Brian T Shirley

Brian T Shirley
Jokers Wild, Atlantis Resort

Monday, August 20, 2012

Do Authors get depressed after a book is done?

 This is a question for all the authors out there and may give some insight to readers also.I've released my 3rd book "A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Club" and now comes the hard part, promotion. This book is totally an ebook, so I can't hold or feel it. I"m  elated on one hand, but depressed on the other. Anyone else ever get that way?

 I think it's because you're proud of what you've done, but you realise that if no one sees or buys it, it was all for nothing. The hard work, decisions about what to leave in or take out. Choosing a cover, looking at illustrations for the stories, talks with your contact person at the publisher, writing a dedication, and afterword, what to say about yourself. It's all done, I should be happy. Do I need therapy or just feedback and enough money to pay the rent next month? Money helps and it can be a validation, but as a performer, I like the applause or the comments also. It let's me know my writing and performance were up to the audience's expectations. Books are different, it may take 4 or 5 until you get results that can at least booster the self confidence a little.

 I also sell my first two books ( Make Love Not Warts & Four Score and Seven Beers ago...) after my shows. They sell good and sometimes the people open the books and read from them right there. When they see a proverb or one-liner they like and laugh out loud, that makes me feel all the better and that they will be happy with their purchase. This book is different, how will I know what they think? I can't be the only one who feels like this. Maybe I'm just tired from a weekend of  performing, driving and thinking. Comments? Questions?


 Here's a link to the book anyway,take a look and give the page a like.Someone may give me a lift today, thanks.




Monday, August 13, 2012

Dave Schwensen  has 3 books he has written about comedy published, teaches comedy at The Cleveland Improv and puts out a weekly newsletter. We have talked via email several times about topics in his newsletter, he liked my comments on one of his subjects and posted it . Here it is along with Dave's site. His newsletter is great for comedians and public speakers no matter what stage of thier career they are in. There's always something to learn.Here's the post

May 22nd – Don’t be a jerk – respect the room!
The topic was about open-mic comedians not respecting club or booker rules and… well, acting like jerks…
We run an open-mic as a show you have to sign up in advance for. We don’t let too many people on per show, and on the few occasions people have disrespected the room – we just don’t sign them up for a few months. Sometimes I’ll tell them the reason why they’re on probation, others not. It’s not really my business to “develop” people who are disrespectful to me, other comics, venue, etc… – Jerry Jaffe
*
Another great article – and I’ll take it one step further….
What about being a pro with many years of experience and doing a room that is NOT run the right way? There are reasons a show has a certain cadence. This just happened to me. I will not go into all the mistakes that happened, I’ll just highlight a few.
The guy or guys running it ( I was not sure who was ultimately in charge) had no energy as a host and tried to make jokes with people’s intros that were not working. He also was not even close to getting to the mic after each person’s set. There was a lull between the end of the set and his walking on the stage.
They had a guy go up for his first time ever and do 10 minutes. First time or not, I would have lit the guy at 3 min. And there was a cover charge to this show.
Language and subject matter were wide open and some people walked out.
I closed the show to what people were left. I’ve found that when a pro follows and all amateur line up, the pro looks bad. The people were so used to disassembled sets, that when I gave them good setups and punches, they did not know what to do with them. I still had a good set and the people in charge apologized about everything. They were nice enough and yes, I got the money. I think they learned a little it the process and I gave them some advice, but I bit my tongue because there was so much to tell them. I did not want to seem like a know-it-all or a jerk, plus it was their room. Quite a reverse from what you talked about I know, but I could not help but bring it up. Thanks for letting me vent Dave. – Brian Shirley


 Here's Dave's Site:  http://www.thecomedybook.com/

Obama on abortion debate.

Here's an email to a relative of mine pertaining to something President Obama said. I will not name them or their relationship with me. I was visiting them recently and we had a frank discussion about the upcoming election We are on different sides of the isle, so it did get a little heated, but in the end we enjoyed the exchange because it's good to get these things out. I made a mistake in saying when President Obama made his " punished with a baby" remark it was in relation to abortion. I got an email correctly me and you'll see the rest. No harm, no foul by the way, just a frank discussion.


