8 Things We Learned About Writing from Stand Up

A night with Ali Wong and parallels to kidlit

Last week, we went to see Ali Wong’s new stand-up comedy show. (You see, we are friends outside of writing! It’s not all about writing all the time!) We had a nice dinner, rushed to the theater, sat through the awkward opening act, and then laughed nonstop during Ali’s hilarious routine. After the show, we talked about how funny and well done it was! And then… how it inspired us in terms of our writing! (Maybe it is about writing a lot of the time.) And so, we thought we’d share our thoughts.

1. Tell a story, not just a string of jokes. The warm up act had jokes, lots of them, but he didn’t bring them together in an overarching story. Ali Wong’s set on the other hand was a story, yes it was full of jokes, but every joke built on the previous one to create a narrative.
   Apply this to kidlit: Does each line of your story follow on from the previous line or is it a series of vignettes that could be read in any order?

2. Call back to earlier parts of the story. The warm up act’s set had no story arc - no obvious structure at all. On the other hand, Ali Wong called back to earlier parts of the story, and her set had a satisfying ending that circled back to the beginning.
   Apply this to kidlit: Try writing an ending that reflects the opening of your book in some way. In picture books you might use a circular structure. In novel writing, how can you refer back to the beginning of your book to show how your character has changed?

3. Even with a humorous story you need heart. Ali not only was incredibly funny but her story also had heart. She told of sweet moments, heartbreak, and showed vulnerability.
   Apply this to kidlit: Think about your story and how you and your readers connect to it. Can you add a moment to the story that adds emotional depth? Watch this video from Julie Hedlund about the heart layer in picture books.

4. Craft meticulously. Every word and pause and delivery of Ali’s performance was impeccably crafted! She delivered in all a way that it felt so natural and easy, but every choice was expertly made.
   Apply this to kidlit: Every word matters! Think about how every word and moment serves your story and whether there’s a better way to do so.

5. Be amazingly specific. Part of what made the crafting so strong is that Ali’s words and stories were so specific and outrageously, accurately descriptive. She used hilarious and vivid metaphors and imagery, packing every moment with laughs.
   Apply this to kidlit: Is there a more specific, vivid way to describe what you’re saying throughout your stories?

6. Evoke rather than explain. Ali’s choices and delivery were crafted such that they EVOKED rather than explained, meaning that you FELT what she was describing!
   Apply this to kidlit: This is related to the classic “show, don’t tell” but with a bit more focus on what you want the reader to feel/experience. How can you get them to feel/experience what you want them to?

7. Have a strong voice. Ali’s style is so clear and compelling, and it’s iconically her own. It brings you into her world, it’s recognizable, and it delivers consistently.
   Apply this to kidlit: Think about your voice. Is it representing you and your story in the best way? Is it consistent and compelling?

8. Mine your life. Ali’s set was incredibly personal and full of anecdotes from her life. Of course, it’s comedy, so she most likely exaggerated and tweaked the tales to make them appeal to her audience and get everyone belly-laughing.
   Apply this to kidlit: How can you use your own experiences to write a story? For example, Vicky drew on her childhood to write Ava Lin. And while Christine has never found a hidden wish library, she did draw on her own childhood fears about public speaking to write Snow Day in May.

Have you ever watched a show, musical, movie, or other media and thought about how it could be applied to your own writing? Tell us about it in the comments. And if you get a chance to see Ali Wong’s show, we highly recommend it!

Ali Wong’s tour had lots of surprising insights for us as writers!