Creating a Comic

I’ve talked before about how open mic can be fun and helpful, even when we’re probably going to get bumped, because it gives us a chance to socialize and network with other comedians. The other night I was reminded of another reason: it gets our heads in the game.

I had only planned to do a few minutes of new material, but as I sat down to review and rehearse it, I suddenly had an outpouring of ideas. New stuff sprang up out of nowhere. Half-jokes that hadn’t worked before, or that hadn’t found a proper setup, suddenly clicked into place. Before I knew it I had written my largest section of new material in weeks!¹

It’s not like I had neglected my writing, either; I write every day, and had already done so on Monday. But that was different material. The looming potential for stage time focused me on my “on deck” routines, and the discipline of the deadline led to a series of epiphanies — none of which would’ve happened if I had decided to skip the open mic because I knew I was unlikely to get up.

So in the end it’s important — and psychologically helpful, too — to recognize that progress can occur even without a performance. I didn’t get up on stage, but the dress rehearsal got my head in the game… and that’s never a waste of time.

1. Butthurt seems to happen when I get specific about the volume of writing that can result, so I’ll skip it for the sake of those with tender feelings. [↩]

 — Posted by CJ under Creating a Comic. Please comment or trackback!