An Elephant Will Give me Away
It's ridiculously early for getting up on a Saturday, but I'm round at my parents' house and it looks like insomnia has bitten. Never mind, everyone should be up in the next fifteen minutes or so, as my 6-year old nephew, the Genius (maths merit badge yesterday, folks. Apparently it was 'easy') has a birthday party to go to. At 9am! Dad said that's some inconsiderate parent putting their love of football before their child. Mom says they just didn't want to clash with another child's party in the afternoon. Who is right? Doesn't matter - it's still mad!
I'm here because I had a comedy gig at the Custard Factory last night. I love that place. I'm glad to see it still has a young hipster crowd that go there with an 'impress me - no try harder' attitude, because if you're in the business of impressing, that's the level you need to get past, really, so ideal for a bit of experimentation. I am not sure they were wholly the Custeratti, mind - most of them were dressed very sensibly and there was a distinct lack of tweed. But have we moved on from tweed now?
I am trying to break in new stuff, probably a bit late in the day to see what is going to work before my competition heat on Sunday, but never mind. Although I tend to do fine with my comedy these days, I do feel I need to switch it about a bit, get a bit chattier and veer away from any subject areas that may have been denounced as 'hack' by Chortle regulars. It's not that they're not funny, but the danger is you might be billed with someone who goes on before you and talks around the same thing, so it doesn't matter if there's a twist; it risks skimming the shores of boring.
So, I've been including stuff about my schooldays... but there's an anecdote I did that needs a bigger bang finish, so I'm going to have to think on more, I suppose. I slightly alienated my hipster lovelies last night by wishing speedier enlightenment on body hang-ups for the under 25s. They are happy being thin and lovely, oddly. I then came home and told my parents a story about a parent that wound me up in a cheese shop at Christmas. They have said I should include that in my set. Really, these things come out of anywhere!
Also, the poetry has been picking up lately, and I do try to include short pieces in my comedy set too. I am a writer trapped in wood. I keep whittling away at the different sides trying to get more distinct.
But something wonderful and fabulous comes along every now and then to make me feel better - more than better. Take for example the 48 hour book project which took place last weekend.
This was part of Writing Futures - a project in which several writers collaborated over a weekend to come up with a book. I was working with Mehran Waheed, Ben Elijah, Mike Davies, Polly Brown, Lisa Shepherd, Judith Allnatt, Nicola Peacock, Amy McCormack, Sue Bentley, Tom Harding, and Chris Ringrose, and the project was also put together with the hard work of Kate Earl of Literature Northants. It was a fantastic weekend, and it was great to work with so many different kinds of writers, and they were all lovely too, bonus! We all got a copy of Margaret Attwood's The Blind Assasin as part of World Book Night's book giveaway, and Sue Bentley also gave me one of her Magic Kitten books - so cute! We will round the project off with a follow up workshop on 9th April. In the meantime, you can follow our project here.
Meantime, N also went away on a writing weekend in Derby. He had a very good time, as evidenced by the massive bruise on his thigh and his dislocated knee. Don't ask.
About my life, my writing, I have never felt so focused. This is very much helped by the fact that we are trying to set a date for our wedding. But nothing has been set aside... it all needs to be done now. We are brassic. I haven't a hope in Merry Hill's chance of saving up from my dayjob, so I am going to have to start thinking, get creative. The goal and the ideal has been set. I would like to get married in Sri Lanka, go and see where the thing I like best is made (tea!) and get walked to the ceremony with an elephant. N wants to explore the architecture at the centre of Sri Lanka and go scuba diving. We will then have a big party at home for all our family and friends to come to. We want to do this a year from now. We are insane.
But if we can do it, the pieces will all float together... sekrit project, health, our future. So, I've had a fresh look at finances, re-read Kath Kelly's book on living in next to nothing, got the spending diary started, and decided now is the time to get picky about where I am going to gig. I've also started becoming a bit of a freegan - not exactly dumpster diving, but last night I did get paid in pizza. Coca Cola is no longer getting any of my money, and I'm only 3lbs off target at Weight Watchers, so I'll soon be paid off with them (mind, with pizza last night... maybe a run is in order). Also a self-imposed new bought books ban. That's the one I really need willpower with. I don't suppose I can ask many of my readers for help with that, can I? You're like my feeders. Okay, maybe I'm doomed...
