Still Writing...

I have to apologize for not writing this blog for the last several weeks. I've been very focused on writing gags (which is a good thing!) specifically geared toward the needs of the people I write for. Some of the cartoonists I write for only want business gags. Others want relationship gags (husband/wife, my favorite!). Some want gags centered around animals while others want gags that have no category...they're just "different." So, it's important that I keep up with the news (especially the election), read newspapers, magazines, direct mail, anything that might lead to a good gag. Sometimes just commenting on situations you find yourself in will lead to a great cartoon. The best humor is based on truth. Anyway, I've been busy reading, writing, editing, getting organized, you understand. I'm constantly trying to improve on what I do.

I know I need to get out of the house more and experience life. Try new things. Go places I've never been before. Writing is isolating and I have to push myself to get out and trying writing in places other than my house, such as the library or a coffee shop. Sometimes this works. Sometimes it doesn't. I have to say I find great humor in the whole going out to eat experience (lousy food, awful service, long lines, nasty wait staff, high prices, etc.). I think if I ate all my meals out I would come up with so many cartoon ideas that I could retire and just eat out for the rest of my life. Forget the gag writing.

Anyway, today I'm writing husband/wife gags but I'm always looking for business gags. Today I'll read my local daily newspaper, watch the news, try to fit in The New York Times and Barron's, and  will most likely have to put off reading the latest issue of Harvard Business Review till tomorrow.

Have a great day...and keep creating! I'm always on the lookout for new writing opportunities or to be part of a cartoon panel discussion. Send me an email to: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

Tonight! Bob Mankoff Speaks at the Museum of the City of New York

Bob Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of the New Yorker, will speak at the Museum of the City of New York tonight at 6:30. The talk, titled, "New Yorker Cartoons Past, Present and Future with Bob Mankoff," should be a great evening of cartoons and laughter. There's still time to buy tickets at the museum's website: www.mcny.org. I plan to be there.

Also, the New Yorker Festival, an annual event, features three days of interviews, film screenings, panel discussions and book signings. Topics include: politics, art, music, books, film, TV, theater, comedy and current events. This year's festival is scheduled for Oct. 7-9. For more information and a complete list of events go to the magazine's website, www.newyorker.com and click on "Festival."

Other than that, I spend my days reading and writing. Any comments, you can email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Have a great day! 

Bob Mankoff at the Museum of the City of New York

I wanted to let you know about an upcoming event I plan to attend. Bob Mankoff, Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker, will speak at the Museum of the City of New York on Thurs. Sept. 8 at 6:30 pm. The program, titled "New Yorker Cartoons Past, Present and Future with Bob Mankoff," should be a great evening of laughter and cartoons. I've attended many of these New Yorker cartoon events and they're informative and a lot of fun.

For ticket information go to the museum's website: www.mcny.org.

Hope you can make it.

A Few Thoughts at the Beginning of August

I think that a fundamental quality of a gag or comedy writer is the ability to see the humor in the world around us. You have to be able to see through the arrogance, phoniness, pomposity...you get the idea...and see the "funny" in what people say and do right in front of you. I guess you could call it being critical, having a skewed way of looking at things, or just having a sense of humor. You just have to be able to see how funny people are. I write a lot of gags about myself and those closest to me. The conversations that go on in my house - right in front of me - between me and my husband and our children are funnier than a lot of stuff on TV. Maybe I should be writing for TV. My motto continues to be: Anything is possible.

The other night I was having dinner with my extended family and someone asked me about my sales to The New Yorker (where the cartoon contained my gag). Of course I had copies of these cartoons in my bag which I promptly circulated around the table for all to see. I was asked how I work - how I come up with my ideas. I told them I read a lot and write down words and phrases that can be used in my captions. As those in attendance looked at these cartoons and asked wonderful questions like, 'That's yours?' I was so proud of what I helped produce. Someone remarked that the cartoons were "timeless" and "classic" and would make people laugh for many years to come.

Isn't that what we're doing this for?

Any comments? Send me an email at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

The Summer Slowdown

It seems like the whole world is on vacation in July and August and no one is buying. June wasn't so great either. That's fine. I actually took a week off in June myself. My favorite season is summer and I try to get to the beach as often as possible. But, it's been a really slow summer for me sales-wise. I know that cartoonists and editors are on vacation and can't be reached. This is the case in many professions. The world of work seems to take a vacation in the summer and come back to life in the fall...hopefully!

