I see various articles here and there about what people fear most and it seems many people report fearing “Public Speaking” more than they fear “Death”. I’m not sure how much credence to put into those studies but clearly this is something that causes people a great deal of anxiety. Millions of people have tried overcoming this fear by doing everything from signing up for Toastmasters, getting coaching about it, hypnosis, and picturing the audience in their underwear (or naked - I can never remember which you’re supposed to do).
I guess I can understand the concept even though it’s not one of my fears. You’re standing in front of a bunch of people and under a lot of scrutiny. They are all paying attention to you and any mistake you make will be seen by all. What if it is being recorded on video? Could those mistakes follow you around for the rest of your life?
I wonder if some of you feel your palms getting sweaty just reading that.
My theory is that the answer is probably yes but also that it’s happening to fewer of you, percentage-wise, than it would in the general population. I believe gaming has conditioned us to speak in front of others more often and more fearlessly than most folks. That’s weird, isn’t it, considering how gamers tend to have a reputation for being socially awkward?
I think my gaming hobby, especially my GMing experience, has prepared me to talk pretty easily in front of a group of people. Sure, most of the time I’m GMing I’m doing it in front of three or four of my closest friends for over 20 years. That should be easy and it is.
But I also run games at conventions and game days and such where I might not know everybody there. I still don’t think twice when I’m describing something to them, telling them the monster is attacking them, or asking them to make a saving throw. It never crosses my mind to be nervous in those circumstances.
When thinking about this column I took a step back to ask why that was. I mean I understand I’m a confident person. But am I just arrogant and fearless for no reason? (*sigh* I realize that I’ve set myself up for some scathing commentary. Just keep it Grandma Friendly and let me have it if you must)
I think a good deal of my confidence comes from a few factors: Preparedness, creativity, and the knowledge that my audience wants me to succeed.
I don’t prepare a whole lot for my games on paper but I spend hours and hours thinking about them between sessions. I almost exclusively run homebrew settings and adventures so I know the material backwards and forwards since I created it. I give consideration not just to what I want to present but also to whom I’m presenting it. I feel confident in the notion that I’ve prepared a game my players will enjoy participating in.
My creativity comes in handy not just when I’m generating the content but also when I’m presenting it. I go in knowing that my plan will not survive contact with the players. But I’ll take whatever they throw back at me and run with it. In fact I KNOW that the contributions from the players which take things off track will generally make the game better, not worse.
My players know it too (I hope). So they are going to feel free to toss ideas into the ring, ask me questions, and generally riff off of whatever I throw at them. They are there to have fun just as much as I am so they aren’t looking to criticize any of my minor screw ups. Instead they are looking for the big successes. If I make any huge screw ups (and it happens from time to time) then I acknowledge them, apologize, and move on. Therefore they trust and forgive me and can get back to enjoying the game.
Like I said, knowledge of these things is so intrinsic to me that I don’t even think about it. I just go out there and do my GMing thing and have a blast. The same goes for when I need to address a group in a social or business context. I know what I’m going to say. I know I’ll take any questions or feedback from the audience in stride, knowing they are generating even more good content for the rest of the audience. I know they want to hear me and get the most out of what I say. I therefore see no reason to fear.
Does public speaking strike fear into your very soul? Has your attitude toward it changed over time while you’ve been a gamer?
I guess I can understand the concept even though it’s not one of my fears. You’re standing in front of a bunch of people and under a lot of scrutiny. They are all paying attention to you and any mistake you make will be seen by all. What if it is being recorded on video? Could those mistakes follow you around for the rest of your life?
I wonder if some of you feel your palms getting sweaty just reading that.
My theory is that the answer is probably yes but also that it’s happening to fewer of you, percentage-wise, than it would in the general population. I believe gaming has conditioned us to speak in front of others more often and more fearlessly than most folks. That’s weird, isn’t it, considering how gamers tend to have a reputation for being socially awkward?
I think my gaming hobby, especially my GMing experience, has prepared me to talk pretty easily in front of a group of people. Sure, most of the time I’m GMing I’m doing it in front of three or four of my closest friends for over 20 years. That should be easy and it is.
But I also run games at conventions and game days and such where I might not know everybody there. I still don’t think twice when I’m describing something to them, telling them the monster is attacking them, or asking them to make a saving throw. It never crosses my mind to be nervous in those circumstances.
When thinking about this column I took a step back to ask why that was. I mean I understand I’m a confident person. But am I just arrogant and fearless for no reason? (*sigh* I realize that I’ve set myself up for some scathing commentary. Just keep it Grandma Friendly and let me have it if you must)
I think a good deal of my confidence comes from a few factors: Preparedness, creativity, and the knowledge that my audience wants me to succeed.
I don’t prepare a whole lot for my games on paper but I spend hours and hours thinking about them between sessions. I almost exclusively run homebrew settings and adventures so I know the material backwards and forwards since I created it. I give consideration not just to what I want to present but also to whom I’m presenting it. I feel confident in the notion that I’ve prepared a game my players will enjoy participating in.
My creativity comes in handy not just when I’m generating the content but also when I’m presenting it. I go in knowing that my plan will not survive contact with the players. But I’ll take whatever they throw back at me and run with it. In fact I KNOW that the contributions from the players which take things off track will generally make the game better, not worse.
My players know it too (I hope). So they are going to feel free to toss ideas into the ring, ask me questions, and generally riff off of whatever I throw at them. They are there to have fun just as much as I am so they aren’t looking to criticize any of my minor screw ups. Instead they are looking for the big successes. If I make any huge screw ups (and it happens from time to time) then I acknowledge them, apologize, and move on. Therefore they trust and forgive me and can get back to enjoying the game.
Like I said, knowledge of these things is so intrinsic to me that I don’t even think about it. I just go out there and do my GMing thing and have a blast. The same goes for when I need to address a group in a social or business context. I know what I’m going to say. I know I’ll take any questions or feedback from the audience in stride, knowing they are generating even more good content for the rest of the audience. I know they want to hear me and get the most out of what I say. I therefore see no reason to fear.
Does public speaking strike fear into your very soul? Has your attitude toward it changed over time while you’ve been a gamer?