I'm here because I had a comedy gig at the Custard Factory last night. I love that place. I'm glad to see it still has a young hipster crowd that go there with an 'impress me - no try harder' attitude, because if you're in the business of impressing, that's the level you need to get past, really, so ideal for a bit of experimentation. I am not sure they were wholly the Custeratti, mind - most of them were dressed very sensibly and there was a distinct lack of tweed. But have we moved on from tweed now?
I am trying to break in new stuff, probably a bit late in the day to see what is going to work before my competition heat on Sunday, but never mind. Although I tend to do fine with my comedy these days, I do feel I need to switch it about a bit, get a bit chattier and veer away from any subject areas that may have been denounced as 'hack' by Chortle regulars. It's not that they're not funny, but the danger is you might be billed with someone who goes on before you and talks around the same thing, so it doesn't matter if there's a twist; it risks skimming the shores of boring.
So, I've been including stuff about my schooldays... but there's an anecdote I did that needs a bigger bang finish, so I'm going to have to think on more, I suppose. I slightly alienated my hipster lovelies last night by wishing speedier enlightenment on body hang-ups for the under 25s. They are happy being thin and lovely, oddly. I then came home and told my parents a story about a parent that wound me up in a cheese shop at Christmas. They have said I should include that in my set. Really, these things come out of anywhere!
Also, the poetry has been picking up lately, and I do try to include short pieces in my comedy set too. I am a writer trapped in wood. I keep whittling away at the different sides trying to get more distinct.
But something wonderful and fabulous comes along every now and then to make me feel better - more than better. Take for example the 48 hour book project which took place last weekend.
This was part of Writing Futures - a project in which several writers collaborated over a weekend to come up with a book. I was working with Mehran Waheed, Ben Elijah, Mike Davies, Polly Brown, Lisa Shepherd, Judith Allnatt, Nicola Peacock, Amy McCormack, Sue Bentley, Tom Harding, and Chris Ringrose, and the project was also put together with the hard work of Kate Earl of Literature Northants. It was a fantastic weekend, and it was great to work with so many different kinds of writers, and they were all lovely too, bonus! We all got a copy of Margaret Attwood's The Blind Assasin as part of World Book Night's book giveaway, and Sue Bentley also gave me one of her Magic Kitten books - so cute! We will round the project off with a follow up workshop on 9th April. In the meantime, you can follow our project here.
Meantime, N also went away on a writing weekend in Derby. He had a very good time, as evidenced by the massive bruise on his thigh and his dislocated knee. Don't ask.
About my life, my writing, I have never felt so focused. This is very much helped by the fact that we are trying to set a date for our wedding. But nothing has been set aside... it all needs to be done now. We are brassic. I haven't a hope in Merry Hill's chance of saving up from my dayjob, so I am going to have to start thinking, get creative. The goal and the ideal has been set. I would like to get married in Sri Lanka, go and see where the thing I like best is made (tea!) and get walked to the ceremony with an elephant. N wants to explore the architecture at the centre of Sri Lanka and go scuba diving. We will then have a big party at home for all our family and friends to come to. We want to do this a year from now. We are insane.
But if we can do it, the pieces will all float together... sekrit project, health, our future. So, I've had a fresh look at finances, re-read Kath Kelly's book on living in next to nothing, got the spending diary started, and decided now is the time to get picky about where I am going to gig. I've also started becoming a bit of a freegan - not exactly dumpster diving, but last night I did get paid in pizza. Coca Cola is no longer getting any of my money, and I'm only 3lbs off target at Weight Watchers, so I'll soon be paid off with them (mind, with pizza last night... maybe a run is in order). Also a self-imposed new bought books ban. That's the one I really need willpower with. I don't suppose I can ask many of my readers for help with that, can I? You're like my feeders. Okay, maybe I'm doomed...