I'm in much the same position. I'm very much an introvert, and find small-group smalltalk to be exhausting, difficult, and often results in flubs. In contrast,

I'm in much the same position. I'm very much an introvert, and find small-group smalltalk to be exhausting, difficult, and often results in flubs. In contrast, I love public speaking, be it on something defined or extemporaneous. It's just so much easier: you concentrate mostly on your thoughts and contributions from the crowd some in small, controllable bursts. It's much less dynamic than actually conducting a conversation with someone.