“Writing is rewriting.” David Sedaris
How is your comedy week going? Still struggling or just not having a good week? The best thing to do when you’re stuck is to look at other references or examples. I went to one of my go-to resources and watched a MasterClass by David Sedaris and right away his words lifted me up in his introduction because he said that writers are priveledged.
What did he mean? He meant that we have experience in solving problems, to change perspectives, and to change the way the story ends. He said that when something bad happens to other people, most of the time they will just “feel bad, complain, or just press charges.” Writers are different breed and we have an outlet. I have to agree. Emotions give us fuel and we can light a page on fire with our words. Words that can change history, or our story.
There might be a struggle in our art but it’s really a gift. How does this Humorist of the Year winner find humor in real life? Well, he does what we all do – he keeps a notebook handy and writes it down. All of it. Then, he writes and rewrites until he has something he wants to publish. I would say that it’s paid off because he’s sold over 10 million copies. I hear the drool falling out of the corner of your mouth. It’s our dream too.
The first tips in writing humor flashed across the screen as the video lesson went on. They were “quote people, exaggerate, and insult yourself.” David went on to explain that if you’re not of a funny nature, then quote someone else who is. Surrounding yourself with other people who lighten the mood help. In other words, get our your notebook and let them know if you’re going to use that later. You can also exaggerate what you hear because it’s a writing tool for stories. Finally, making fun of yourself and your situations are always a safe option because nobody else really likes to be made fun of in an audience. They might laugh when the camera is rolling but let’s be honest, most of us get angry because it’s our nature.
His point was that your life is full of tools and stories that can be used later because everything is eventually funny, and when something unfortunate happens we should get excited because it’s another page. It’s our job to continually use our tools to craft stories. Using your own life experience makes situations relatable even in a fantasy world.
I’m only into the first few lessons but his advice is inspiring. Now, I just need to write down my lines for the day. Guess what your prompt is going to be be? Write for 5-10 minutes on things that happened this week. Then, re-write to see if there’s a story.
My posts are Monday through Friday.
Imagine Inspire Create: 52 Weeks of action and gratitude is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S6XCLFY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Q7MHM9CFBSASDG56YMJQ
Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.
Writer's Block Inc 