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Writing Comedy Material

carolyncordon

Comedy material? What? Writing comedy material? What do I know about doing that? Not much actually, but I’m trying …

I’ve been idly thinking about this, off and on, for a while, and I’ve finally bit the bullet, and got working on making it happen!

So yeah, that was a week ago I wrote that, and now, I’ve performed the piece I wrote, and people laughed at the right bits, then I studied more about how to be a Stand Up Comic, ie Googled it and read a bit about it, and realised, given the fact people already laugh at what I say (and mostly when I’m being funny on purpose), well I don’t need to study it, do I?

I just need to get gigs, and do them, right? Sounds right to me. And from that studying I did, I discovered great news – it’s perfectly fine to just ad lib, go with the flow, and just be naturally funny, with no need to write a script, then spend hours,and hours memorising it! So wow, yay to that idea!

Because I’m disabled, you see, I have an incurable illness, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and I have mild cognitive issues, and my memory is affected. Boo hoo, poor me! Haha, I’m too lazy to actually be bothered trying to do it, that’s the real truth. I do have MS though, that’s true too, and that may well be the reason why I disappear off to something totally different to, or only slightly related to where I was at the start, and now what on earth was I meaning to say anyway?

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I wrote that text above around a month ago, but now I’ve done my Stand Up in a much bigger space, and I realise the truth of what I’ll have to do, to do well with Nanna Carreau – I will do best with a smaller audience, made up of people who are there expecting to see someone doing a Stand Up commedian act.

With the bigger possible audience, it wasn’t until I was able to isolate a small group and make sure they were interested in seeing me do a part of my act, before I was able to gain any kind of interest in who I was, and why I was dressed in such an odd style. The more I look into such things, the better my choices of when and where will become.

I don’t have another act booked until the end of July, and that’s fine. I know the July gig will go well, because it’s somewhere I’m known, and people there will know what to expect. I’ve also have valuable feedback from someone who has been with ‘Nanna Carreau’ almost from the beginning. She told me I’d be better off to cut back my presentation, make it short and sweet, and be more connected with my audience.

Having material is written down in useful, but being prepared to ‘go with the flow’ that’s important as well. The written down material though won’t be wasted, because I’m interested in taking Nanna Carreau to the written page as well, with a memoir style book ‘written’ by Nanna Carreau.

I’ve begun putting down some words for this project, and I think it will work. But the launch for that will be a thing for next year perhaps, we’ll see … At the moment, keeping moving, and holding off the signs of old age are more important! Winter may be on the way, but I’m still getting out there and walking to keep moving!

No comedy there, just good health!

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New Things Are So Invigorating, Aren’t They?!

carolyncordon

So my latest new thing may well up turning to my best one yet! I’m enjoying it, and it’s getting bigger and better!

Words are my thing, and while the writing of books in a variety of genres is likely to continue to happen, there are other ways for ‘Words’ to be shared, and the spoken word is interesting to me as well as the written word.

And I’ve always been at least a little but ‘funny’ in a variety of ways, and my latest way, doing a bit of free-form Stand Up Comedy, in the guise of a much older woman, Nanna Carreau, is so much fun to think about, and write as!

I’ve have had one go at a little bit of presenting as Nanna Carreau, and going by the laughter, and what I’ve been told, it went well. I’ve Bern wndwring how I might be able to do some more, and up came news of the perfect opportunity earlier today, right in time!

If Nanna Carreau looks a bit cranky, it may be her ‘arthritees’ are platying up! Getting old can be a good think, better than dying, but oh the aches and pains of it all. It’s no wonder Nanna Carreau looks cross at times!

But Nanna Carreau does like to have an audience of people listening to her when she’s telling the truth of what life is all about. And when you’ve lived as long as Nanna Carreau has, you’re bound to have ideas about some of the ‘big things’ in life!

Nanna Carreau may not have lived in big cities, but sometimes small towns are merely a scaled down version of what happens in those big cities. Life, love, power, caring, not caring, it’s all there, no matter where you live! And I’m thrilled I’m going to have the chance to bring Nanna Carreau, and my ublished books too, to a new audience.

If this all works as well as I hope it might, it will be great experience to bring to my act I’m hoping to do for the Gawler Fringe next year. And if it all flops often, that will tell me it isn;t worth it. I don’t feel that will be the truth though. I love doing Nanna Carreau, and I ‘mm funny when I’m doing it!

I have to make sure I stay in control of my own self though, and don’t let Nanna Carreau take over who I actually am. I’ve been warned about this, by a man who’s knowledge of the theatre is deep and worth listening to, always.

