Writing a joke can be a long nerve wracking process. It can also produce something vastly different than what you originally intended. This post will look at how I wrote a joke that I am using as my closer from time to time and how I got it from the staring line to almost ready to cross the finish line.
Stand-up Comedy
Goals For My Journey To Professional Comedy
BOY HOWDY – Been Gone Awhile
Have I ever been away for awhile! After the year I had and the way I kicked off 2015 – 31 posts in 31 days with my Proverbs challenge (Day 31 here) – I really thought I’d be a blogging machine this year. I got distracted from blogging but for a really good reason – I am working on my dream of becoming a working comedian!
And it takes a TON of time.
I am still writing – almost every day. Not keeping a calendar like I did in 2014 (See that here) but my joke notebook is filling up and I have nearly 10 minutes of very usable material so far this year – and that is a good thing.
Here is a snippet of that material.
Below are the MAIN goals I have for myself to accomplish my dream of turning comedy from a pastime to a profession.
1) Long Term Comedy Goal – LTCG – I want to be able to replace my full time job and support my family doing, 100% clean, God honoring comedy.
2) Comedy Education including – Rik Roberts’ School of Laughs (I highly recommend checking out the school and the podcast). I will read books and take workshops to improve my material, my mindset and my drive. Always looking to improve.
3) Writing Daily – I will write at least 2 pages of free thoughts and note what might be usable as material and work on ideas as they come to me or that I have keep track of in either my notebook or Evernote
4) Open Mics – I will attend at least one (1) OM a week – more as family and work allow but 1 for sure. I heard RR say it takes about 100 OMs to know yourself and your audience so I have about 80 more sets to go before I really know what I am doing – YIKES!
5) Accountability Partners – Along with sending this list to RR, I will recruit some guys from my church as well as a couple a my comedy buddies to hold me accountable to all of the above.
So, Whaddya think? Did I miss anything, would you add anything? What is your dream – your passion? Please share it in the comments.
You Wanted A Laugh You Gotta Laugh
I know it is has been a LONG time since I posted something – especially something of substance and today’s post is NO different.
Failures Wanted – What It Takes To Be A Comedian (or anything else that matters)
Photo by: Sean MacEntee – Creative Commons
A great man once said, “If you never failed, you never tried.”
Of course another – much meaner – man once said to me “If ya ain’t cheating, ya ain’t trying” then he knocked me down.
I do miss Grampa.
Both quotes have a degree of truth to them and your willingness to adopt these into your mindset could determine how or if you – or I – see any success in 2015 ( no this is not my EOY encouragement for you to write out your goals for 2015 – BUT it’s coming).
25 Years Ago Today
Raising the flag at Iwo Jima
Hardly seems possible. The Wizard of OZ, Santa and the Tooth-fairy seem more likely than to say that 25 years ago today I was eating my first breakfast – having not slept for more than 24 hours – on Parris Island.
My Marnie adventure was just beginning and everything was moving so fast that I had little time to think. That’s not a bad thing – really.
My time in the Marines is a mixed bag of emotion for me.
On the one hand, I spent the required amount of time, overcame all the obstacles, met all the requirements necessary to become a Marine. I walked across the parade deck and was declared a “Marine”. That can never be taken away from me.
Thankful For God’s Timing
Whew! It has been a long time! I have had an odd couple of months.
I did my first open mic – in nearly 6 years – back in August at Side Splitters in Tampa. It’s a great club, close to home and they offer a lot of opportunities to new comics to get on a stage and work out their material.
I bombed!
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
My #dontbreakthechain calendar as it looked on 10 JUNE 214
**Editors Note**
I wrote this back in June so some of the numbers and dates are old but the sentiment is the same. I took me this long to pull the trigger on posting this because I had grown so comfortable with the My 500 crew and was hesitent – to say the least – about making any changes.
God Bless you All
MickHolt
Monday Night Stand-Up
Because of some encouraging people that are part of Jon Acuff’s START Experiment – #STARTEXP, some VERY encouraging people over at Sammy A’s site and – yes you too mom – I decided to post this. Trying to embrace #alltheawesome while punching my fear in the face – and adding a body blow for good measure!
This is from the first time I took the stage. It’s a short clip. I would love to hear you thoughts.
Comedy, Confusion and My Search for Meaning
Photo By : iwannt (Creative Commons)
I did not have a good day.
And you know what? I have strung several of these together. Still several short of my all time record.
It’s true.
I am beyond frustrated with my life, my job, my direction, my service for God. I spend countless hours contemplating what I am doing. What I am supposed to be doing. What I am not doing right. What I want to do. Why God won’t open a door for me to do something other than what I am doing? How will I, do I, know when I am doing what God wants me to do?
Mick Holt 