I was always scared to death of public speaking, but I started doing it at church, where I belonged to a writer's group and also to a lay worship committee which would put on services in the minister's absence. Our local library had an annual "Poets' Night" where anyone who wanted to read could sign up -- so I signed up and went. It was scary at first, but I did it a few times and really started enjoying it. One year I had a bad cold with laryngitis, and I had to ask them to turn the microphone way up for me so I could whisper my poems into it. What a great response I got. I really felt I was among friends.