My first taste of stand up was a gentle one! Alhamdu lillah.

I went down to Kitchener on Sunday to do an hour of storytelling for the Lattitudes Festival. When I finished I was just chatting with the organizers and they were saying how their children’s tent is doing so much better–in terms of attendance–than their adult tent and how the adult tent had fifteen minutes to fill.

Really?

So I offered to fill it.

And I did the stand up routine I had developed.

The crowd was very kind!

And gentle.

And honestly, the jokes worked.

I didn’t tell them all that well, but they definitely laughed.

Mind you I ran out of material.

I’d prepared for five minutes and had to fill fifteen. And I forgot part of the schtick because I was completely unprepared.

But it was very nice to cut my teeth on such a gentle venue.

And the pressure’s all off when you know you’re not being paid.

Other than that I feel in limbo.

Sent off the revised Hajj novel on Saturday and I’ve got an ‘assignment’ from a publisher to do my next novel, and I’ve got ideas–basically I know how I want to write it–problem is how can I write it when I’m still hanging on word about the Hajj novel?

And I’m toying with voice.

Saw a televised lecture a while ago where the professor was talking about literature and he spoke about how important voice is in your work.

I think he’s so right.

With the right ‘voice’, the reader will believe anything.

Another name for it is ‘tone’.

So I’m toying with voice and tone for this up coming novel. It’ll be completely different from what I’ve already written–but then it always is!

Can’t seem to write two stories with the same tone to them.

Other than that, busy with family stuff. Went down to visit my mom and trim her garden. Ironic considering the topic of my stand up! *g*

Haven’t started relaxing for summer yet. Still have a few loose ends to take care of.

And the worst thing is, the stand up is taking over my dreams. I can’t sleep properly because I keep thinking and working out comedy routines.

*sigh*

It was like that when I first started writing too.

Hope it settles down.

Probably won’t though.

So many projects! So little time!