There was a good turnout and a good buzz around the What If? reading in Guelph’s Stone Road Chapters. We all gathered near the Teens’ section around 6:45 p.m. and set up the displays. About a dozen people read in total, including myself, Erin, Barbara Aggerholm of the K-W Record, and former contributors to the magazine. I’m certain the crowd comprised of far more than just the attendees and their families. Everyone listened attentively (and with less difficulty once we found a microphone to speak over the store’s ambient noise) and a lot of talented writing was put on display.
I don’t care if you are 15 or 33, reading in front of a live audience is terrifying. I managed to quell the butterflies in my stomach and (I hope) the shake in my voice, but other readers looked a lot less nervous than I. This was my second ever reading, and I selected the same passage I’d read during my first reading almost four years ago. A good time was had by all, and I’d like to thank editor Mike Leslie for putting this event together, and for giving me a chance to promote The Unwritten Girl.
As I mentioned before I launched into my reading, What If? Magazine wasn’t available to me when I started writing as a teenager, and I was somewhat jealous of the opportunities that were being afforded to the other readers in attendance (I made do with fan fiction). However, it was encouraging to see how many teenagers were into the creative process, and I know that our literary scene is going to be the richer for it down the line.
Here are some photographs that Erin and I snapped of the event.
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We were scheduled to give another set of readings in the Kitchener chapters earlier this morning, but that has been rescheduled, possibly to April 7. I’ll keep you posted when the new date is finalized.