Hi Caroline, thanks for writing this. As a new comic struggling to make a practice, the idea of not writing for funny but just true things is helpful. Where I struggle is the next step: even if I have daily journals of true events, feelings, thoughts, I don't know how to pick and edit them into a joke. Can you say something about the process of mining for funny in truth when nothing about it looks funny?
Now read over this bit again, do you have any new ideas? Try some afterthought exercises.Let me know if any of this helps and if not feel free to email me info@berlinstandupschool.com with a snippet of your work and I'll try and help you. I might make it in to an article (I'll use a pseudonym if you like!)
I just subscribed, coming out of a hyper focus / flow phase and being in the valley of self criticism right now. What a coincidence that this article popped up first, I rarely related to a text so much. Especially the part about feeling like being two different people, not so much about the swastika legs. I might give them a try though. Who knows.
Anyways, thank you very much for this text and all the strategies on how to cope with the down phases. Much appreciated.
Hi Caroline, thanks for writing this. As a new comic struggling to make a practice, the idea of not writing for funny but just true things is helpful. Where I struggle is the next step: even if I have daily journals of true events, feelings, thoughts, I don't know how to pick and edit them into a joke. Can you say something about the process of mining for funny in truth when nothing about it looks funny?
Hi Geoff, thanks very much for this question. I would say start with anything you've written that evokes any emotion whatsoever. Then heighten that emotion(attitude) by 10-20% https://authenticcomedy.substack.com/p/using-attitude-to-give-your-comedy
Now read over this bit again, do you have any new ideas? Try some afterthought exercises.Let me know if any of this helps and if not feel free to email me info@berlinstandupschool.com with a snippet of your work and I'll try and help you. I might make it in to an article (I'll use a pseudonym if you like!)
The afterthought exercises are here. I gifted you a month so you can see them!
https://substack.com/@authenticcomedy/note/c-40754312
Thanks Caroline!!
I just subscribed, coming out of a hyper focus / flow phase and being in the valley of self criticism right now. What a coincidence that this article popped up first, I rarely related to a text so much. Especially the part about feeling like being two different people, not so much about the swastika legs. I might give them a try though. Who knows.
Anyways, thank you very much for this text and all the strategies on how to cope with the down phases. Much appreciated.
Haha, thanks so much! Make sure you warm up properly first ;)