Are we famous yet?

Candice: We came,we saw, we presented.  Yes, last week we set the world alight by talking about our book writing process at the Stratford literary festival. The build up was unnerving, the day was stressful, the cake was plentiful, and the audience was receptive.

It actually went really well, though I was nearly sick before hand. Once I got to the green room and Phil talked at everyone I was nicely distracted.  We didn’t have time to think about what was going to happen as we had our photos taken and then were taken down stairs to the room.

Sitting down at the front was un-nerving, having been to a few events an been in the crowd, suddenly we were the focus.  That is the point when it really hit me we were there to talk about our book.

The crowds flocked in to sit down… all four of them.  I think it made me more relaxed that we didn’t have that many people but Phil said it made him feel more nervous.  He’s used to performing to big crowds!

The talk went really well, we had a few bumps in the road but that just shows we need a little more practice.  But it was great to prove that we can talk for 30 mins about the book in an engaging way. One of our audience said she thought she could see us as a radio show (which backs up what a few people have said).

So, yes the audience was small, we aren’t going to millionaires off that soon, but we did make some good contacts with a book group and WI so hopefully there will be more listeners (and readers) to come.

A great experience and thank you to the Literary Festival for giving us a slot.

Now to sort out the new book cover, that is a whole new area of conversation!

Photos courtesy of Rupert Barnes.

Nerves of steel…?

Candice: So D day is nearly upon us. Phil and I will be hanging out with the Shakespearean lovies on Thursday and doing out bit to talk  about the trials and tribulations of writing a book at Stratford Literary Festival.

To be honest even the thought of it makes me fell slightly sick.

I don’t mind getting up in front of audience to talk.  Over the years I’ve done a lot of drama and presentations and once I get going I’m fine.  But is the build up I hate.  Thursday morning I will be a wreak and am trying to fill it with other things so I don’t think about it all.  By the time 2.55pm comes about I’ll probably be being sick in the loo.

Saturday night I was watching RSLive.  It was a brilliant show celebrating 400 years of the Bard with a raft of stars showing how many ways he has influenced people, from Duke Ellington to Cole Porter.  It was very clever in showing us the breadth of Shakespeare’s catalogue and its not all the boring text that you had to study at school.

However, the show went on for a few hours and as the actors came on to do their bit one of the things I thought of was, ‘they must get nervous waiting in the wings’. Lets face it, does Dame Judi Dench still get stage fright?

But I have learnt over time that sometimes adrenaline does you good.  I have literally been throwing up back stage before going on to do a play, and then once I am on stage I can remember every line because I need the adrenaline to help me.

Luckily, Thursday is more off the cuff but we have our cue cards ready and have planned a talk that we hope people will find interesting.  Roll on 3.30pm and I can relax with a cuppa.

And  if you are coming don’t hesitate to come and talk to us after, when I’ll  be feeling much more chipper!