I'm delighted to welcome Harlequin American author Barbara White Daille to the blog!Here's Barbara: I’d like to thank Rebecca for inviting me to stop by today!
Chances are, there are a lot of us introverted folks here. It’s not an easy thing to admit, is it?
Rebecca had asked me to touch on how it is for me, as a shy person, to interact with an editor. Fortunately, my editor is fabulous, and we have no trouble communicating, whether we’re talking on the phone, via e-mail, or face-to-face.
I should be so lucky in all areas of my life.
In my writer and non-writer roles, there are times when I need to attend business meetings, workshops, and conferences. There’s no getting around it—all those events can be nerve-wracking, especially for a diehard introvert!
Do you agree?
Just in case you’re not sure, here’s a brief quiz to determine your level of Introvert-ness.
(Extroverts need not apply—but please feel free to leave comments that may help the rest of us.
IT'S QUIZ TIME!
Six Levels of Introversion
Choose which statement below best describes you:
6. I’d prefer to sit in a packed meeting hall than to give a speech to everyone there.
5. I’d rather spend time in a crowded bar than sit in a packed meeting hall.
4. I’d choose eating lunch with a group of people I don’t know well over spending time in a crowded bar.
3. I’d rather go to tea with a perfect stranger than eat lunch with a group of people I don’t know well.
2. I’d buy a bottle of water and a bag of pretzels from the vending machine rather than go to tea with a perfect stranger.
1. I wish I lived on a deserted island so I could avoid having to make conversation with anyone!
Okay, confession time. Where do you fall on this list?
Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the dry heat and have taken up square dancing. From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called "books." Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!
Readers can find Barbara at the following locations:http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
Her October, 2010 book, FAMILY MATTERS, is currently available from bookstores and through eHarlequin.com: http://bit.ly/FAMILYMATTERS
Barbara works a day job but will be back here later today and over the weekend. She’s eager to read your responses to the quiz. Also, shy or not, she loves to chat with readers online, so please feel free to leave comments or questions.
6. I’d prefer to sit in a packed meeting hall than to give a speech to everyone there.
5. I’d rather spend time in a crowded bar than sit in a packed meeting hall.
4. I’d choose eating lunch with a group of people I don’t know well over spending time in a crowded bar.
3. I’d rather go to tea with a perfect stranger than eat lunch with a group of people I don’t know well.
2. I’d buy a bottle of water and a bag of pretzels from the vending machine rather than go to tea with a perfect stranger.
1. I wish I lived on a deserted island so I could avoid having to make conversation with anyone!
Okay, confession time. Where do you fall on this list?
Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the dry heat and have taken up square dancing. From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called "books." Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!
Readers can find Barbara at the following locations:http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
Her October, 2010 book, FAMILY MATTERS, is currently available from bookstores and through eHarlequin.com: http://bit.ly/FAMILYMATTERS
Barbara works a day job but will be back here later today and over the weekend. She’s eager to read your responses to the quiz. Also, shy or not, she loves to chat with readers online, so please feel free to leave comments or questions.
Hi, Rebecca, Hi, Barbara. Gosh, what does it mean when none of those options appeals. I don't mind talking in front of people if I've practiced. But ad lib, might find me running fast and furious for the safety of my office. I dislike crowds, so that doesn't sound fun. I burn easily so the deserted island. that's not going to work. And I don't think I want to sit at a table with someone I don't know well or sit at a group I don't know either. The crowded bar doesn't do a thing for me ;) What does that make me... oh dear..... :)
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing. I had the opportunity to read FAMILY MATTERS. And I'd hang out with these special characters any time ;)
Aww, Donnell, you're too kind. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed FAMILY MATTERS.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's the answer to your question? You're good to go as long as you're comfortable with the people and environment? If so, I can relate. ;-)
Barbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Barbara, thanks so much for being on today. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know which pertains to me either. Probably #6. I don't mind being in a crowded room if I don't have to talk to anybody. So a packed lecture hall would be fine. But if the lecturer told us to introduce ourselves to the people next to us... Hmm. I can do it, but inside I'm not happy about it.
LOL, Rebecca, you would get along well with my husband. He's a chemical engineer and has definite ideas about doing things. You should have seen him (us) at our Lamaze class, when the instructor told him to introduce himself to the couples next to him. He said, my wife's having a baby, and I'm never going to see these people again. Yikes! Joint introverts, but we do okay :)
ReplyDeleteNow if there'd been a choice to stay at home, that would be me! The deserted island is too, um, deserted. Like Rebecca, #6 would be fine as long as the lecture isn't too boring, lol. And of course dinner/lunch with friends tops all!
ReplyDeleteTea with a perfect stranger. I assume "perfect" means he's gorgeous and attentive. And tea leads me to think he'll have a killer Brit accent. Is this a blind date? Will he pick up the tab? What the heck, I'll take Bachelor #3 over the deserted island any day!
ReplyDeleteFrom one Barbara to another, and I'm way up there on the introvert scale, I'd pick #2, with #6 a close second, and only because I know the deserted island thing would eventually mean I'd have to reach out to complete strangers for rescue. 3, 4 and 5 - never going to happen. Ok, 5 happened to me once or twice, I'mnot putting myself through that agony again.
ReplyDeleteWhat's really upsetting my stomach - the discovery that my editor really wants me out there pressing the flesh. God help me, I might as well have gone into politics.
I chose 4. I'll always find someone interesting. And usually a few someones. But now that I see Amy's interpretation of a perfect stranger, I'm rethinking my answer....
ReplyDeleteI'm with Amy, I'm thinking a Colin Firth look-alike, or heck, Colin Firth himself. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm not shy at all but I don't like crowded rooms. I'm the girl on the aisle seat just in case I need an escape route, or want to make a quick exit with a handsome Englishman with dreamy eyes and a posh voice.
Rebecca - #6 seems to be fairly popular, which is probably why it's the first one on the list.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm with you--it's that extra step you mentioned that can make even #6 more intimidating.
Barbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Donnell - your husband sounds like quite a guy! ;-)
ReplyDeleteBarbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Christine - what YOU said! LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for adding that.
Barbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Amy - well...actually, I meant "perfect" in the "absolute" sense. But, hey--whatever works. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBarbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Barbara - Barbaras must think alike. LOL
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point about the rescue. Thanks!
Barbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Edie - love your attitude about #4! That's a great way to go.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Robin - I do the seat-on-the-aisle thing, too, but I never knew anything about the Englishman!
ReplyDeleteWill have to keep my eyes and ears open in future.
Barbara
www.barbarawhitedaille.com
LOL a blog for shy writers. Who woulda thunk it? That's me.
ReplyDeleteCan I choose having lunch with a perfectly strange cat or dog?
The CRITTER Project and Naked Without a Pen
im almost too introverted to comment but i will and i dunno im thinkin in between 1 and 2 because id definately rather buy the pretzels than talk to a random person and i wouldnt quite wanna be stuck on a deserted island although a house on one would be nice but thats just me
ReplyDelete