StandUp Tip

People often ask me what they should write about. Here is the answer. Everything, all the time. A comic or aspiring comic should always have a pen, paper, and or tape recorder with them. As your day progresses anytime anything strikes you as interesting, odd, or angers you, write it down. Anything that makes you feel anything, write down how you feel about it.Notice I didn’t say write a joke about it. If a joke immediately comes to mine, great write that down. But that rarely happens. However if you record your thoughts, experiences, and feelings through out the day, you can then turn them into jokes later.

Buddy Holly used to like to go play his guitar in a park across the street from his New York apartment. This was after he had become famous, and yes, before his ill fated plane flight. Other musicians would sit and play with him. Once one of them asked how he came up with the ideas for his songs. He looked around the park and said, “See that lady pushing that baby carriage over there? Write about that. See that bum shuffling around? Write about that.” Write about everything you see.”

Yes we write jokes not songs. But it is still writing, and a man like Buddy Holly, whose songs are still played and recorded today, might be some one we take take advice from.

One Response to “Tips”