Meeting Your Heroes by Catharine Bramkamp
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “Meeting Your Heroes.” Enjoy!
***
Conferences, book readings, workshops. All good for writing inspiration and a chance to meet the keynote speaker whose work you’ve been following for years.
Avid readers are fangirls, secretly or overtly, and there is nothing more thrilling than meeting our favorite authors face to face. SHE’S speaking? I have all her books; I would love to meet her!
“Listen, don’t meet your heroes. If you meet your heroes, you’re always going to be disappointed.” ― James McBride
No, no, you cry, surely my favorite author is exactly like the heroines in her books!
Surely she will inspire, of course she will deliver deep thoughts about her process, naturally she will be as funny in person as she is on the page.
Sometimes she is. Sometimes, not.
I am a huge fangirl of Natalie Goldberg, she of Writing Down the Bones.
Her books changed my life to the point I wrote a master’s thesis on her oeuvre and continue to collect her books to this day.
Meeting Your Heroes
A year after I completed my MA, Goldberg was appearing at Book Passages in Marin.
Perhaps Zen Buddhism and public speaking are incompatible skills.
Goldberg is famous on the page, but a personality she is not. She is introverted, quirky and of course freaking brilliant, but not necessarily on demand.
I wasn’t disappointed, I had read all her work, I knew her quirks and abilities because she writes so honestly about them.
The contrast between how well she shares on the page, and her public reticence was less disappointing and more just interesting. She is fully human.
We all are.
Some authors are naturally charming, and Toastmasters trained.
They can give a good talk; they can interact with the audience in a genuine way – like Grant Faulkner or Brooke Warner.
Others like Eric Maisel, have their comfortable, memorized public talk, deliver it – walk away.
On paper, Maisel is marvelous and is quite engaging through his work and workshops.
But in real life? Maybe not so much.
That said, we don’t sign up to be authors because we are unrepentant extroverts, quite the opposite, we are solitary creatures happy to communicate from a distance, not happy one on one.
Which is why, when we meet our favorite authors out in the wild, we need to remember the nature of their species.
The Extroverted and the Introverted Author
Authors sometimes live the lives they record.
Some really do wander around the cliffs of Scotland, feeling, experiencing and engaging perfect strangers at the pub.
Others just brilliantly imagine wandering, feeling, and at some point they promise to engage with strangers. But not tonight.
As authors we can learn to present our work, or not.
Maybe we just want to work in the background and ask our niece to post on our Facebook account and we’re done.
I know authors who are very pleased to have sent six newsletters, two Instagram posts, and zero public appearances.
Your favorite author may be terrified of box jellyfish, Golden Retrievers and public speaking. Many of us are.
When you encounter a favorite author, thank them for showing up.
Thank them for hours of entertainment or life changing advice.
Then step away, don’t crowd them, they need a lot of oxygen.
I had a chance to meet one of my favorite dance choreographers.
I was thrilled I could meet and shake hands with a genius.
His development director warned me that he did not suffer inane comments gladly, probably because he has spent too many hours listening to the same gushing comments from audience members, his feet hurt, and he’s tired of smiling.
Forewarned is forearmed
When it was my turn (we all stood in a reception line of sorts, so the poor man could get it all over with in as efficient manner as possible) I shook his hand and thanked him for years of inspirational art. That’s it.
He smiled, I smiled. I’m happy, he forgot me a minute later.
Every artist is allowed to play to their strengths.
If your favorite author turns out to be engaging and funny and delivers a fabulous TED Talk and looks at you warmly as you struggle for words to express how much you admire them, you have a win.
If your favorite author comes across as a little less than stellar, you can assure yourself that you did a better job presenting to the Gold Country Rotary Club.
Which means you too can discuss your book in public because the bar is apparently lower than you thought.
Win win, but in an unexpected way.
Need your help! I’m writing a book on creativity and I need your input. Please take this quick survey and your story may be featured! Due July 1, 2025
***
Want to read more articles like this one Writer’s Fun Zone? Subscribe here.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach, Chief Storytelling Officer, former co-producer of Newbie Writers Podcast, and author of a dozen books including the Real Estate Diva Mysteries series, and The Future Girls series. She holds two degrees in English and is an adjunct university professor. After fracturing her wrist, she has figured out there is very little she is able to do with one hand tied behind her back. She delights in inspiring her readers.
