Both Ends of the Spectrum

[offbalance]

I didn't get to post about it previously, but my novel class on Saturday was awesome. I really feel like I got a lot out of it, and that it will really help me in the long run. The professor was engaging and prepared, but mostly, I appreciated the way that she claimed to not be the God on High when it came to writing. Often, she would make declarations of "you know, this is just something that has worked for me and other writers I know. You might find it more beneficial to approach this differently." She gave us tons of practical tools to move novels along at any and every stage, and I really liked her and the course. I would totally take a class with her again. The four hours flew by like nothing.

My class last night, couldn't have been more different.

The first problem was that it was held at the "Norman Thomas Center," which was just fancy NYU code for "Norman Thomas High School." As one girl I was talking to put it, "It's sort of a combination of hospital and prison, isn't it?" As high schools go, this one is particularly dismal, and my alma matter isn't about to win any design awards anytime soon. But I was willing to put that aside.

I don't know how you can take a class in a subject as rich as comedy and humor and make it as boring as paint-drying techniques, and dry as the Sahara. The professor may be a working writer, but he had no idea how to teach what he was teaching. He handed out some papers, and in talking about the course, suggested that the class would be critiquing one another. I was one of 3 people in the entire course with any writing experience at all, and I don't need to drop a few bills just so that they can tell me my piece had "good flow." The prof clearly knew what he thought was funny, but had no idea how to break down the structure and mechanics in such a way as to convey them in a lesson. Hell, I learned more from Steve Martin's amazing memoir Born Standing Up and observing funny people in my life.

This is this guy's advice on how to be funny:
1. Observe life. Life provide things to write about that are funny.
2. Wacky relatives are funny, you can write about them.
3. Pain is what makes things funny. All levels of pain are where comedy comes from.
4. Sometimes, the media often writes about stories that can be funny if you think about them. The news can be a great resource of funny.
5. Often, funny essays have things like repetition and rhythm. That makes them funny!

All of these amazing revelations in one place! By jove, I don't know how we could have done it without him! Wacky relatives are funny? Life is funny? Pain causes humor? He's a genius. No one has ever thought of these things before! And the news being funny? Wow. Never would have thought of that on my own. It's not like Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and every other comedy writer since the dawn of the ages ever thought of that one before.

I'm going to get out while the getting's good, and take my 75% refund while I'm at it. Will Hunting long ago made a point about wasting $150,000 on an education you could get for $1.50 in late charges at the public library, and I think I'm going to take his advice here. I don't need to overpay someone to tell me to understand what I think is funny and model my writing after that style when I want to be funny. I mean, I appreciate the advice and all, but I've learned more about timing, rhythm, language, pacing, and otherwise how to cause people to snort beverages up their nose by watching antheia and ginpalace converse. Ugh.

Oh well. It was an experiment, anyway. I'm still going to go after that paralegal program, though.

Comments

[firynze.livejournal.com]

Hey, one great class and the determination to go after the paralegal programme means you still come out way ahead in my book!

:-D

[quasisonic.livejournal.com]

Agreed! :)

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I know. I was hoping for more, I guess.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I guess that's true. I was really hoping for more on this one, especially after Saturday went so well. Back to the drawing board, I guess.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

Awwww, 'tis true. And it would've been great if it were an awesome class. But I suspect it's really HARD to teach humour writing. Or any kind of funny, honestly...

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I suppose it is difficult to teach it, but that's why I figured if someone felt equal to the task I'd see if he had the mettle to teach it well. Alas.

I don't need to pay someone to tell me, "the best way to write well is to write often." DUH, squared.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

Yeeeeeah.

From what you're saying, it really sounds like somebody was looking to make a little cash during the strike, and not much more.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

You're not wrong. And since the strike is over, I have no guilt in dropping the class.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

Eeeexcellent.

Randomly, any interest in sharing what you found particularly interesting/worthwhile from the novelling class? I'm a little jealous of that one!

[feminist-poet.livejournal.com]

The news is funny? I mean, seriously, who knew? *ugh* I hate it when you have high hopes for a class and then it just sucks. I would so drop that class, too!!!

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

Class is dropped, and not a minute too soon!

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Norman Thomas HS?!?!

Oh my God, that place give me the willies. (My aunt lives around the corner. I grew up listening to my mother and my aunt's charming racist comments complaints about what an awful place it is.) That whole complex is built like an old armory. No thanks.

And further boo-urns on the crappy teaching! Enjoy the other class--sounds like you'll get a lot out of it.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

That's the very one. I really felt like I was in central booking, or something. I mean, the place was awash in WTF - there was an escalator, and the signs for the class in my room included things rules like, "No Sleeping" and "Stay in your seat." Just, what?! I wanted to run the hell out of there.

Well, sadly the other class was one-time-only. But I did get a lot out of it and will continue to get a lot out of it. I wonder if I should see if there's room in her Monday-night novel seminar, but I am currently undecided on that one.

[alcestis.livejournal.com]

When I was doing YA work I conducted classes at Norman Thomas more than once. Depressing is a good word for that building. Makes me rejoice in my suburban high school experience!

I'm sorry the class sucks. I home the paralegal stuff is better.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I can imagine that your suburban high school looked like The Four Seasons next to that place. It was just so,so oppressive and awful in there.

Thanks! I hope so, too!

[(Anonymous)]

Should we be charging a fee? I feel like maybe we should be charging a fee. Possibly a percentage of your future royalties?

[antheia.livejournal.com]

*sigh* That was me.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

Hee. I thought it might have been my dad for a second. :)

Now, my understanding was that your fee was beer or other requested alcoholic beverages, and the occasional food item. Did you get a raise in the new WGA deal, too?

[antheia.livejournal.com]

Heh.

That is, in fact, our precise contract.

[queenmother49.livejournal.com]

I took a comedy in class in college, with a professor I adored and learned a lot from. On the first day of class he had us all go around and tell our favorite joke. He did not preempt this with any explanation. Once we were all done he looked around the room and said, "I hope you all had a good laugh. Because that is the last time you will do that in this class. Unfortunately this will be an incredibly boring class for some of you as comedy has now become no laughing matter." (or something to that effect) Luckily for me I knew the teacher knew what he was doing.

And you should watch Kate snort chunky ice cream and hamburger...that's pretty awesome.