Their email to me:



I found it. He wasn't referring to abortion. It had to do with him being against "abstinence only" education that people like Palin were touting at the time. He felt kids at the appropriate age should be educated about STD prevention and birth control, along with the option of abstinence, because he didn't want them to be ignorant, never taught about those things, and then be punished with a baby or STD. Here's the script:


Opponents of Obama's plan are expected to jump on a quote from his Q and A session in Johnstown, Pa., yesterday.
Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown reports that it followed “Obama's earlier comments that he does not favor abstinence-only education but, rather, comprehensive sexual education that includes information on abstinence and birth control.”

“Look, I've got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old," Obama said. "I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information."

Anti-abortion leaders will be encouraged to make the “punished with a baby” part famous.
My response, and this is not an attempt to embarrass anyone. Just a post to create dialog:


Your missing the point ,he still said "punished with a baby". Whether abortion or sex education, I don't think if you make a "mistake" as he said that a child is "punishment". I'll never accept that concept as being right under any context. Children of a certain age should be told about sex and sexual diseases,I think it's more the parents job than the government, but a lot of parents delegate that to the schools. People should always plan on having a child before they conceive, but, as you know life does not work that way. If someone as powerful as the President , who a lot of people luck up to, sees an unwanted pregnancy and the resulting child as a "mistake", how do you think the parents ( or single mother more than likely) will treat that child. If they perceive their offspring as a burden, they'll drag the infant around be his/her arm (I've seen it), yell or shove a 2-year old out of frustration. They'll leave the child alone at home so they can go out and party, because it' their right to do what they want. People already think this way, what Obama said just reinforces it. "Hell yeah, it ain't my fault the bitch got pregnant. She asked for it, let her take care of the damn kid!" That's the kind of culture this thought pattern leads to. Thanks, always good to have a civil discussion about these things. Take care, see you at Thanksgiving.


Their reply to me answer:

For sure. And I agree with you. I was addressing the point that it wasn't pro-abortion per se. It was still an irresponsible statement.

Yeah man, it was great having you here. See you in a few months!
 
SUMMARY:
 
 This person may vote for Obama, but my point in posting this is if our leaders from both sides of the isle could conduct themselves in this manner, this country would not be so divided.There's no use in me pointing fingers, both sides practice dirty politics and it's getting worse. It's been that way for a long time, but it's starting to really hurt our country. Will we ever see a political party that puts the USA before their (our) own interests? My answer is, we will when we decide to! We can still vote, this is our fault just as much as the backstabbers we put in office. If we stop rewarding politicians by re-electing them, they will get the message!

.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Triangle Variety Comedy Show 08/08 by Triangle Variety Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Triangle Variety Comedy Show 08/08 by Triangle Variety Radio | Blog Talk Radio We just did our second show and apparently had a big increase in listeners from our debut show. This is my first time co-hosting a radio show and booking guests. I've been a guest on many radio shows as a comedian plugging my stand-up or pushing my books, but hosting is a very different animal. I have found a new respect for the radio DJ's and talk show hosts out there across America. Doing your own radio show is not easy, but I enjoy the work I'm putting into it. I think I've got the rest of August booked pretty well with soem very talented and funny comedians.I'm starting on  booking Sept. and I'm also doing my best to write funny segments and come with more as the show grows. I've had a lot of help from other radio personalities and comedians, which makes life a little easier. For those people who listen in as we try and grow the shop as well as the audience, I'm sure they'll find something/s to enjoy about our little experiment. Patrick Walters is a veteran in many ways and I was honored when he asked me to co-host this show.Triangle Variety Radio is a fantastic network with a proven track record and talented people at the helm. I know I'll make some mistakes in the beginning and hopefully they will become fewer and fewer as the show grows. I'm learning a lot about booking guests, putting together segments and keeping the ball rolling. I welcome any comments and hope people who give us a listen enjoy the show!