Category: Public Speaker

Public Speaker, Writing

Who Am I? What Am I?

carolyncordon

If you ask me who I am, I probably won’t give you the same answer that I may have given you fifteen to twenty years ago, and I most likely will have to think about the answer I actually give you these days. Twenty years ago, I probably would have said, in answer to the question: I’m Jake’s mum.

And of course, whether naming myself that, in answer to the question of ‘Who are you?’ is an interesting thing to think further on. I am Carolyn. That is who I am. But I am also Jake’s mum, for sure, I am proud to be the mother of this fine young man I carried into this world.

But I’m Carolyn Cordon, writer and poet, as well as President of Adelaide Plains Poets writing group, Editor of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle newsletter, and a former dog breeder, breeding dogs with the Kennel name of Holkschter Kennels. I’m a former Public Servant, a onetime (failed) dog food promoter, and a couple of other smaller jobs, including the Mallala and Dublin Towns Coordinator, a role I enjoyed, but one I suffered many sleepless nights because of.

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The writer and poet jobs, have been with me off and on for the most years, and they are pretty well always happening every day. Writers and poets don’t really turn off after work in the afternoon, because our workplace is inside our heads, thinking, whether we’re doing it consciously or not. And my role as the Editor of the Crossroad Chronicle is one that happens on the weekend too, sometimes, if a community event of note is on, for instance.

Writers and poets, as well as editors, are always looking for the next big thing to write about, hoping to put together something of interest to their audience, through a story of whatever kind is relevant to their role. And I am another thing as well, I am a blogger, with a few different blogs, of differing subject matter. So – gardening, dogs, writing, child abuse, multiple sclerosis & stoicism, these are all things I blog about, so I am open to anything relating to them all, all of the time, because, well you never know what might happen in this brain of mine, when  things are in there swilling around!

I have a main character from my unfinished novel, Meredith, and even though I am probably never going to complete that novel, I still see things and think, yes, that’s something Meredith would think, or do, or have happen to her. Meredith is with me, whether I want her there or not. I brought her to life, and I’m not going to abandon her, even though she probably would like me to get her story moving along some more …

All of the things that happen to me, may happen to Meredith, or some other person in that novel or in my next poetry collection, or they may come up in the next issue of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle, or one of my blogs. I am who I am, a wearer of many hats, and doing of many things. Life is full of things, good and bad, and I can use them all in various ways, in my life.

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And of course, I am a Public Speaker, looking for more work in that role, so I am looking for interesting, informative, amusing things to speak about too. Life truly is a basket of things, isn’t it. Thinking, writing, speaking, being, they all blend together in great ways for anyone and everyone who are interested and are paying attention!

Anyway, the question of Who I Am, is tied up to the question of What I Am, always. Do you have many roles too? And how do you respond to the question?

Public Speaker, Writing

I have Transferable Skills

carolyncordon

Dear Sir/Madam,

As a writer, I have many skills. I can type on a keyboard, faster than your average trained monkey, and my spoken language skills are infinitely superior to any parrot ever, living or dead.

I have written and read more and better poetry and short stories than probably any current member of the Australian Government. I know how to harness a pacer (harness horse), and how to prepare a Standard Schnauzer for the show ring.

I have a strong feeling for what makes a fine haiku or tanka, and am even able to write them as well! I can write a villanelle, a clerihew, and I am the person who first invented the Cordonostic Poetic Form (Google it).

My skills as an office worker were second to none in terms of slacking off whilst appearing busy, and I am proud to tell you that my Friday night drinks results surpassed what any man has probably ever achieved (my husband of over thirty years is offered as proof – his super pension is probably more than you are currently paid as a full time worker!)

All of the skills mentioned, are what are called transferable skills, and if you employ me, you will be amazed at what I do!

Yours sincerely,

Carolyn Cordon, Poet, novelist, short story writer, blogger, monthly newsletter editor, and so on …

I’m also as funny as a smelly fart in a crowded lift!

Public Speaker

What Makes a Good Workshop

carolyncordon

 

Why I love Workshops, but only good ones!

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Obviously, the workshops I’m talking about here are mostly writing related ones, but some of what I write here applies to many kinds of workshops. A good workshop involves someone who knows things about something, teaching what they know to interested people.

It’s that simple, but so easy to get it wrong. If the workshop presenter isn’t happy to be presenting their workshop, a good number of those present will know, and the workshop won’t have an interested audience, and things could go very wrong.

I love to listen to a presenter who knows their topic, and who speaks I interestingly about it. But even if their topic knowledge is a bit scratchy, they can still do a good presentation, by going on a learning journey with their audience. But with this kind of presentation, the material must be put forward in an inspiring way, and with total honesty. Pretend knowledge can be found out, and then you’ll lose the respect of your audience

And if the audience is an uninterested one, unless the presenter can turn that around, quickly, things could go wrong in this one too. How to turn the audience from uninterested to eager to hear more?

Tell them a shocking and honest story about yourself. If you can get the audience feeling sorry for you, and emotionally connected with you, they are now an interested audience.

Another way to go is to shape your material so it becomes more about people like those in you audience. If you know the demographic of your audience, talk about how your whatever your topic is, can or could relate to them.

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Keep your eye on the media headlines too, and talk about something there, that relates in some way to your topic. Don’t be afraid to look vulnerable, but always remain in control, as though you’ve faced trouble, but won through.

