Comedy Workshop, by Dave Schwensen

Creating & Writing Comedy material

For Comedians and Humorous Speakers

The author’s initial comedy workshop was a few days long, held over three weekends. That proved a success and the idea was carried on.

Nearly 3 decades later — as of Spring 2021 — these workshops are still being held.

With a publication date of 2012, that means 20 or so years of workshops went into this book, so maybe a tie in wasn’t a bad idea?

Y’know, condense all the things learned over that time, all the experience, and present you with lots of helpful knowledge.

Except the author says he’s not a teacher, he’s a coach. You can’t teach you comedy. You either have it or you don’t.

Then what’s this book about?

For 20 years worth of information, it’s very short. The text begins on page 7 and ends on page 69.*

Ample, if not excessive white space. Medium sized text.

Overall, a small book.

But again, 20 years worth of lessons; there has to be something here.

The info’s broken down into 14 chapters. 12 have a short question below their titles.

As the intro explains, these were asked by aspiring comedians and humorous speakers. The chapters are answers to these questions, which is where workshop experience comes in.

Which makes the book as relevant to you as how good you find the answers to those questions.

Chapter titles include:

• When friends offer you material should you use it?
• Is your talent for jokes or stories?
• If it says high voltage, should I touch it?
• When it says clean fun, is some raunchy okay?
• (one of these isn’t a title. Neither is this, in the brackets)

It doesn’t look promising.

Back to the advice.

To start with, Schwensen advises you throw away, or burn, any comedy writing books you have. (If you do start a burn, be careful, because the lack of paper in this book won’t make a good fire.)

Hang on.

As I read through it, with smoke at my fingertips, he specifically says to get rid of books on ‘How to write a joke’. But this is about a ‘Comedy writing Workshop’.

I’ll have to waft away the singed edges of these pages (and lament 3 wasted matches).

As he says before, he’s a coach. Not a teacher. Which means no joke writing tips or formulas in here.

Fair enough. They aren’t for everyone.

The argument against joke writing formulas, about it making you a clone and stifling creativity, wasn’t very convincing.

No matter. It’s the comedy advice which you came for.

On to another chapter.

The real advice starts on chapter 3. To begin writing, note down anything funny. Any ideas you have need jotting down (such as, why am I reading this book?).

Jokes aside, it may be basic, but it’s solid fundamental advice. Amateurs should do this. Professionals do record any ideas (when they remember).

Schwensen is lukewarm on getting beginners to sit down to write. He says it’s not for everyone. It can create too much pressure, which means the battle against the blank page, and can lead to writer’s block.

Instead, the advice is to record your ideas and mould them together later.

Then when later comes, you sit down and write.

Oh.

Okay. I think I get it. Hear, see, think of something funny, take notes. Later, explore good ideas, why you think they’re funny, how you’d share them with an audience. Sit down and write to develop these.

But don’t start with a blank sheet.

The advice continues.

To put your act together, never get jokes from other places. Not from joke books, or the web, or anywhere else. Write your own one liners, stories etc., as long as it’s from you.

Expanding your ideas into a dialogue for your audience is explained in one paragraph. Just one. (Apparently, the technique will be discussed fully in a future ‘Comedy Workshop’. As of 2021, this is the only book in the series, and no longer in print).

Following this is ‘The Best Comedy Writing Advice Ever’. This isn’t me being sarcastic. This is the name of a chapter.

And is this chapter filled with good advice?

Yes.

Two pages of how George Carlin formed material into routines for his own stand up acts.

This logically follows on from the note taking process explained earlier on.

Which means we now have; take notes, expand on them, use Carlin’s advice to finish. With these points alone, you’ll be able to write bits for your act. You’ll be able to take these and form them into usable routines. Combine them for a full show.

But will they be funny? For that, you have to have the talent and the passion.

Right.

Moving on… what else do you have, Dave?

It’s odd.

On the chapter of having too much material, the book advises you to build to your first 5 minutes, before moving to the next 5. Forget about reducing from too much, the author comes from the other direction.

Also explained is why you have to stick to your allotted stage time.

Further chapters cover more fundamental advice:

• Follow your skill set.
• Don’t go down the path of joke writing if you’re a storyteller and vice versa.
• Battle stage fright with proper preparation.
• Have enough material to cover the required set time.
• Have more than enough to stretch things if need be.
• Always re-write to improve your material.
• Take chances but be prepared to cut if things don’t work.
• Record and listen to your sets.

All sensible enough advice.

Perhaps it’s too obvious though.

The four page chapter on getting material from helpful friends is thoughtful. It contains useful suggestions for including good ideas. There’s also a valuable tip for improving your comedy sets should you work with other people.

Then, by the power of seagulls, the aforementioned chapter, ‘When it Says Clean Fun Is Some Raunchy okay?’ — gives you a few reasons to stick to being clean. Deviate from these at your peril.

Creation of monologues is discussed. To begin, record your thoughts as you speak, then edit them later.

A most inspiring chapter.

The two and a half pages on breaking into the corporate environment has a very useful idea. If you’re happy with the trade off suggested, it will very likely get you into places.

The book ends with a reminder chapter that each performance is a conversation. Don’t write and memorise words. Write how you talk and speak to your audience.

And that’s it.

For such a short book from an author with so much experience, the final product is a little lacking.

But is there enough here to start something?

Yes, there is.

Just.

Verdict

If you’re not sure how to get started in stand up comedy or humorous speaking, this offers the roughest of guides to get things going. If that’s all you need, then find a copy, read it, because it won’t take long.

Beyond that, what’s disappointing is that the author has really good experience, but doesn’t share enough of it.

Recommended for:

For ideas on how to get started.

If you want to get the ball rolling on the creation of material and forming into routines, there’s enough here to begin.

Not for:

People who want a comprehensive guide.

The book is small enough already, and the mention of two of his other books, and a third, never published follow up, leaves your wondering if you should devote any time to this at all.

Other thoughts

This book is currently out of print.

Why?

There isn’t enough material to entice an audience.

To make this a read that people want, Schwensen could remove some of the more obvious bits, rework what’s here with more explanation, and add the content that was promised for the follow up book.

Then again, if the money is in the real workshops, the chances of this happening are close to zero (which is somewhat a shame, because the author has plenty to share).

Length

Very short, 69 pages.

Fast readers will be through this in an hour or two.

For the slower, dedicated reader; no more than 3 days.