A quick flick
through some of my recent blog posts has given me a confidence boost when it
comes to writing new stand-up material.
A downside to
writing a blog every day is you quickly forget the content. It’s like satiating
the Beast: you see an idea through to its resolution and then it slips from
your mind. Thankfully, you’re left with the written evidence – but it takes a
lot of sifting to find the bits that would work in a live setting.
I like the
thought of employing someone to do this sifting for me; partly for a second
opinion but mainly due to laziness. There’s a lot to get through. It would be
like employing a cleaner, chucking your house-keys at them and saying, “You deal with it”.
(If I did this, I’d be more polite.)
The good thing
about this form of creative amnesia is that what you’ve written will often take you by surprise.
You see it with fresh eyes. Believe it or not, the odd line I reread this morning
made me laugh out loud, and I’m my own biggest critic. If I can take bits
that work and reform them into stand-up, it will feel like half the battle won; I’m no longer faced with a blank canvas.
I could still do
with an editor. I'd put an advert in the local paper if I thought someone
would accept endless cups of tea in lieu of payment.