Feeling the Fear and doing Stand-Up anyway! - shortlisted self-published author Kay Wilson plunders herself to hit the right notes
- CWIP
- Oct 4
- 3 min read
For readers who haven’t (yet!) read your ‘The Stand-up Mam’, can you tell us about it in one sentence?
The perfect mother enters a stand-up comedy competition which could be life changing but has potential to blow up her family life.
What is your first-hand experience in performing and writing standup comedy?
I had a near-fatal brain haemorrhage a few years ago and once I recovered I hit my bucket list. Learning how to do stand-up was at the top. I did a weekend Edinburgh Fringe comedy course, followed by two years of doing gigs in the North East. They were usually five/ten minute slots, unpaid. I did the same course again last year to remind myself about it all and was better -but still terrified!
Do you find women’s competitiveness funny? And if so, how do you use it in your funny writing?
No, sorry I haven’t come across it much, not yet, anyway… In my experience women are generally really encouraging of each other.
Which witty novel inspired you the most growing up?
Marion Keyes’ writing always makes me laugh out loud. The first one I read was Rachel’s Holiday and it was such a great read, full of humour. I would love to come close to delivering such a clever, witty novel.
How long have you wanted to write and finish a manuscript?
I’ve tried to write a novel for over 20 years but having two children, working and general life got in the way. Then in 2012 when they were older, I did an MA in Creative Writing at Northumbria University and that made realise writing a novel could be achievable. The first 10,000 words of the Stand-Up Mam was done as part of the course. I left it in a drawer for a few years, then thought it was a shame to not use the stand-up sets I’d subsequently written in some way, so I dug it out and finished the first draft.
Where do you write?
I like to write in our spare bedroom/office and mainly when the house is empty and quiet.
Do you take coffee breaks or stick to water /wine/other?
Yes. I try and set a time before I have a break – eg at 10am I’ll stop. I couldn’t drink wine and write as I would really waffle on!
Any writing habits gratefully received.
When I was trying to finish the final draft of The Stand-Up Mam I would write the word count every day on the month to view calendar. I’d attempt to write 1,000 words a day. It was a great help to see how the novel was building up. In the initial stages I also had a word count challenge with Vic Watson, a writing friend, where we both had to write about 250 words a week. It was such a small number we both did it and usually much more.
Finally, can you tell us why you think CWIP is important?!
This competition is an amazing opportunity to have recognition for funny women writers who might otherwise go unnoticed or unread. The number of male writers and comedy professionals compared to women is disproportionately higher so we have a lot of catching up to do. The CWIP awards are an absolutely vital part of showcasing women’s talents and as a result, also encouraging the next generation.
If you could offer support we would love you to press the button below - so we can keep going!
