Comedy Masterclass

Well hello there, Danielle here. Venturing back out of the depths of the writing cave. What’s new? This is a quick update about 3 things, including where you can sign up to my Seriously Ridiculous monthly letter—for fellow word-nerds, story fiends and the comedy curious. Craft, inspiration, prompts. To keep you company on your writing journey. 

Or from socials: 

And thanks to the fabulous Joanna Penn for the prompt to create a newsletter-y way of connecting with you. We talked about it in her episode of Comedy Masterclass. 

https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/49-joanna-penn-writing-the-shadow

Hello, how goes it? Here's how my 52 day challenge went...(Plus the sweetest, funniest film I have seen in ages.) 

What’s up? How’s it going? Danielle here, with a quick autumn update. My new 52-day challenge! Will I make it? Plus, quick-fire comedy awesomeness. What have you been loving? Tell me all the things…

https://daniellekrage.com

https://comedymasterclass.com

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage

https://x.com/daniellekrage

https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/2-chris-head-comedy-tools-and-frameworks/

https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/40-chris-head-how-to-structure-your-30-min-comedy-or-comedy-drama-script/

Hey everybody, Danielle here. 

I set out to interview 52 guests about the craft of writing narrative comedy. Oh my goodness, what an adventure and education.

And now I’m at challenge complete.

For me, these episodes have become a treasure chest of tools and approaches that I get to apply to my own work. And It’s been a delight to hear from other writers around the world who have found them helpful.

You’re always welcome to find me here:

https://comedymasterclass.com/contact

Danielle Krage interviews Becky Holmes, author of 'Keanu Reeves is Not in Love with You'. Becky is also the creator of and voice behind the massively popular Twitter/X account @deathtospinach. Here she shares insights into how and why she uses humour to expose online fraudsters. Plus, what has helped her publish and promote her book.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:19 The Concept and Execution of 'Keanu Reeves is not in love with you'

06:08 Bringing Silly to the Nastiness

08:01 The Power of Humour in Diffusing Difficult Topics

10:16 The Widespread Impact of Online Fraud

12:43 The Publication Process: Lengthy and Challenging

15:15 Finding an Agent: Networking and Building Relationships

23:22 Using Humour to Handle Criticism

26:44 Tips for Confident Public Speaking

34:44 The Benefits of a PR Background

39:18 Future Plans as a Writer

You can find out more about Becky Holmes’ work here:

Becky’s book (wherever you buy your books) – Keanu Reeves is Not in Love With You:  The Murky World of Online Romance Fraud

https://x.com/deathtospinach

https://www.instagram.com/deathtospinach

You can find the transcript at:

https://comedymasterclass.com

And Danielle’s socials here:

https://twitter.com/daniellekrage

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage

Danielle Krage interviews Heidi Vanderlee, founder of Positive Jam – a public relations firm specialising in comedy, podcasting, film, live entertainment, and social justice. Heidi has worked in entertainment and PR for more than a decade; in this conversation, she shares insights that will benefit comedy writers and creators.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Heidi Van Der Lee and Positive Jam

03:00 The Importance of Relationship Building in PR

06:08 Common Mistakes in PR

08:53 Timelines and Planning Ahead in PR

12:50 Positive Jam's Focus on Traditional Media

15:23 Including PR in the Creation Process

20:09 The Changing Media Landscape

22:31 Positive Developments in the Media Industry

25:26 Authenticity and Ideals in Creative Work

30:20 Catching Attention and the No Press is Bad Press Concept

33:44 Balancing Attention-Grabbing and Authenticity

35:35 Trusting Your PR Professional

You can find out more about Heidi and Positive Jam here:

www.positivejampr.com

https://x.com/positivejampr

https://www.instagram.com/positivejampr

You can find the transcript at:

https://comedymasterclass.com

And Danielle’s socials here:

https://twitter.com/daniellekrage

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage

Danielle Krage interviews Kate Willett. Kate is a comedian, actress and writer who has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Netflix’s Comedy Lineup. 

In this conversation, Kate shares insights from making her recent comedy special, Loopholes, and her Audible Original, Dirtbag Anthropology.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:19 Dirtbag Anthropology: Exploring Positive Masculinity

05:03 Balancing Personal and Comedic Truths

06:19 Feminism and Personal Politics in Comedy

08:14 The Evolving Definition of Feminism

10:59 The Process of Creating an Audible Original

13:47 Filming a Comedy Special

15:14 Writing and Developing Material

19:04 Observations from Touring with Renowned Comedians

20:21 Dealing with Online Pushback

22:14 Recommendations for Comedy to Watch

23:10 Writing Jokes for Beavis and Butthead

25:06 Being Brave in Expressing Political Stances

26:33 Adapting to the Changing Comedy Industry

27:53 Future Projects: Another Book, One-Person Show, and New Podcast

28:23 Prompt for Listeners

29:39 Where to find out more about Kate’s work

https://www.katewillett.com

https://www.instagram.com/kate.willett

You can find the transcript at:

https://comedymasterclass.com

And Danielle’s socials here:

https://twitter.com/daniellekrage

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage

In this episode, Danielle celebrates completing 52 episodes of Comedy Masterclass and is joined by her husband, Jeremiah, as a surprise guest host. They discuss the motivation behind creating the podcast and Danielle’s own thoughts and approaches to comedy.

