Nothing Worse Than Silence

I started a Sketch Comedy Writing class knowing I'd be the least funny of the students. Part of my motivation was to meet writers, and I figured all of us could use a little more humor in our lives and in our writing. We write every week and then read our work out loud for everyone to hear. 

My first piece was too short and not at all as funny as I had hoped it would be. I got a few polite smiles, and maybe one line that got a true laugh. Otherwise, it fell flat. To be fair, the class is relatively quiet - I'm assured by our instructor that ALL sketch writing classes are quiet. But if that's the case then I'm having a hard time understanding why he brings that fact to our attention several times per class. Every other sketch piece was far funnier than mine. 

Part of me just wanted to throw in the towel. And then I thought of my friend, Brooke, who has recently transitioned from stage acting to TV / film. She's studied TV and film with conviction for nearly a year. And she goes to auditions not with the intention to book a job, but to improve, to feel that her investment of time in learning this new art form is worthwhile. Some people are naturally funny in that Saturday Night Live sort of way. I'm not -- I'm going to have to work at it. And the good news is, well, I really have nowhere else to go but up. 

I'm in the middle of preparing my next piece - a character sketch. Time to dig out the memories of all those weirdos I've had the privilege to meet...they're finally coming in handy.