The Newsletter Stand

comedy 1-12-09

Hi there. I'm Robin, and I'll be your guest editor for this week's Comedy Newsletter

"Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." --Peter Ustinov (1921 - 2004)

For me, writing funny often emerges out of not-so-funny situations. To deliver it funny, I use sassy dialogue, quirky descriptions, and exaggeration of --well anything, emotion, action, description. Here's an example of a blog i wrote:

Written December 18, 2008:

I hand over my prescriptions to the girl at the pharmacy. She glances down, scrunches up her brow and says, “I’m sorry…but, we’re out of Zmax.”

“What?” I ask. I heard her the first time but I’m in a congested fog, equipped with stuffy nose, pounding headache, scratchy raw throat. What on Earth is Zmax? I gave her three scripts. Please don’t tell me she's out of the antibiotics.

“It’s the antibiotic.”

Oh great. My face registers disappointment I don’t even bother to hide. Why couldn’t it have been the decongestant? Then, I flash her a pleading look. “Do you know when you will get it in?”

“If I order it now, “ she checks her watch, “should come in by in the morning.” Her lips are pursed in a I'm pretty sure about this little pout.

Fantastic. Only that puts me back almost a day and I have things to do, a 65-page manual to copy edit,(paying gig), and a WDC newsletter to write; a few Christmas presents to buy, and many more to wrap. Twenty-four hours is a lot of time when gift giving is at stake. My to-do list rolls off my desk and out my office door, down the hallway, through the kitchen and stops at, what? the refridgerator?

Anyway, where was I? oh yeah,
“Is there another alternative?” my eyes still holding on to desperation. I’ve been sick for over two weeks, This is my second round of meds. I’m so ready to be well.

She makes a few phone calls and locates another Kroger pharmacy carrying ZMAX. I breathe a quick thank-you prayer to no one in particular. “Bless you,” I say, already three steps from the counter.

Who cares if this Kroger is farther away than the others? My throat is on fire.

I’m at work now—here till nine. Six hours ago, I drank my thick ¼ cup of chalky this will make you feel better potion. The bottle promised a cherry-banana flavor. Hah! I hate to disappoint the potion maker, but neither cherry nor banana made the cut.

It's awful I’ve been sick for two weeks. It awful I’ve been to the doctor twice and am on my second round of antibiotics. It's awful that cherry and banana failed to show up in my medicine bottle. However, Christmas is around the corner and while I’m at work with this crud, I am at work, which means I have a job.

And in today’s economy, at work on payroll supersedes awful.

The next time you endure a not-so-funny experience, try weaving humor in through expression in dialogue, exaggeration, and odd descriptions.

until next time,
Robin

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A very funny blog entry about walking on ice. Very appropriate during the winter months.
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Feedback from Readers!

JACE - House Targaryen - Thank you for a most excellent newsletter, Miss Robin. My resolution for this year was to make NO resolutions--well, it wasn't quite that bad. But I was considering it. Your wise words have convinced me otherwise. Best of luck to you in 2009.
Jace

Thanks, Jace. Same to you.

I might be here, now. - Inspiring us to stick to our goals for the new year, you give us yet another informative Newsletter.

Kudos, Robin!
WW

aw shucks. thanks for the compliment. and my pleasure.

Acme - Thanks for highlighting one of my stories, Robin, and thanks, too, for some great advice in this newsletter. While I'm pretty good at rewarding myself, I do tend to set unrealistic goals. Not this year, though. One step at a time still gets you places

I reward myself, too.