Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Insecurity and the Naked Chick



It's first Wednesday and you know what that means! Insecure Writer's Support Network!!! w00t w00t!

Seems strange, doesn't it? That someone who runs around naked, virtually or otherwise is insecure. I mean I am a girl with a policy reading: TMI is par for the course. I am a more is more gal, where over-sharing is the topic and less is more when the topic is attire.

I mean seriously... Naked is FUNNY!
But I want you to consider the class clown. Sometimes the goal of being a goof is to give people a reason to laugh at you so you never have to know if they'd laugh at you in a bad way.

I know. Deep, right? And honestly, when I was really MOST concerned about being laughed at, I was more a 'keep your mouth shut and maybe nobody will notice you don't know what's going on' girl. I was socially inept and kept quiet to hide it.

Now I'm socially inept and take my clothes off to hide it.

Are you spotting a pattern here? Polar extremes to hide the same thing. That is sort of me in a nut shell. (in the middle I tried a 'get so smart nobody will notice you're inept', but that only takes you so far if you are only so smart)

*cough*


But now we come to my CURRENT insecurity.

On my BLOG if you laugh at me that is mostly by design. Ninety percent of the time, even on a somewhat serious topic, I put some goof into the presentation (you know... in case you laugh at me...)

And the cozy mysteries have intentional humor to them. If somebody says to me after reading one “you're a riot!” that's a compliment.

Vaccine killing the country: NOT funny.
Tomorrow I release a book with significantly less humor. They aren't humor-free. Whatever I am, I'm always me, and frankly I like CHARACTERS who have a sense of humor better than those without, but this series has more serious circumstances, more evil villains, more horrible life events. It's meant to be a little horrible and a little sad and a little scary and the humor is really only so you can relate to the characters and LIKE them, and sometimes to give you a breather from the dark stuff.

So NOW if you laugh at me, I'm naked. How's that for irony?


What makes YOU feel figuratively naked? And how do you hide it? Or do you?


Don't forget to visit the other insecure writers today, too!

26 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Congratulations on your release tomorrow! I know you've done a fantastic job with your dark book.

I'm always insecure that people won't like my characters. As if they were real people...ha!

Congrats again!

Stephen Tremp said...

Just signed up for your Blogfest and I'll do a shout out for your book in an upcoming post.

Good luck with everything.

And there's nothing funny about me being naked. Or is there?

Tyrean Martinson said...

Wow! Congratulations on your book! I think I feel that figuratively naked feeling when I say "too much" about something I hadn't planned to talk about .. . and then there's silence, and I'm left wondering what people are thinking. You know that feeling, where the silence is deafening and everyone's face seems set at deadpan. I just had one of those moments last night at a homeschool meeting. However, afterwards a friend told me she hated introducing herself via microphones at any kind of event too, so that made me feel a little better.
Love the concept of your book! I think it's ok to be serious now and then . . . it makes laughter all the more sweet.

Tina said...

I'm insecure about my body. I've struggled with weight issues my whole life (from one extreme to the other) and don't like the size I am now. Being so sick for so long has cut down on my ability to exercise, so losing weight is almost impossible...
As to my writing, I feel insecure when I write a very personal post, and then no one comments...then I feel like I threw myself out there and no one cared.
Tina @ Life is Good

RaShelle Workman said...

Nice post, Hart. I absolutely understand what you're saying. The book release is going to be great!

Cathrina Constantine said...

Congratulations and much success with your book release tomorrow. I'm not laughing at you I'm applauding!

Maurice Mitchell said...

Very exciting release tomorrow. I guess we all feel naked when we expose ourselves emotionally. Naked emotions are the truest. That guy looks like he's chafing pretty good by the way.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hart, I'm sure it's awesome. And it will be really successful.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I've had people pay me hard cash money to put my clothes back on! :-)

We always strive with insecurity. It is the human condition. But to laugh amidst the doubts is the only way to go.

