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Public Speaking Survival Skills

Presenter: Elizabeth Peavey

Date & Time: Saturday, January 25 | 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Location: USM’s Glickman Library, Portland

Level: Open

Maximum Attendees: Open

Fee: Member: FREE | Nonmember: $5

RSVP: If you plan to attend, please RSVP in advance here.


Effective public speaking requires training. Yet so many writers trust (hope, pray) their words will magically come to life on their own and often do nothing to prepare. Or they wildly over-rehearse. No wonder events like readings and panels make so many writers—and their listeners—uncomfortable.

Veteran public-speaking instructor Elizabeth Peavey will deliver a lively talk on how to speak and read with verve and poise. She will address readings, panels, interviews, and more—basically any occasion in which writers are called upon to open their mouths. She’ll cover fundamental speech skills: how to manage nerves, how to breathe, where to stand, how to make eye contact, and what to do with your hands. Attendees will also learn how to prepare a manuscript for a reading, formulate answers for panel and interview questions, and how to keep remarks brief and to the point.

This presentation is suitable for both emerging and established writers, and everyone in between.

Earlier Event: January 25
Electrify Your Fiction
Later Event: January 31
Deadline for Submissions