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Help! So nervous.

demondude

Smash Apprentice
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
103
Location
England!
I'm 13 and am doing a poetry competition in school, where I must recite a long poem in front of the whole year group!
I need advice becuase I'm so nervous..... Helpppppppppp!:(
 

bored

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
924
Simple, just skip the competition. Skipping school always works. DUH
 

calmlunatic

Smash Cadet
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Messages
28
Location
Creepy Crawley
It can't be that difficult. I had to do the same thing once and I was younger than 10. Just turn your brain off and let your mouth do the rest.
 

starcock

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
230
NNID
Starcock
I'm 13 and am doing a poetry competition in school, where I must recite a long poem in front of the whole year group!
I need advice becuase I'm so nervous..... Helpppppppppp!:(
Hold the entire area hostage while wearing a chicken mask, once you train with this mind set, you will be ultimate.
 

Zero Beat

Cognitive Scientist
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
3,924
Location
MIT Observatory
NNID
BLUE
3DS FC
4141-3279-8878
Try to minimize negative and self conscious thoughts. I had to memorize and cite Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare infront of my English Honors class in 10th grade. I noticed that actually FOCUSING on what you're supposed to do(Just read the poem) works well.

Think about "I go on stage, read the poem, mission accomplished."
 

smasher32

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Messages
279
Location
New York
Pretend you are reciting the poem to one person in the back row. The rest are just decoration :laugh:.
 

Dr. James Rustles

Daxinator
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
4,019
Stage fright has always been a problem for me. In my experience, just thinking about being in front of the people before the event makes things worse, so I don't do so. I recomend practicing in front of small groups and work your way up to larger ones until you're confident enough to speak in front of your class. Or, you could simply tackle the problem head on and just focus on your material, like Zero Beat said.

I suppose it mostly depends on how you look at your problem.

What are you reciting?
 

Peeze

Smash Master
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
3,692
Location
Sunshine State of Mind
He's 13. That will make it worse zook.
Look at the tops of peoples heads. It looks like your making eye contact, and you wont have to look at the people staring at you.
 

Caturdayz

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
258
Location
Salem, OH
Yea eye contact is generally a good idea in these things... However since you are nervous definately make no eye contact. Make it look like you are looking at the audience, you can just stare out into the distance, looking near but not at people is a good idea. Don't imagine people in their underwear if you are 13 or if you are... don't wear track pants, spandex et cetera. Overall just get up there and get it done with... you can do it.
 

pyro363

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
300
Location
looking for youko and samurai panda at michigan st
The best thing to do is recite your poetry in front of a miror and keep practicing. When you are talking take breathes at right moments, don't stutter, and just be cool. You could also try and pretend that nobody is there but you got to be good at this the best thing to do is to keep eye contact. And most importantly just try and have fun with it.
 

SU_Remo

Remo Knows
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
479
Location
Houston, TX
Do that 'picture everybody naked' thing. Even if your poem doesn't go well, atleast you'd get some kicks out of it. (Heh, but seriously, practice and perform it in front of your parents or friends beforehand. Don't let your first public speaking gig be the one where it counts.)
 

Xsyven

And how!
BRoomer
Joined
Oct 14, 2002
Messages
14,069
Location
Las Vegas
I'm 13 and am doing a poetry competition in school, where I must recite a long poem in front of the whole year group!
I need advice becuase I'm so nervous..... Helpppppppppp!:(
The best and only solution is for you to rehearse it a lot.

Once you know the thing like the back of your hand, it's extremely satisfying when you nail the reading perfectly, sit down, and then watch your classmates fail one after the other. :)

Try to make it a competition. And if you do mess up, just make sure you laugh. People will laugh with you, instead of at you. And then after the reading, you have a funny story to tell people!

Just make sure you don't freeze up and let the audience know you're scared.
 

Crimson King

I am become death
BRoomer
Joined
Jan 14, 2002
Messages
28,983
One of the harder things I had to do was stand in front of my poetry class of about 12 people and read two poems I wrote. It wasn't TOO bad because I knew they already liked them, and the two I picked they had so many questions about, so I HAD to read them, but oddly enough I was never nervous. In High School, band required me to play in front of LARGE numbers of people, so I kinda just draw off that adrenaline.
 

Eor

Banned via Warnings
BRoomer
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Messages
9,963
Location
Bed
I absolutely hate reading things I've written or completed, so it's even worse when I have to do it in front of others. The only thing I like is when you have to give an informational or persuasive speech, because I tend to be confident enough if presenting them.
 

starcock

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
230
NNID
Starcock
I absolutely hate reading things I've written or completed, so it's even worse when I have to do it in front of others. The only thing I like is when you have to give an informational or persuasive speech, because I tend to be confident enough if presenting them.
Do you find mistakes as you read? or something doesn't sound as great, or corny. I feel that people will connect you as the guy that wrote the essay about the pony, no matter how good or bad it is. Reading someone elses poem is way better, i agree with like everything you said.
 
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