This is me, I am not Nanna Carreau!

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Another New Thing I’m Doing To Avoid Writing My Novel …

carolyncordon

So when a writer has begun writing a novel, it seems to me the best way to get the novel is to just write it.

An outline written at the beginning would be a good idea though, so the writer has a plan to follow. Some writers though prefer to just get on with their writing of the novel, the ‘sit down and just write!’ method. I’m in the middle, but rally, I can see the merit it having an outline to follow, with relevant details about character, and settings as well as having some idea of what happens when would be useful.

I’m thing this now, when I’m in the middle of writing a novel, or if not the middle, I’m nearly there. But that ‘middle’, that’s the tricky part of it, with the beginning written, and a version of hte ending written as well, but witht he great gaping hole that is the middle of this novel I keep saying I’m writing.

And I’ve been doing an exercise in journaling, which is opening up my mind to an enormous amount of new ideas about possible things I might be able to do with my words. A picture book, is one idea, where I’ve written a few ideas, and of course there’s the other great new idea, the one that is that I could do my own illustrations for my Picture book – me, when I have zero experience in illustrating!

I mean I can draw a little bit, but doing an entire Picture book? It’s an idea only really at this stage, but it’s still sitting there, waiting for hte correct time to come along, who knows whether that one will ever happen …

And now, possibly my biggest, and scariest idea ever – The loony one about me becoming a stand up comedian, and I’m actually going to do it (well a stripped back version anyway). So I’ve created my new character, and written a short piece for her to do, and I’ve made notes about her, some of the things she says, what she’s like. It’s sort of like writing a book titled ‘Nanna Carreau, This Is Your Life!’⁸ And then performing a part of her story, rather than writing it down for people to read…

Instead of writing my homework for my next writing group meeting, I’ve been scribbling down notes and ideas for comedy skits my new character may ‘do’ sometime. Fortunately, it doesn’t really matter if I don’t do the homework, but I’ve been using the writing prompts from the writing group, to write pieces of my novel.

I think I’d better get back to that soon, and if that’s done, it will be time for me to get back to my new ‘person’ I’m learning about! She’s a country woman, older than me, living alone, with a funny look at life (well I hope it’s funny, anyway!).

Humour can be different for different people, but there are some who capture a bigger audience, and many people may find one particular comedian gunny, but never everyone. That’s a fine thing, it would be boring if all of us laughed only at one thing – a variety of different ‘funny people’ brings something for everyone!

I just have to hope my own kind of funny is amusing to other people. I’ve certainly been told by others that I’m funny, even though I’ve never actually made any particular point of being funny, I just see the silliness in things, and if it makes me giggle inwardly, I’ll share it with others, but it can just emerge in the moment too, the funny words just come out of my mouth, with no prior thought!

If I was doing a show though, I’d have done prior work, and have plenty of material to do! I wouldn’t want to bore anyone, if they’ve paid money to see a comedian at work! I took an easy way, for my first piece I intend ‘doing’. It’s written as a poem, it will be printed out so I’ll have it right there, so I can follow along with what I’ve written. And I suppose I’d better start reading it more, so I’ve at least come close to learning how it all goes …

I’m a learner at these things, but I hope I’ll be off my ‘L’ plates by next year and at least be on my ‘P’ plates! Then I’ll be able to a show, a short one perhaps, and make it a talk about me, and my new character? I’m not sure how I might do that. I’ll keep thinking and watching how others do such things.

I know I’m interested in the idea of doing monologue, and perhaps doing that, and including a few funny poems could help to fill in a 50 minute show … I’d be doing this in a town I know well, and there would be plenty of friends who’d come along to see me perform. I hope so, anyway …

As I’ve said, I’m new to this, but I’m funny! Not hilarious, apparently, but I was told the act I’m currently working on is ‘very funny’.

And given I’ve had zero actual formal training in this ‘being funny’ business, I reckon ‘very funny’ is an excellent start! I’m keen to get in as much ‘mic time’ as I can, so if anyone needs someone to warm up a crowd, or fill in a bit of time before something gets started, give me a call! If I don’t at least raise a grin, then I’m not for you, but if you do grin a bit, and think I’m the one you need, flick me a message, we can work together!

My pay rate is low – a space to put my published books, and some time for a book sighing session and encouragement to check out my books to see if anyone is interested in making a purchase can be enough, at this stage. But get in quick, I can feel success is champing at the bit, ready to bring me and my act to the attention of the world. A little piece of it anyway!

