Tag: stand up comedy

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Stand Up Comedy, Who Can Do That?

carolyncordon

Some people are terrified of Public Speaking, and would rather to almost anything, rather than actually speak in public. Not me, I love it!

So when the chance came up to do a short Stand Up Comedy piece at an event with several other Stand Up Comedians, I said, yeah, count me in! And now, as one of the other performers at that gig, Todd Gray, wrote in a message to me, ‘that monkey is now off the back, and a weight off the chest’.

The other performers, and especially the person who organised it all, Marc Ryan, were lovely to me, and it seems like the kind of thing where they all look out for each other. They all thought I’d done a good job doing my act as Nanna Carreau, an old dear who’s funny!

I had a couple of poems I’d written, and performed them, people laughed (with me or at me? who cares, at least hey were laughing!) And wow, I enjoyed doing that so much, I really want to do another gig!

Anyway, yes that monkey is now off Nanna Carreau’s back now too, and she’s has been whispering lines to me, for the next show! The performers there on that night at the Prince Albert Hotel in Gawler, it was, a venue I know very well. And no, not for hte reasons you’re thinking!

My writing group meets at that hotel every Thursday afternoon and that helped a lot on my big night as a Stand Up Comedian! I did a little impromptu act, sort of, yesterday too. I was driving home from a visit to my Mum, and had to stop to fill up my car with petrol. And as I was going insode there to pay for the fuel, I saw to young women collecting money for something or other, and decided I’d stop to see what it was all about, on the way back to the car.

So that’s what I did. They told me what they were doing, and I told them about doing the Nanna Carreau, and did a mini act, with just my voice and words, not dressed up in character, like in the photo below!

Then one of the young women google Nanna Carreau, and found a photo of her/me, and we all laughed again! The photo was a smaller one, and only showed Nanna’s Carreau’s head in that same beanie (which she’ll proudly tell anyone and everyone, she knitted it herself), but that link and photo were definitely enough to back up the truth of what I was saying!

Anyway, they told me I should record myself doing my act, and put it up on TikTok, and I’d get thousands of followers! A fine idea, and one I may see if I can get my son to help me with that one day. In the meantime, I’m definitely going to discuss the possibility of that writing group I mentioned putting on a workshop in doing comedy/Stand Up, and then later on in the year, have a Stand Up Comedy event as a part of the Festival of Words we run every year in July.

We have a theme for the Festival, and this year the theme is ‘Time’, and Nanna Carreau and I are already thinking about what we will/or rather could do with that theme! I have to remind myself, I may be the President, but I have a subcommittee to convince!

Ah life is so much fun, and it looks like it’s going to get much more fun, and funny too! Cheers, have a laugh, you deserve it!

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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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My First Ever ‘Stand Up Comic’ gig

carolyncordon

It wasn’t an actual gig, with advertising, posters, lots of money spent on putting it together, and getting the word out to others. It was more a simple case of me taking advantage of an opportunity and going for it.

I wrote a piece, looked at it a couple of times, thought about it, then edited it, printed it out, then went along to that opportunity and went for it! There were a variety of reasons why it was not the best ever Stand Up Comic event, and they were not all my fault.

The event was not set up for what I was doing, the audience had no idea beforehand what I would be doing, the sound quality was terrible. But even with all of that, I’m glad I had a go, and was at least OK, if not great. I am a work in progress in so many different ways!

A stand up comic act will be best if you have an audience set up ready to laugh, if they can easily hear what you’re saying, and if you’re really, really funny. That was not the way it was today, but I’ve learnt things, about the best kind of venue, a target audience, things to do next time, in other words.

Or maybe I’ll just go on being a poet and writer, who is an amusing and lovely friend, and there is no need for me to be that kind of performer. I am going to look further into this though, there is a stand up comic who is aware that I’m interested in learning more about the whole things, and I’m hoping to work with him toward the end of the year.

I am involved in a writing group, which puts on a monthly writing workshop, on a variety of different ‘word’ related things. Stand Up comedy is certainly word related, and I’m looking forward to learning more about how to put together a script, and presenting it to make people laugh.

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I can smile, I want to make other people smile too!