The author versus the person

It’s nature’s joke that introverts should be authors. We don’t want to be the center of attention, but at the same time we’re compelled by our art and craft to lay out our dreams on the page to be seen by friends and strangers alike. So far, a fair number of people have bought my book and are reading it. Success! says the author. Um, are you sure you wanted to let everybody see that story? says the person. I’m getting more and more queasy as my first reading approaches. It will be so exciting to see so many people I know, and I’ll have a great time up in front of the microphone bringing my characters to life, but the anticipation is rough. Antacids ahoy.