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How to be a Good Panelist
As a writer, I sometimes get the privilege of being on panels at conventions. Most people don’t get to do that — and I happen to find it a lot of fun. It’s also nervewracking for a lot of people (I’ve seen new people freeze up altogether).
So, I figured I’d post a few of my tips for both being a good panelist and dealing with the stage fright and such.
Dealing with Stage Fright/Anxiety
There’s two ways stage fright manifests: “Oh wow they’re all looking at me and I’m going to mess this up” or “Nobody would want to listen to me. Nobody’s going to show up.”
The latter is less of a worry for panels. You can tell your brain that if nobody wants to listen to you, they’ll want to listen to somebody else. Attendance, though, can vary. I’ve been on panels where we outnumbered the audience and ones where we violated the fire code. It’s probably way more about the topic and the time slot than you.
But here are some tips for dealing with stage fright:
- Be prepared. Make notes even if you don’t think you’ll need them. The act of making notes will help you remember what you intend to say, and you…