The Art of the Monologue (GWTW452)

In today’s episode of Getting Work To Work, I answer two questions from a listener about how I come up with ideas for my monologue episodes and what some of the obstacles are in the process. I often hear from listeners that they enjoy these monologues because they get to hear my opinion on topics. While I don’t talk about the process very often, I thought I’d share about the art of the monologue, and how I think about and deliver them. For me, this is the heart of the show and where it all started.

How do you decide which monologue to write?

  • I decide which monologue to do based upon what’s going on in the world and my life, what I’m reading or watching, and what I’m thinking about.
  • I usually land on a theme in the form of a word, a sentence, a simple idea.
  • Once I sit down at the desk, there are several possibilities to move forward with. I open iA Writer and work on the outline. During this process, I’m searching for stories and experiences from my own life. I’m also looking for quotes and memorable phrases from stuff I’ve recently watching.
  • I write the body of the monologue. I usually start with a story related to the theme. Then I transition into the actionable section.
  • I then write the introduction synopsis, which in turn becomes the textual content on the website for the episode and the description on podcast players.
  • Sometimes I’ll write exactly what I want to say. Other times I’ll do a rough outline and improvise.
  • From here I record, edit (yes, I edit), create the art, and schedule the episode for release. I’m generally doing this the day before.

What are some of the obstacles you encounter in that process?

  1. What else is there to talk about?
  2. Are people still listening?
  3. My neighbor mows his lawn a lot. I joke a lot about it, but seriously, it’s like I have a red recording light outside my window and he waits for it to go on.
  4. What if there just isn’t anything to talk about?
  5. Occasionally the internet goes down, so uploading can be an issue.
  6. I’m not feeling it.
  7. Time issues.

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