When things are slow - "holds" but no sales, no "holds" and no sales - it's very easy to get discouraged. I check my mailbox constantly beginning around 2pm even through my street is now at the end of the route and I get my mail around 5pm. Great expectations and great letdowns. I also check my email constantly for news of "holds" and sales. Again, great expectations and many days, great letdowns.

All is not terrible, however. I really love what I do and find great pride in seeing my ideas and captions in published cartoons. I get excited when I talk to others about what I do even though many  don't really understand what I do. Sometimes I don't either. Actually, I've received a lot of support and congratulations from members of my family and friends who do understand. It keeps me going. So does talking to other writers and cartoonists. Even though I write alone I need to get together with other creative people who can help and inspire me. For me, this is very important.

I've learned a few things about how I can be more productive. I know that I'm much more alert in the morning and therefore need to do my actual writing then. Many times by 4:30 or 5pm I'm ready to call it a day. I also need to prioritize what's the most important thing to accomplish that day and do that task first. I also know that I need a quiet place to write. When I'm sitting in the library trying to read a newspaper and come up with new ideas and someone sits down next to me who's talking on their phone I'm just kidding myself to think I can accomplish anything there. Best just to move to a better location.

Well, it's time to get back to work. It's early morning and I have writing to do.

Any comments? Write to me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

I Could Write A Book

There's a lot of rejection in this business of gag writing. If you can't take rejection, this may not be the career for you. I've been doing this for many years and I still get frustrated and discouraged when nothing seems to sell. Cartoonists take very few of my gags. Cartoonists hold my gags but very few sell. I seem to be recycling gags from one cartoonist to another. Then I write lots of new ones - topical ones - business gags - gags about what's trending - and these seem to fall flat as well.

I know I can do this because I've got three portfolios of published cartoons whose ideas and captions are mine.

I'm still trying to fine-tune what I do. Over the years I've written for many cartoonists - some I still write for almost 20 years later - many I no longer write for. From the cartoonists who I currently write for I'm constantly re-evaluating how I can write better - how I can zero in on what they want - and, also - when it's time to take a break and focus on what I'm good at and can easily do.

I've written other things as well. I told you I have a background in news and feature writing, advertising copywriting, editing and proofreading. I believe my background in advertising definitely helps with my cartoon gag writing.  I actually read ads - and the copy provides ideas and phrases that I use in my gag writing.

Many times I've said to myself and members of my family, "I could write a book." Well, in a way I already have. I have three large portfolios of published cartoons whose ideas/gags are mine. These are the books I've written. It's all my writing. It's my outlook on life. And when I get discouraged I need to go through these books and tell myself that I wrote all this and I will get published again.

The Interview in "Ink Spill"

In last week's entry I told you about attending a cartooning event at the Museum of the City of New York on June 29th which featured a panel discussion by four female New Yorker cartoonists. It was a great evening as I was able to meet  some of the cartoonists I had never met - each with their own styles and personalities. I was also able to meet Michael Maslin, also a New Yorker cartoonist who has a blog on his website which focuses on news and events of the magazine and its cartoonists. I read this blog every day and it's very informative and interesting. I introduced myself to Michael at this event and he asked if he could interview me for his blog. A week later he did and the final product can be found by going to www.michaelmaslin.com and clicking on the icon on the upper left hand side: his "Ink Spill" blog. The entry is dated July 7th.

The interview goes into depth about where I get my ideas, how I work, the process by which I send gag ideas to syndicated and non-syndicated cartoonists and a few of my opinions about the role of the cartoon gag writer. Included is a gag slip which shows how I would send a gag to a cartoonist via regular mail and the resulting cartoon in The New Yorker. When I admitted in the interview that I don't draw, Michael asked me to draw a tree for the article, which I did. It appears in the interview.

I guess if you're interested in finding out how I work, reading this article could be very informative. I've already received many positive comments about the interview. I thank Michael Maslin for the opportunity to do this.

If you have any comments about this article or a previous entry on my blog, send me an email to: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

Enjoy!