After all, we all love winners, don’t we, as long as they have at least some level of humility. No-one wants to be lectured by an arrogant person, who looks down on others, do they?

So a good workshop presenter is relevant, humble, in touch with what’s happening, knows their subject, isn’t boring, and treats their audience respectfully, as peers. Even if the idea of giving a presentation frightens you, as it does with most people, take comfort in the fact that the people in the audience want you to do well, they are definitely on your side.
Public Speaker, Writing

3.5% Famous – Aiming Higher!

carolyncordon

In my previous blog post, I wrote about fame. I was going to post some more about the subject, hoping to bring some more insight to the subject, but you know what? I’m struggling to find much in the way of insight here.

I am known to my family and friends, obviously. The people who live near me know who I am, and may or may not know that I am a writer – I expect most of them neither know, nor care about what kind of books I write, or what the content of my blogs is all about.

Certainly some of my neighbours, and people living in the town close to the townlet I live in, know that I and the editor of the monthly newsletter I publish and distribute around town and beyond, every month. And I’ve been on the ABC, talking about things I and members of the writing group I lead, are doing, and so some people will have heard me doing that.

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That’s not fame though, not like authors who are published by big publishers, who give them thousands of dollars in royalties, and take them on country-wide speaking tours … The closest I get to anything like that, is to drive myself to the radio station I’m a volunteer presenter at every fortnight or so, and they’ve interviewed me a couple of times, when I’ve self-published another book …

I do still get royalties for a book I had published by a children’s educational publisher, quite a few years ago. My most recent payment was possibly the smallest one yet, but my book is still out there, being sold. I also have books in (school) libraries, and have received payments from that. That isn’t fame, but it’s being known, which is kind of the same thing, in a way, isn’t it? I think it is. 

At the moment, I have a book I’m reading off and on, by an English person, Caitlin Moran. The book is cleverly titled “Moranifesto”, and is full of amusing and thought provoking things.

One of the thing she writes about there is fame (how coincidental is that?), and she says she is 35% famous. Based on what she writes in her book, I suspect I am around 3.5% famous …

I’m thinking about possible ways to lift my percentage, so that’s a start, well it’s better that sitting on my bum thinking about nothing … I’m going to be seeing some friends tomorrow, and if I remember, I will ask them for some ideas about possible ways I could up my fame percentage … The three people I am thinking about all have higher percentages than I currently have, I would think. We’ll see how those discussions go.

In the meantime, I will post this to my Author Website/Blog, and see if I can get more that a couple of people looking at it, and maybe even leaving a comment … I do enjoy writing though, so it’s not like sitting here on this sofa tippity-tapping away on the keyboard is an onerous task for me, I love doing it.

Writing and talking, playing words, that is certainly one of the funnest things to do, for me. If you ever need a speaker, look me up, I’m 3.5% interesting, and can be quite funny too, and at the moment, my speaker fee is low!

Public Speaker

On Being Well-Known

carolyncordon

When (or if) a person becomes well-known, or famous, they may face new duties they hadn’t considered previously. And there isn’t really any training in how to handle these duties, because each well-known person may be well known for different reasons, and in different ways.

Everyone, though should know what is a good thing to do, and really, that’s what all of us should think on, famous or not. The better known a person is, the more responsibilities they may have put on them, like it or not, but they may also have more money, and can afford to off load some of those responsibilities.

This would certainly take off some of their pressure, but there will always be some tasks only one person can do, and if you’re that person, you owe it to everyone to do your best. You owe it to yourself too, of course, and nobody gains good things for being infamous, rather than famous. Infamy may bring notice, but not in a good way.

If I go into my local town, many people will say hello Carolyn to me, and I’ll say hello back. I’ll name them if I do know their name, but often I won’t know. I’ve been closely involved in this town for over ten years, as the editor of the local newsletter, and many townspeople know me in that role.

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Some of them also know I am a writer and poet. Is this fame, am I famous? No, I don’t think so – in that town, I may be well known, but calling ‘famous’ is going too far. I am known in other places too, in my role as poet and writer, as President of my writing group, where I lead the way to some events that are become more and more ‘known’.

Being well known gives a person a bit of an audience, a range of others who will listen to what you say. Certainly, my most recent writerly ‘thing’ being the judge of a poetry competition came about because I was known as a poet who knew what she was doing, regarding poetry, to the relevant person.

I am very small biscuits though, on the ‘famous writer’ list of people to talk about, or listen to. I would get a publicist, if I had the money to pay for one, but if I could get the money to pay for one, I would have proved I was capable of doing the job myself, and my Methodist mind set would tell me I shouldn’t pay money for it, if I could do it myself … It’s a bit like the old ‘which came first the chicken or the egg’ story …

Things happen when they happen, I will continue with my writing, my blogging, attending/running/being involved with poetry and writing things. It’s what I do, it’s what writers do – we write and if we are good enough or lucky enough, we may finally write the ‘big thing’ that makes us famous!

Do I dream of fame? Oh yes, fame, requests to speak at events, having opportunities to sell and sign my books, these are on my list of things I’d like more of. Will it happen though? Who knows, all I can do is keep on writing, become better at putting the word out about who I am and what I do. Being well known is gratifying, being famous, oh, yes, that would be great!