NBCWA: Comedic Writer's Workshop

 I volunteered for the second workshop that I went to for the NBCWA Literary Festival.

This was different from the horror one in that instead of writing prompts, panelists talked about their jobs as comedians / comedic writers, and then asked everyone why they were there, and then offered helpful suggestions based on the answers.

For example, one gentleman does documentaries, and he finds it very dictionary-like in terms of the writing. What hook could he use?

Not one person suggested that he watch Cunk on Earth as an example of a funny documentary. I mean, I'm not saying be that ridiculous if the doc is super tragic, but learn from it, because chef's kiss, really.

What was suggested was to soften the language. Speak with contractions, and lose the grammar.

Because I volunteered and was off to the side, I was skipped in the whole let's go in a circle and tell everyone why you're here thing, which is fine because I was not feeling brave at all today. But if I'd had to answer, it would be this:

• I love writing, and I want to write. I don't.
• Signing up for so many workshops and salons is my way of kicking my but into gear on the writing thing.
• Why the comedy workshop? I like reading all kinds of books (as long as they're well-written), and I have several genres of stories in my head just waiting for a font, and the books I enjoy the most are funny.
• I want to find a writer friend.
• I want all the tips.

And there have been good tips (general and comedy-specific) and take-aways:

• Just write.
• Make it a habit.
• Don't fix your draft as you write; write the whole thing and then go back to edit.
• As I listened to each reiteration of this point, I thought of the pottery teacher that told half the class to make one perfect vessel, and the other half to make 100 vessels. Perfection vs Volume. The Volume group had the better work at the end of it.
• So, don't make the one perfect vessel. Split your work into units. Lines/pages/chapters etc., and consider them like the 100 vessels.
• By the end, will it be good, and then you go back and make the first units as good as the last?
• Write what you know.
• Commercials are not written in a vacuum, and the story only has thirty seconds. Feels like a flash fiction to me.
• Make your own shame funny.
• Write it down. You will not remember it later.
• Keep a notebook on hand at all times, or a notes app in your phone.
• Conflict. All writing needs conflict or it becomes boring (and no, that doesn't mean just fighting).
• Eavesdrop on the messy coffeehouse drama.
• Use humour in the events surrounding the story / dialogue.
• Narrators can be sarcastic.
• Don't attack the person; attack the idea that makes you dislike them.

Why don't I write? 

  One reason could be that when I was young, two adults each made a single comment about why I shouldn't write (as a career). Those kinds of comments dig in deep, and I will NEVER tell my children to not go for a dream. I will ask them to plan out all the steps to make that dream a reality.

  Two is that I love it. So much so that it feels like a guilty pleasure. I'll put myself first and go to the gym, or read, or crochet, or have coffee with friends, and I'll be okay about that. But when I'm writing, it's too much for ME, and my brain tries to tell me to do something else. 

So, July is all about telling all the stupid voices to shut the fuck up.

What stupid voices do you need to silence?