Best of luck with your book release tomorrow!

Liz Blocker said...

Wait... are there things that DON'T make me feel naked?

;)

I hear you. I avoid serious posts on my blog like the plague, because I'm convinced that no one will read my blog at all, and the only chance I have at getting people to read it is if I can make them laugh.

And yet, my current WIP is very serious and heavy - it's about DEATH, for chrissakes - with little slivers of humor to lighten it up every now and then.

I guess all I can say besides "ME TOO ACK GOOD GOD" is believe in yourself, and your skill and talent, because you have them in spades :) I can't wait to read your book - congrats!!!

Unknown said...

Oh, I like the look of your book. Good luck with the release tomorrow.

Work makes me feel insecure, but I'm trying not to think about that...

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

The subtitle of my blog is about coming out of my shell... "somewhat." I'm not willing - or able - to be totally open with just anyone and everyone. I'm shy and private by nature. But every once in awhile, I force myself to stick my head out of my shell, even if it's just a little bit. :)

Good luck and congratulations on the upcoming serial release! :)

Sarah Ahiers said...

You're going to do awesome. I just know it.

Semi-related, did you watch Naked and Afraid when it was on? (the pic in your post reminds me of it). It was actually a really great show

Anonymous said...

Wow that's a really profound insight on human nature. Sometimes I feel figuratively naked when I'm writing. A few characters I've created have given voice to some of those thoughts and feelings I'm not proud of. I guess I just hope no one figures out that it's me talking, not the character.

-James.

Luanne G. Smith said...

I'm not gonna get naked (you're welcome), but I can totally relate to the humor as a human shield approach to surviving scrutiny. Better to laugh with me than at me.


Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on your book release. I know it'll be awesome. And I can relate to what you're saying, though I'm not funny enough to use humor.

Old Kitty said...

I only laugh with you in all your glorious and fabulous NAKEDness!! Never at!! Yay!!

Huge congratulations with your imminent book release!!! So so so exciting!!!

Take care
x

Helena said...

Me insecure? About what? Oh, maybe everything.

But hey, don't worry about the absence of humor in your newest and greatest. I'm looking forward to the dark and dangerous side of you in A Shot in the Light.

Diana Wilder said...

I sure hope that fellow in your photo isn't straddling a shagbark hickory tree.

...But I digress.

Having your baby all to yourself (I mean the book) is so satisfying. You can revel in its perfection - and then, by golly, it's out there and People might be reading it!!!

Well, you've been through it before (haven't you?) and it ends up being exhilarating. Best of luck tomorrow - I'll be contributing.

Diana at About Myself By Myself

Bleue said...

Congratulations Hart!!!!

Sometimes, you just have to get very,very naked for glorious wonderful achievements to pan out.
You're awesome.
And your book is going to do so GREAT!

Enjoy your release day!

Hart Johnson said...

Oh, man... I love you guys! So many of you are die-hard supporters and I appreciate it so much! In fact I might be a little teary!

Anonymous said...

What makes me feel naked, huh? I guess it's really putting my work out there for industry people to read. It's one thing to hear someone liked or didn't like a story from friends or even your critique group, but it's yet another to put it in front of an agent or an editor. *Gulp* Scary stuff.

Good luck with your release!

Great IWSG post!

Kim Lajevardi
(This Writer's Growing)

Denise Covey said...

Congratulations on tomorrow's release Hart. I can't wait to read it! I love humour. People pay more attention if you're funny. Hmm, not sure about the naked bit. Don't like feeling naked figuratively or literally, lol.

Agent 54 said...

Don't climb trees naked.

Chancelet said...

Yes, I've realized that I'm still socially inept. Always have been, and likely will always be, though I've made improvements (getting naked, generally isn't one of the ways). Blogging is so much easier than real life, isn't it?

Big congrats on your release! Writer’s Mark

Tonja said...

Comedy is much easier to do - it's great to make people laugh. Congrats on your book.