In which I admit I’m not able to do two things at once. Something’s got to give. And I’m afraid that has to be the stand-up.
Read MoreMr Fanning picked up my set and put on his ‘let me show you how it’s done‘ face. He started to read and within seconds I was shouting out. He was adding words here and there. Doing the thing my comedy teacher warned against.
Read MoreThe struggle for me lies in showing the same economy of story I’ve learned to show with words. I could wrap this baby in 1000 words and move onto the final scenes that drag me across the finishing line. But that means culling the bit part actors.
Read More‘Experts’ tell anybody who calls themselves an author they must ‘write something every day’. It need not be their finest work. The words might be something to delete the next day. They might not relate to any work in progress. But we must write. Every day. I want to say I follow this rule. I don’t. Some […]
Read MoreTrends come and go. What’s in today is gone tomorrow. These are not so much writing tips as lessons I learned … the hard way. In the traditional publishing world, life moves slowly. Two years often pass between when you type ‘The End’ and when you get to see your book for sale. Even if […]
Read MoreAround about this time last year, I decided to scratch a personal itch – and that does indeed sound like something best discussed with a doctor. 2018 was to be different. It would be my year of saying yes. I reckoned without my Valentine’s Day discovery. Chances are, I’m not the first to find something untoward […]
Read MoreOne of the first things I learned when I started to write remains the most effective. When done with a draft, put it away. Lay down your words to rest for at least a month. Two if you can. Three is better.
Read MoreIt took years to reach a point where I believe my writing reflects ‘my voice’. There is a rhythm, and the words flow in a certain way. An attitude lives on the page. It wasn’t always so. I’ve made all the rookie mistakes … joined peer groups and reacted to each and every suggestion (writing […]
Read MoreI write. It’s my paying day job, the way I fill the downtime hours and I’ve upped the pressure by telling myself I have it in me to be funny. On a stage. In front of strangers. Writing isn’t tough. Making it any good is more like work, but again, not beyond reach. What has […]
Read MoreI sat and listened to a standup comic tell jokes about his penis and wondered who hurt him. It was a night of new comedy, and I was there to be supportive. The hope at these shows is for gold to glisten … but this was as far away from funny as I’ve been in […]
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