I just watched my tape from Tuesday's show at the Funny Bone and I'm really happy with my set. I've been struggling to write more jokes because I want to feature (SOON) but right now I have just short of 30 minutes of material (some clubs require 20, some 25, some 30). A good rule, people tell me, is to have 150% of the time you need, so if you need 30, have 45 just in case. So apparently I need to write 20 more minutes of material (which is essentially doubling my current joke library or catalog).
My problem at the moment (or problems) are:
-I want to continue to work clean
-I don't want to embarrass my family should they ever hear/see these jokes
-I don't know what my "voice" is yet.
-I procrastinate and don't write enough.
The last problem there should be an easy fix; just write more have a schedule and stick to it. Sounds easy, but I watch a lot of movies and have new ones coming in constantly, also I got suckered into playing World of Warcraft again and I have a very low level of self control when it comes to video games.
As for working clean, I like that still. I don't mind filthy humor and during a regular day some pretty nasty stuff comes out of my mouth, but I just don't want to do that on stage. It's not because I think I'm better than anyone else, it's just a choice. And marketing, I'll be honest.
The working clean thing goes along with embarrassing my family. I'd rather they not know about certain things I've done (and do), but I'm starting to think that if it's funny and an audience can learn about my life, I should probably do it.
As for my voice, I have no idea what it is. Am I auto biographical? Probably. Sarcastic? Sometimes. Self deprecating. Oh yeah. But listen to someone people always rave about; George Carlin for instance or Richard Pryor. I'm not familiar with very much of their work (I'm a bad comic that way, I guess). I've never sat down and listened to any of their albums or CDs or whatever you want to call it. But if I heard one of their jokes; I would venture to guess I could say whose it was. You know? They have that voice. It's like when ANY Offspring song comes on, I know it's them, they have a familiar sound to them, a theme of sorts (but more like a common style (the guitar, the drums, bass. Even before they start singing I know who it is). I guess that's what I'm looking for... I think Pryor actually said it takes 15 years (I could be misquoting him) to find your voice. I'll be 40 then, and will probably need to pay some bills, so I hope I figure it out before then. It doesn't have to be soon, but it'd be a whole lot cooler if it was...