Over the weekend, I attended ICON. I enjoyed masquerading as my author self and a friend suggested I sign up to read. Two slots were open; I was the only one to volunteer.

Questions circled my mind immediately. “What do I read?” “Who will show up?” “Will they be interested in someone they haven’t heard of and isn’t advertised?”

The answer to the last question is yes, if attendees know what you’re attempting and when. The answer to the second depends on what conflicts with the reading. The first question occupied me the most, other than the nervousness accompanying any new venture.

I chose to read my published anthology story, “Qui’s Contract.” Other than that, I’m extremely excited about my current project, an unnamed-as-yet young adult novel. I wrote a short story about it this summer called “Spider Dreams.” Since my segment lasted half an hour, I timed these two pieces and found I could read both with time for questions at the end.

I can’t say I packed the house, but my audience seemed to enjoy the reading. Some even stayed to ask questions. I’m excited to do it again, even following someone as distinguished as Alan M. Clark. His excerpt from an upcoming novel about D. D. Murphy, Secret Policeman, was imaginative and engaging.

I hope my listeners felt the same way about mine.