Episode 36
How To Write Comedy (Fiction Novel + Material For Stand Up Comedy) - w/ Rohan
In this episode featured not-expert is Rohan Gautam. Rohan is the author of the book Romeo, Juliet and Hitler; an up-and-coming stand-up comic and is about to drop his first non-fiction venture as well.
First moves to steal
- Write Comedy (Fiction Novel + Material For Stand Up Comedy) - w/ Rohan
- We then discuss Rohan’s foray into the nerve-wracking world of stand-up comedy, what to expect at your first open mic, how to improve and conclude with Rohan sharing insights on publishing, editing and honestly everything you need to know to drop your first book - having done it twice now.Resources:Romeo, Juliet & Hitler: https://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Hitler-Rohan-Gautam/dp/9382665056 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction + Background(02:19) Contrasting between writing comedy and “serious” material(04:63) Writing "Romeo, Juliet and Hitler"(09:19) Writing Advice: Nobody Cares, Just Improve 1% Daily(14:29) Continuous Progress in Book Writing(17:19) Crafting Standup Comedy Material(19:12) First Open Mic Experience(21:52) Starting Standup: Common Challenges(25:37) Importance of Relatability in Comedy(27:14) Open Mic Logistics & Behind-the-Scenes(30:15) YouTube Journey for Comics/Commentators(33:06) Non-Fiction Writing: Human Potential(37:11) Book Publishing and Editing Process(42:21) Author vs.
Transcript-backed moments
A few lines worth stealing before you hand over the full hour.
I wrote religiously and that is why this book Romeo Juliet and Hitler Could Happen wait hold on hold on sorry so you're saying you didn't have the entire story mapped out before you were writing
story mapped out before you were writing you were just making it up on the go is you were just making it up on the go is that right when you're writing your first book you don't know if it would
first book you don't know if it would find a single reader on this planet right even I'm trying to figure it out that's why you're a guest on this podcast cuz you're not an expert yet
podcast cuz you're not an expert yet that confidence put me on the stage and then the first open mic that happened it was like a bomb I know it's way trickier was like a bomb I know it's way trickier in comedy because humor by definition is
in comedy because humor by definition is so subjective what was holding you back was the quality of your jokes or was it was the quality of your jokes or was it your delivery or combination of both
Show notes
In this episode featured not-expert is Rohan Gautam.
Rohan is the author of the book Romeo, Juliet and Hitler; an up-and-coming stand-up comic and is about to drop his first non-fiction venture as well. We discuss Rohan’s adventure of writing his first fiction book with over 50k words, and he takes us through his bias to action philosophy that got him there.
We then discuss Rohan’s foray into the nerve-wracking world of stand-up comedy, what to expect at your first open mic, how to improve and conclude with Rohan sharing insights on publishing, editing and honestly everything you need to know to drop your first book - having done it twice now.Resources:Romeo, Juliet & Hitler: https://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Hitler-Rohan-Gautam/dp/9382665056
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction + Background(02:19) Contrasting between writing comedy and “serious” material(04:63) Writing "Romeo, Juliet and Hitler"(09:19) Writing Advice: Nobody Cares, Just Improve 1% Daily(14:29) Continuous Progress in Book Writing(17:19) Crafting Standup Comedy Material(19:12) First Open Mic Experience(21:52) Starting Standup: Common Challenges(25:37) Importance of Relatability in Comedy(27:14) Open Mic Logistics & Behind-the-Scenes(30:15) YouTube Journey for Comics/Commentators(33:06) Non-Fiction Writing: Human Potential(37:11) Book Publishing and Editing Process(42:21) Author vs. Editor: Book Editing Dynamics(45:21) Outro + Gratitude