The What
Humorous essay writing.
The Why
This one was an easy choice. I'm currently enrolled in a class at Second City called Writing the Humorous Personal Essay. The class only runs through the end of the month, so, bingo!
I took Stand-Up 1 through Second City late last year, which culminated in a final performance in front of an actual audience. Now, it wasn't quite my debut Netflix special; it was friends and family members of mine and my fellow classmates, but man, what a rush. It was something I signed up for to get me outside of my comfort zone and something to push me to just try. I fully intend on taking Stand-Up 2 at some point during 2023, but I needed a break. It's exhausting going to a 3-hour class once a week where you're expected to perform and think on your feet. Not to mention that I feel I'm still changed from the pandemic, and I've grown more... anti-social?
How It's Going
The month is not over yet. And man, February has flown by. But I think the class is going well. I've written two 3-page essays thus far. It doesn't feel like that much to me, but it was going to be zero if I hadn't done this class, so I'll appreciate it for what it is.
The format is a bit of curriculum, a bit of reading published essays by humor writers and then writing. On top of that, once you turn in your weekly assignment, you read your fellow classmate's essays and provide feedback.
It feels good to be back in a cohort of writers again. It has me thirsty to try and keep writing. (I should take the "try and" out of that sentence.) It feels good to produce writing.
That thirst to write and share the writing is also what's gotten me writing this blog, too. It's been absent and I'd like to shout, "Present," at roll call.