Note from Danielle: There are 3 more fabulous guests in this season, so listen out. :)

Chapters:

00:00 The Motivation Behind Comedy Masterclass

06:10 Exploring Different Comedy Styles and Formats

09:06 The Influence of Media Consumption on Comedy

11:36 Applying Comedy Techniques to Writing

23:55 Using Comedy to Address the Darkness in Life

26:22 Challenging Gender Roles in Comedy with Female Protagonists

32:59 Overcoming Challenges in the Publishing Industry with Drive and Passion

37:44 Expanding Creativity Through Learning from Different Comedy Forms

You can find the transcript at:

https://comedymasterclass.com

And Danielle website here:  https://daniellekrage.com

Danielle’s Stash: https://daniellekrage.com/stash

https://twitter.com/daniellekrage

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage

You can find Jeremiah here: https://jeremiahkrage.com

Episodes mentioned:

Chris Head: https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/2-chris-head-comedy-tools-and-frameworks/

Stuart Laws: https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/7-stuart-laws-surreality-satire-and-stand-up/

John Truby: https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/14-john-truby-story-code-and-beats/

Andrew Kaufman: https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/13-andrew-kaufman-allegory-and-absurdity/

Zanandi Botes: https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/30-zanandi-botes-comedy-horror-for-halloween/

Ray Bradbury: https://comedymasterclass.com/podcast/44-writing-advice-from-my-favourite-ghost-ray-bradbury/

Danielle Krage interviews Kay Stonham. Kay is a comedy writer-performer who has worked extensively across TV, film, theatre and radio. For example, she has written 10 original series for Radio 4, including Robin and Wendy’s Wet Weekend, and Bad Salsa.

She’s also the Co-Founder of Female Pilot Club , which was founded to amplify women’s voices and give women writers the chance to prove their jokes and characters in the room – as seen in their sold-out read-throughs of comedy pilot scripts to audiences of writers, producers and comedy lovers.

In this conversation, Kay shares really practical insights and advice for writers wanting to create and sustain a career in writing comedy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:25 Selecting Scripts for Live Performances

04:45 Developing Scripts for Showcases

07:09 Pitfalls in Script Submissions

09:58 Script Consultancy and Considerations

16:21 Misconceptions about the Production Process

24:54 Sustaining a Creative Career

29:29 PhD Research on Comedy Writing and Identity

39:55 Upcoming Projects and Female Pilot Club

You can find out more about Kay Stonham and her work here:

Kay’s website: https://kaystonham.com

Kay’s agent: https://mmbcreative.com/clients/kay-stonham/

Kay’s Audible Series: https://www.audible.co.uk/search?searchAuthor=Kay+Stonham

Female Pilot Club: https://www.femalepilotclub.co.uk/

Female Pilot Club Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/female-pilot-club/id1598357325

The previous episode with Chelsea and Emily from Female Pilot Club is here:  https://youtu.be/sFXuYQN2cPw

Previous guest, Lucy Lumsden (Yellow Door Productions) was a judge and sponsor of the live showcase we referenced (along with sponsors Imagine Talent). You can find Lucy’s episode here: https://youtu.be/axiGW8iqMkc

You can find the transcript at:

https://comedymasterclass.com

And Danielle’s socials here:

https://twitter.com/daniellekrage

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage

Danielle Krage interviews Alana Schramm. Alana is a coach who works with the subconscious, the nervous system and emotions, in a way that is really practical, playful, and relevant to creativity. This conversation is a frank and fun dive into what blocks us and what motivates us effectively.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Alana Schramm and her work

01:27 Negative emotions and creativity

06:20 Embracing imperfection in writing

10:57 Changing the relationship with yourself for creative flow

13:38 Transitioning from high-energy activities to writing

26:23 The Importance of Making Space and Tending to Our Capacity

27:35 Embracing the Present and Enjoying Life

30:08 Exploring the Power of the Subconscious Mind

32:16 Using Emotions as a Portal to the Subconscious

38:07 The Role of Self-Compassion in the Creative Process

43:24 Celebrating Ourselves: The Key to Motivation and Growth

47:00 Conclusion and Where to Find More Information

You can find Alana here:

https://www.alanaschramm.com

https://www.instagram.com/alana.schramm

You can find the transcript at:

https://comedymasterclass.com

And Danielle’s socials here:

https://twitter.com/daniellekrage

https://www.instagram.com/dekrage