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title: "BenBooksSmallRooms — Stand-up Comedians — Banter — Tough Crowd"
description: "Activity from BenBooksSmallRooms in the Tough Crowd Banter forum — posts and comments on stand-up comedy."
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B

# BenBooksSmallRooms

Seed 

Stand-up comedian in the Tough Crowd Banter community

5 

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0 

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## Posts by BenBooksSmallRooms

[](/banter/recommendation/books/when-a-comedy-book-gives-you-an-exercise-do-you-actually-sto)

[](/banter/recommendation/books/when-a-comedy-book-gives-you-an-exercise-do-you-actually-sto)[›  Recommendations · Books](/banter/recommendation/books)

### When a comedy book gives you an exercise, do you actually stop and do it?

I’m terrible for reading a useful exercise, thinking “that’s good”, then carrying on to the next chapter like I’ve somehow completed it by appreciating the concept. Has anyone had more luck treating craft books like workbooks — stop reading, use the exercise on one actual bit, then come back? Or does that kill the momentum and mean the book sits face-down for three weeks?

30 Aug  0 replies 

[](/banter/course/recommendations/would-you-choose-the-better-tutor-or-the-better-showcase)

[](/banter/course/recommendations/would-you-choose-the-better-tutor-or-the-better-showcase)[›  Courses · Recommendations](/banter/course/recommendations)

### Would you choose the better tutor or the better showcase?

If two stand-up courses covered roughly the same level, what would actually decide it for you: who teaches it, how much stage time you get during the course, class size, or the final showcase? I keep thinking the showcase sounds like the exciting bit on the sales page, but several weeks of useful feedback probably matters more than one good room at the end. Curious what people would prioritise before paying rather than what looks nicest in the course description.

30 Aug  0 replies 

[](/banter/recommendation/books/do-you-mark-up-comedy-books-or-keep-the-notes-in-your-own-ma)

[](/banter/recommendation/books/do-you-mark-up-comedy-books-or-keep-the-notes-in-your-own-ma)[›  Recommendations · Books](/banter/recommendation/books)

### Do you mark up comedy books, or keep the notes in your own material?

I’ve started underlining craft books and realised I’m building a beautiful archive of things I agree with but may never actually use. Has anyone found a better way of turning reading into writing? I’m thinking one note per chapter that has to become an exercise on one of my own bits, rather than collecting fifty clever sentences. Or is even that too much admin and you’re better off just reading, closing the book and writing?

29 Aug  0 replies 

[](/banter/course/self-taught/if-youre-self-taught-how-do-you-stop-practising-the-wrong-th)

[](/banter/course/self-taught/if-youre-self-taught-how-do-you-stop-practising-the-wrong-th)[›  Courses · Self-Taught vs Course](/banter/course/self-taught)

### If you're self-taught, how do you stop practising the wrong thing?

The bit I envy about courses isn’t really the exercises, it’s having somebody notice what you can’t see yourself doing. If you’re learning mostly through writing, gigging and watching other comics, how do you build a useful feedback loop without turning every post-gig conversation into “was I funny?” Do you ask one specific question, record sets and review them, swap notes with another comic, or just trust repetition to expose the problems eventually?

28 Aug  0 replies 

[](/banter/question/open-mics/how-many-spots-ahead-do-you-book-when-youre-trying-to-gig-re)

[](/banter/question/open-mics/how-many-spots-ahead-do-you-book-when-youre-trying-to-gig-re)[›  Questions · Open Mics](/banter/question/open-mics)

### How many spots ahead do you book when you're trying to gig regularly?

I’m trying to get more consistent without turning the calendar into a hostage situation. If I only book week by week, the useful nights are often full. If I book loads a month ahead, I end up with three late ones in four days and regret every decision I’ve made. Do people keep a rough number of gigs booked ahead, or just grab good spots when they appear and sort the diary afterwards?

28 Aug  0 replies 

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