Funny Book on Being Funny

It's been said many times and many ways that the study of humor or comedy or funnyness is often not nearly as funny as you would think.

And in my vast experience of reading a few of those sorts of books, I tend to agree with those thoughts. Some just are not as exciting. It's almost like taking a research symposium (on a topic you like, mind you) and dragging out all of it's finite details that you personally don't think are important, but someone has and says they are. So you get stuck with that.

But in Jon Macks' book "How To Be Funny," it's not like that. While some reviewers mention there are funny bits in this book, they don't seem to understand that it's not suppose to be a humor book, but it is funny in discussing how to be funny.

I'm probably 53 1/2 pages or so into it, (just picked it up last night), and haven't been bored with it yet - except for all of the constant page turning in a single sitting. (Boy are my arms tired)... Oh, sorry.

Anyway, my advice to you in 3 little words.........

Go find it
Go read it
Go put it.... (man I gotta work on these 3-word pieces of advice).

--David

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David Stoddard Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
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In Search Of Ourselves - A Story

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David Stoddard

Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com

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Back From The Pastures

Looking at the date of the past entry on this blog, one may as well thought things had been put out to pasture like an old typewriter or the MP3 player I had bought last year. But won't go down that road today.

Terry made me

Friend, co-worker, partner-in-procrastination and (as of last week), pusher to get something started, came up with this challenge where we each take a given idea we each have had (maybe for a year or so) and actually get it completed.

You see, we each have been experts in our own field for some time. That field being of having an idea, getting it started, then jumping to something else.

Hey! Its had it's moments of working out for us over the years. It allowed us to get many things half-started, one-tenth completed, and began making us masters of list making, idea jotting and pen shopping.

Reasoning out current incompleteness.

I admit I didn't quite get the idea completed by our Friday (I mean Saturday, or maybe end of November -I'm planning ahead) deadline. But I like to believe I have great reasons.

First (going back to the project planning course I took a few months back), the scope of this project changed. Actually, in the process of working on it, the idea changed several times to a point where it would be almost worth it to just start again, but keep what I have to fill in the gaps.

Second, other related avenues to this very project came about which needed to be addressed. Blog changes (as well as this entry), thoughts about the Humor Writer's Conference in April, and necessary additions of previously written ebooks posted to other locations.

Let me know if you can see yourself in any of this because I hate to feel I am the only one like this. I doubt you created another Twitter account in your own processes of thinking and doing things.... have you?

Did he get things done?

Now I don't know if Terry completed his or not. (Oh, sorry. Forgot about the re-introduction. Terry is of TerrificYorkies.com fame as well as some other terrific sites out there). We might learn more on Monday (unless he finds this post and comments on it tonight - there is hope I can cause another distraction for him for a few moments).

How this matters to you

It probably doesn't... unless you have ideas on how we (or even you) can stay focused on a project, article, sentence or whatever and not drift to other things.... YES! they really are related... trust me.

Share what you will. Unless they are ancient secrets passed down to you through the ages.

(photo credit from thorinside http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorinside/675520667/

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David Stoddard

Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Check out my page on Smashwords

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New Goals, Same As The Old Goals.. (Sing along, won't you?)

Last night, I came across my Sony micro cassette player (complete with tape inside). Wondering to myself just what in the world I was thinking at given moment in the past, I choose to play the tape. --- Well, what would you do?

Picking up speed
After about a minute or so once the player learned that it was supposed to play the tape when I press the play button (it's been a while since it was used), I could actually begin to understand the voice on the tape. (once it got up to speed).

And yes, it was me rambling on (hard to believe) about goals for July 2005.Actually, it was more about things to work on during the month ahead. (at least I am thinking it was the month ahead and not me thinking about it on say July 19th or something).

What did I say?
The David on the tape talked of getting into the habit of writing every night for say 30 minutes. Then he dropped back and adjusted it to maybe 3-4 nights a week.

He also mentioned the owl book which was started years before. He mentioned newsletters, articles for anthologies, rewrites of ebooks to make them more up to date. And he wondered just where in all of this his writing would fit in.

Is having the same goals a good thing?
As I played the tape a 2nd time, I wrote down the above mentioned things the David of 2005 mentioned. Looked at the paper and thought to myself it looks a lot like the things I write down still today. (and for those wanting to know, no, my handwriting has not improved by doing this).

After reviewing the vintage tape, I have come to the agreed understanding of sooooo many others in the past and present that it's important to write your goals down.

For those with crummy handwriting (or printing), feel free to type them into a computer and print them out where you will see them. Then after you see them over and over, act upon them.

It really does make sense.

• Write your name on the top of a piece of paper
• Write today's date 1 year from now.
• Write what you want to accomplish by that date.
• Create milestones which you will need to reach to get to that accomplishment
• Get started on the trip.

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David Stoddard Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com
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Simply Unmotivated Success

Setting goals is one thing. But what characteristics do they need to have in order for them to work for you? Check out this previously released video of mine from a few years back to get your own goals started.

I Gave A Speech Today

It was a day like any other day. I woke up, headed to the basement, found clothes, got dressed and headed to where the speech was to be held.

Had my room temperature glass of water, my notes in my head, shoes on my feet as the audience arrived at the precise time I was there. They were pretty quiet as they came in and took their spots. Their eyes wandering around just wondering what the speech would be about.
Here's the kicker,

Neither Did I

I didn't have the heart to tell em that I really didn't know exactly what my own speech would be about, how long it would be or what good it would really do them.

But the speech went on. I talked about my own times of not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up. I talked of what I remember thinking as a child growing up. I wanted the audience to know that they were not alone in what they were thinking.