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Things To Do Instead Of Writing My Novel

carolyncordon

Making myself a coffee is the most common thing I do, and I cover up my laziness, by telling myself coffee helps with getting ideas. It might be true, but it often leads to comfort breaks, which further halts the writing process …

I’ll also do the washing, and yesterday washed the sheets, hung them out, brought them back in, then made the bed again. I have a Chronic Illness (multiple sclerosis), so that was hard work, and I was too tired to think at all, let alone write my novel!

I do my writing group homework, and if I use the given writing prompt to write more of the novel, using the prompt, that’s a good idea. But sometimes, too often, I’ll write a new poem, which has noting at all to do twith my novel …

Walking the dog happens too, which is good for both of us, and could lead to inspirational ideas for the novel, but more often nothong like that, so not any good for the writng of a Cosy Murder Mystery …

My latest thing taking up my writerly attention is the doing of a Picture Book, but I’ve decided to do the illustrations as well as the text. I have no real idea about how to do this, and am just practising drawing things, and colouring them in.

And if you’re going to do that, you need a sketchbook, I’ve realised, because even though my journal which I’m writing in most days, has lines in it – good for writing, not for producing pictures to go in a Picture Book … So I needed to get myself a sketchbook, so I needed to head off to a shop that would have a sketchbook. So when I went to Gawler for something else today, I went to Big W, where they had various relevant sketchbookish things.

Then I grabbed some more coloured pencils, then a pencil sharpener, because some of my current lot of pencils need sharpening. So now I’m all set up and ready to work at becoming the best illustrator I can be! Yay! But that does nothing at all to help me write that novel …

It’s still in the some kind of thing though books and writing, and maybe thoughts about piccture books might bring along new ideas about the people, I mean characters, in my novel. But a novel without a publisher waiting for me to finish it so they can publish the book they’re waiting on, a novel without a deadline, well I can fiddle faddle around a longer time, if I want to …

I’ll do my homework from the last writing group meeting today, I think, and that may well bring another few hundred words to the novel, or I may take another look at the picture book idea I had, and perhaps draw some more. But there’s a big gap in the journaling I bagan last month, where I was going to do 28 days of journaling. I began it, all keen to get on with it, then life came along and interrupted me, the way life can, at times.

Then there’s the dog who needs to be let out, and then let back in again, from time to time, and to feed as well of course. And I drew another picture of that dog, and while it isn’t the best picture of a dog ever done, you can at least look at it and think, hmm, yes unquestionally that is a dog, at dog that is lying down somewhere.

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Looking At Trying Something New!

carolyncordon

I’m a writer. I’m confindent in my skills in the writing of poetry and prose, fiction and non fiction. But now I’ve been playing with something I’d vever previously thought I would be capable of doing.

I may end up not being good enough at doing anything that can go further with it, but it’s fun trying! Doing new things is good for the brain, and even if it doesn;t do any further, I’ll be helping to keep my brain safe from dementia. I hope so anyway.

And what is this ‘thing’? Two things actually, drawing and colouring in – in fact drawing things and colouring them in. I haven’t done much colouring for years and years, and I’d forgotten how much fun it is, and to actually be colouring in things I drew myself, that feels awesome!

I’m not saying I’m an artist who will be having exhibitions, but I can at least draw things that look like what they are, and that’s a skill to be proud, I think!

Here’s one of my new ‘works’, a self portrait is how I’ve labelled it, but there’s only two things that make it look anything like me, I think. I’ll keep practicing and see how I go!

If anyone has tried doing something new, or that they haven’t done for many, many years, I’d love to hear about it! One of my fears is that I will end up with dementia, like my father did, and be unable to connect with my friends, and my peers. And for me personally, unable to write any more, a horror to me.

And some another of my new drawings:

The second picture is of our dog’s great big ‘pillow’ called a caterpillow. If I remember, I’ll get something better to draw on, a sketching pad of something. I’ve been doing these drawings in my journal, in reso]ponse to the daily prompts I’ve been doing,a nd will continue doing every day, into the beginning of February.

This new drawing thing just popped up, as I was responding to one of the prompts earlier this week, and I’m really loving this aspect. I’ve even been thinking about writing a children’s picture book, and doing my own illustrations! I need to do a lot more practice before then, though!

This has been so much fun, trying out the visual arts for a change, instead of just the writing … Finding the fun things in life is a great idea, I reckon, and this is definitely fun!

Any thoughts about any of this are most welcome!