Torture by slideshow. Ever been bored to sleep by somebody's slide show? If you must give a show, it's important to give it. Give it for and to the people who see it. Make it interesting for them, not you.

Stick to your subject--don't show too many slides! Keep only your good slides and pitch everything else. In the editing process, show them to someone whose opinion you value.

Use lots of variety--long, medium, and closeup shots will spice up your show. Move in tight on faces. Look for exciting color combinations and interesting patterns.

Lay slides out on a light table for final edit. (You can improvise one with a cardboard box, light source, and a piece of glass with white cloth underneath.) Be sure to rehearse them through your stack holder one last time before loading them in the carousel tray. Once they're in, you'll never do that last bit of critical editing because it would leave gaps in your tray and you'd have to move 69 slides to fill one or two empty slots. Beware--slide trays give you a phony reverence for bad pictures that should be pitched!