Thanks for the add!  I've actually run into and read your blog a few times.  Now that I know where to find it, I'll make it a regular.  I'm sure I can learn a thing or two from you, too!

Cool deal. I got the hard liquor suggestion from a co-worker who did some (very bad) standup during his college days. He had exactly that problem, about halfway through his set.

On the one hand, you don't want to be dehydrated, but on the other hand, 5 or 6 beers can become a problem after 10 or 15 minutes, particularly given the diuretic effect of alcohol. Shortly after the point where it starts to have the desired effect, the water component will start to cycle through your system. Same deal with tea and coffee. Plus, you probably don't want stimulants if you have any stage-fright issues.

I start with a double-shot of scotch about 15 minutes before going on stage, and then I nurse another double through the set. That depends upon your alcohol tolerance, of course. Mine is insanely high, considering that I never drink, except for recently, and only on stage.

One thing you may want to work on with the comedy is storytelling. One of the big things I've noticed which separates the amateurs from the professionals is routine cohesion.

I saw in your blog post how you were working on jokes with 1 or 2 sentence setups, before the punchline. Most professional comedians tell 1 or 2 minute-long stories, with occasional punchlines scattered throughout. Hell, I'm reminded of John Leguizamo's routine, 'Freak'. Some of his stories are more than 10 minutes long.

Also, you can go longer without a punchline, if you draw in your audience with elements of the story. It's easier to write a 30 or 40 sentence-long story, then figure out where the punchlines fit in later. It's also easier to draw people in, if you don't jump around as much. Stringing together a series of 10 or 15 second-long jokes is disjointed and sets people more on edge.

Personally, I break up my material into 1 to 2 page segments, on paper (10 pin, Times New Roman, with 1" margins), which works out to 5 to 10 minutes per segment, with my pacing. Each segment isn't a single story, but I try to stay within a general topic for all of the stories and arguments in a segment, or at least create a natural flow from one subject to the next, within a segment.

Last point: memorization. I find memorizing from audio sources much easier than memorizing from print. I picked up an iPod Shuffle for $40 or so. I just perform my stuff and record it on my computer, using Windows Sound Recorder, and then I export it to the iPod. Then I wander out for several hours, to get away from distractions, and I listen to it in a loop, until I can't cope with it anymore.

Oh, and you want enough alcohol to take the edge off and mitigate the jitters, not enough to effect your speech. Also, if you're going to be on stage for more than 15 minutes, you want to go with harder liquor. The last thing you want is to have to take a leak, in the middle of your set.

I totally enjoyed your Columbus Day post! I am more than annoyed when people ignore certain historical facts and create a holiday or historical "hero" to create an appearance of cultural equity within history. It's complete bullshit and that's how people become indifferent. How can you ignore the cruelty and inhumane actions of a person? Isn't that ultimately what history has done? Give a pass to a sadistic ego maniac so they could create a cultural icon? If history teaches ANYTHING, it teaches us that doing that, ignoring cruelty and injustice, creates an atmosphere of indifference, and that is when people allow despots to take them over and blind them to the piles of bodies that will follow. It's really as plain as day, right in front of you, yet ignored. Why do people allow this to happen to themselves? Have we learned nothing? It's the same with religion. Ignore the ugly facts, and be good little sheep. Good stuff!!! I'm a fan. Thanks for adding me as a friend :)

There's no thanks necessary, it was fucking brilliant.

Welcome to A|N - Thanks for joining the parenting group and the friend add.

Where about is Whitman? I suppose I could google it :) I'm a fan of Boston - like so many went to school there and then hung around for a long time. Originally from NH. We've moved around for the last few years but are heading back to MA in July to the Springfield/Northampton area, hopefully to put down some roots.

Hello and welcome to this friendly meeting place
where we recognise that religion is a superstition and fraud with imaginary gods used to control people, and that it is tragic and inexcusable that women have been oppressed these last 2000 years.

Terry Meaden
founder of the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Evolution, Darwin..." with its 260 discussion topics.
http://www.atheistnexus.org/group/originsuniverselifehumankindanddarwin