing on stage, giving workshops, etc. are good therapy for my shyness, I believe. The more I do it, the easier the risk is to take. The stress is still there internally, but experience has given me lots of strategies to cope with the nerves and second-guessing and physical symptoms of speech anxiety. Take care.
Julie Miller
Okay, gang--we've got our 4 winners. Now we've got all 31 days of the Holiday Blog Blitz covered. Cool!!
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone who posted questions and shared stories and opinions. What delightful conversations we've had.
Of course, we hope you'll stay with us through 2009 and keep checking the Intrigue Authors blog. I can't guarantee a prize every day, or even with every post. But it's bound to be intriguing!
Happy New Year!
Julie Miller