WRITER TO APPEAR AT BOOKSIGNING!

Writing is an inside job. It involves spending a lot of time inside your head—in a room filled with imaginary characters with made-up relationships. The people involved in the writing process are not real people. They cannot talk back or be belligerent. With made-up characters there is nothing to worry about—no need to interact with them.

The reason these thoughts come to mind, I think, is because ever since I can remember I’ve been shy. Shyness has a lot to do with why I became a writer in the first place. It was a place away from the world where I felt safe—where I could hide. Appearing at a book signing is an outside job. It means "being out there," being on display, being "on," having to meet people, smile at them, talk with them—you know, interact. It is something a shy person doesn’t generally like to do.

But, for the past couple of years I have been consciously practicing something on the outside, which has been effecting life on the inside…

Being open.

The process began more than ten years ago when I, finally, went to get help for the side effects of having been in Vietnam: bottling up feelings, hiding emotions by drinking too much, that sort of thing. Little by little, having become part of a group of vets, all of whom experienced similar side-effects, and having dealt with the drinking problem on a daily basis, I have found myself undergoing a major transformation. Whether I like it or not, and I do like it, I am becoming more open.

The shyness, although it is not completely gone, has been slowly disappearing—which is why I am happy to announce…

This writer will be appearing at a book signing, Sunday January 19th, 2:00pm, at Barnes & Noble in Westport. Hope to see you there.