Great class the other day, on Tuesday kids. I really appreciate all of you, your creative courage, your work ethic in your sandbox and for allowing me to share my Stand Up Writing Class with. Thank You. If you could, please share your experiences with friends and let them know about my class, that it’s happening, even in these times.
Alright, Here’s the outline for your work for this week. 1) Find a YOU story that tells us something that you’ve overcome, a job, fear, relationship, phobia. . .2)Spend 2 days Locating the FRAME. 3 days TAGGING/ WRITING jokes from your story, which means, looking at your story and QUESTIONING and ANSWERING the moments of your FRAME by asking the vulnerable, emotion behind the question and answering with a SARCASM. 3) Spend the other 2 days REHEARSING your set. (REMEMBER to TAPE your set while your sharing it so you can go over the set and find the beautiful uplifting joyous comments from your fellow Legends. And you’ll be able to see the new joke ideas in the tape and opportunities to make your set even better, which sounds incredible, because how can something that fantastic be out there, in a set that’s already perfect???
HOMEWORK for next class. ONE two to FOUR minute set. TWO or THREE RUNNING GAGS. ONE MISDIRECTION. ONE CLOSING JOKE. FIVE JOKES in total.
RUNNING GAG: A running gag is a CALLBACK that’s referenced usually three times. What a running gag is, is referencing the same joke a few times. An example would be how we referenced Dan’s CONDO premise. A running gag is like a thread that weaves through our set and it lets the audience in on your craft and wit. Running gags also give our set layers and a history, in the sense, it allows a five to ten minute set to have a past, while you’re creating it.
EXAMPLE: Isolating has brought my wife and I closer. We used to have to be on the OPPOSITE SIDE of the house, with the pandemic, it’s only six feet! When we first met, she didn’t know what I did for a living. Then she found one of my joke lists and read: if I want to kill, use the body chunk. I think she thought I was a serial killer. It’s why the first time she saw my show, it was from the OPPOSITE SIDE of the club. Most guys are insecure when they’re dating, they have a small comfort-zone. It’s why when any girl walks through their comfort zone, they think they’re in a relationship. I once dated a girl with a comfort zone as big as the world. It’s why she let me so close, as close as the OPPOSITE SIDE of the city.
So, I referenced OPPOSITE SIDE, three times. Choose one of your jokes and allow a premise or a punchline to be referenced three times throughout your set. beginning, middle and near the end, and as the closer if you feel it’s the BEST JOKE IN YOUR SET, which a closer has to be. REMEMBER: To be memorable we have to be ourselves.
REMEMBER: I have more online classes coming up, tell your friends please. I also share KEY NOTES and am a CORPORATE COMEDIAN. If you know anyone that’s looking for a speaker, or an AUTHOR for an ONLINE book club, please share my website. Any questions about homework or booking me: paulsveen@shaw.ca