In the end, the things I wanted to let them know were that they were better than they believed. That they already had an idea in their mind of what they wanted to be, do and have if they would just listen to themselves. That they should just get back to what they started years ago. And that they should start today, no matter how small of a step it may seem.

Damn I can be good

After the presentation, the audience stuck with me. They seemed to be thinking of what I had said. As they moved along to their normal routine of the day, I can only hope that they took what I had said to heart and will begin doing something to move in the direction of their dreams.

I gave a speech today.

The audience was I, and I alone.

I only hope I was listening.

Writing Time...

• Write about a time you were by yourself
• Write about what you learned during that time
• Write about standing up and speaking out about something
• Write about having to write at the end of all of these postings

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David Stoddard

Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com

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Direction Unknown: But Feel Pulled In One (or against one)

It has been a trying past couple of weeks for me.

Life at the day job has not necessarily gone in the direction which is in the best of interests for yours truly. Despite all of the talk and jibber-jabber (looks funny to type that) of working with one's supervisor about goals and what direction one is interested in, none of that was discussed w/me. Just pick me and and plop me where you need me.

Who's fault is it?

I guess it's mine in a way. I have always been one of those folks who went with the flow. Where someone mentioned they need help over here or over there doing this or that, I went along (nearly totally) willingly.

And this was o.k. What I was doing seemed to be moving me forward (or at least sideways) in something I was interested in and could benefit from.

But now, the situation seems to have turned into one where no one is listening, paying attention, caring, feeling my pain, thinking of just their immediate wants, or perhaps just doesn't know.... period!

In Search Of...

It's funny in a way that because of this, I have yet again come across something I don't want to be, do, have, or are interested in. It took me back to the first ebook I put together "In Search Of Ourselves."

In the 6 short chapters, it talks about learning who we are by understanding who we are not. We all know what it is we don't want... but what then do we want? What we want to be, do, have, etc... can be a tougher question.

So to get started, write about that...

• Write about what you don't want to eat...
• What you don't want to own...
• What you don't want to do...
• Where you don't want to work...
• What you don't want to wear...
• What you don't want to watch...

Now.... What DO you want..... Same questions as above.

Lastly, write about your own struggles of being pulled in different directions by others. Who is not listening? Who is not caring? Who you can look to to guide you? Who understands you? Who cares what direction you want to head in?

I'll be here caring, understanding and trying to get my own attitude in gear.

--David

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David Stoddard

Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Balance your biz-life and your life-life at www.biz-e-life.com
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com
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Your Role Models Are Worth Writing With

I came across this pic by accident today. (Isn't a lot of what we come across usually by accident)? Anyway... it made me think for a moment about the writers I have liked reading over the years. Folks like Dave Barry, Erma Bombeck, Tim Bete, Bob Baker (and some others whose last names don't begin with a B).

I don't know why it made me think of that, it just did. I had never before thought about looking at other writers as role models before. At least not consciously I don't believe. The closest I came was thinking it would be pretty cool to be able to write humorous things (and get paid for them in the multi-figure numbers that other Dave guy makes).

I didn't think about the whole emulating his writing style or writing out his columns word for word to get a sense of his writing as it was happening nor looking into the life and times of Mr. Barry to see how my life and writing history matched with his. But thinking as I type that now, it is an interesting thought.

So how about you...

• Who do you enjoy reading?
• Who do you wish you could write like?
• Write out word for word a piece of their writing as if you are writing it.
• Look up info about your "role model writer's" bio.
• Who can you be a role model for with what you write?

So, back to rolling out some more stuff.

--David

pic courtesy of http://icanhascheezburger.com/
(Don't tell Shannon or Bruno there is a cat on this blog).


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David Stoddard

Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Balance your biz-life and your life-life at www.biz-e-life.com
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com

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Issues and Milestones and Risks, Oh My!

Is there such a thing as project management for writers? I started wondering that this week while I was in an intro class to project management at the day job.

Now, after the 2.5, (project management connection), day-long class, I am staring to see connections.

Each writing assignment we take on, be it a blog post, article, poem, greeting card verse, journal entry, billboard creation or Twitter post, each has an objective.

During the scope of what it is we do, we often create several requirements which our deliverables must have.

In writing, as in life or that job of ours, there are always issues.

We manage to work our way through the various constraints and potential risks all in an effort to reach various milestones.

More on each of the bolded items in future postings.

But for now......

• What is your objective as a writer?
• What are your requirements of the writing you do?
• What issues do you find yourself dealing with that keep you from writing?
• What constraints are involved?
• Write a 500 word story, article, bio or whatever, of your writing career (as if you have reached the various milestones you wish to reach).

Time for me to go for a little while. I have a project or 2 around the house to take care of.

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David Stoddard
Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Balance your biz-life and your life-life at www.biz-e-life.com
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com
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Putting A Mug On A Mug

Conan has one.

Jimmy has one as well.

Regis has new ones all the time.

Kelly uses two hands on hers.

Jay had one (and probably will have one on his next show).

And now, after getting so tired after nearly burning myself from those foam cups, I now have my own mug, (much harder to knock over and spill stuff).

For me, the mug does more than just hold a given beverage of the moment. It is something of my own. It reminds me of who I am and what I do (even on those too frequent times when I wonder just what that is). And the outside words and picture match the inside of the mug.

So, what about you. What would you want on your very own mug? Anyone can have Garfield or Superman or Wonderwoman or Dilbert. Even World's Best Boss or Super Secretary or Able Accountant, but that really isn't about YOU.

• Who are you and what do you do?
• Write about a prized posession
• Go ahead and create a mug of your own.
• Get your own caricature designed how you want it.

Gotta get going. Have fun and be creative.

~~David

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David Stoddard
Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard
Pick up the Kindle version of 200 Writing Prompts
Yorkie fan? Check out Terrific Yorkies.com
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