Lauren Olster: editing, writing, media, and comedy

Article and Q&A by Molly Wexler

Lauren Olster, a recent graduate of Florida State University, is attempting to navigate the wide world of comedy in New York City. Even as the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered improvisational clubs and comedy venues in her area, Olster is still finding and thinking about ways to make people laugh.

Olster developed her skills as a comedian in the Tallahassee improv scene while majoring in English, in the editing, writing and media (EWM) track. Now, almost two years after her graduation, she shares her thoughts on the symbiosis between writing and comedy, her plans in New York, and her past inspirations from FSU and Tallahassee.

Note: Molly conducted this interview with Lauren before New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a stay-at-home order for the state on March 20.

Q: How would you describe your responsibilities as a social media intern and an advertising coordinator for Stand Up NY and LaughPass?

A: When I was an intern at Stand Up NY, I interviewed comedians that regularly performed there, and helped out around the club in terms of setting up for shows, checking in audience members, running errands, and creating graphics and captions for all their social media. One time, I saw Chris Rock walk in and immediately back out. I also helped manage and promote a program called LaughPass, which aimed to encourage going to live shows and, thus, boost audience members/ticket sales. My EWM classes played a role since they taught me how to write for specific audiences—a great skill for both sending emails and advertising on social media— and how to use various programs (i.e. Photoshop) to create and design digital posts.

Q: Did you always plan to build a career in New York or was this unexpected?

A: I definitely had the idea of living in New York floating in the back of my mind since I was really young, so it wasn’t totally unexpected. I did surprise myself by booking a one-way flight there before landing a job. This was only after living at home for a couple weeks and having a heated argument with my brother about hot dogs.

Q: How did The Black Sheep at FSU [an online satirical publication] develop your interest in comedy?

A: I had an interest in comedy well before I wrote for The Black Sheep, but that was the first official outlet that I was able to try it out on. Writing and editing satire helped me develop my voice and technical skills and taught me about staying concise, straightforward, and focused with every line of text. This experience also gave me a new little community within FSU and encouraged me to try out other forms of comedy.

Q: What was your experience like working on a larger scale than FSU for The Black Sheep in Chicago?

A: I loved working at The Black Sheep’s headquarters in Chicago. I was able to edit students’ funny articles from different schools around the country, as well as write my own articles and create various other content-related videos and memes. Everyone at the company was hilarious and fun to work with, and it was cool putting a face to my managing editors’ names, people I’d previously only spoken to over the phone. They also had beer on tap in the office.

Q: Do you have a process for writing comedy, such as a place you like to be or a routine you like to do?

A: I’m in the process of improving my writing process. I usually write from bed. I don’t recommend it, as there’s no inspiration there, but I'm also usually more distracted at coffee shops or wherever people are. Since starting comedy, I’ve learned that writing without a deadline or a clear end goal is really hard, especially [for] a procrastinator. However, when there is a deadline, waiting until the last minute (again, I don’t recommend it) adds just enough pressure to break reality a bit for me; it works wonders for comedy writing!

Q: How do you feel your knowledge in writing has affected your comedy and vice versa?

A: Studying writing absolutely influenced my comedy because it helped me find my voice and creative abilities, which was hard to find otherwise as I grew up very shy and anxious. I learned I could add humor to the most rigid writing assignments in any class. Once I started writing satire, I realized my favorite thing to do was make something funny out of the most mundane subject I could possibly think of. Writing helped me see that there’s humor in everything.

Q: You took ENC 4352 at FSU with Jack Clifford, which focused on journalism; are you interested in pursuing journalism in addition to comedy?

A: I did become quite interested in pursuing journalism while I was in Jack’s class. I often value editing and writing sans bias or opinion over everything else, which is kind of the opposite of what a comedian should do. Writing about other people and places is a much more peaceful process than any personal narrative. I wouldn’t say a career in, or related to, journalism is out of the question, but I’m not currently pursuing it.

Q: What FSU English department teachers inspired your comedy and/or writing interests?

A: I’ve got to say, Jack was more enthusiastic about my improv team [FSU's No Bears Allowed] than any other teacher I’d ever had. Most of my teachers at FSU knew very little about me, so I didn’t really use the English department as comedy inspiration. However, there was a year (or two, or four) when I had a huge, secret crush on a TA, so I would try to promote my upcoming shows in that class, and then I’d be extremely motivated to come up with good comedy for said shows. It’s also possible that some of my best writing came out of that class.

Q: What advice can you give to English/EWM majors who want an internship or are entering the job market?

A: For current EWM students looking for internships, I say find something at FSU that’s challenging and caters to your interests, or find one elsewhere that pays you. Don’t take an unpaid internship unless you really think it’ll benefit you, whether that’s in learning experience or in a guaranteed job upon graduation. I took on a couple unpaid internships that I’ve since regretted, as they very obviously just took advantage of me.

Q: What has stayed with you most from your time as a student at FSU?

A: The lasting takeaways from my time at FSU are my editing, writing, and, dare I say, media skills. Probably more importantly, the relationships I built with people in both the English department and comedy communities.

From English classes at FSU to building a career at Stand Up NY, Olster has challenged herself and sought new experiences to cultivate her comedic voice. With her broad range of skills, the sky seems to be the limit in her future pursuits in comedic writing or even journalism.

Molly Wexler is a senior majoring in English with a concentration in editing, writing, and media, in addition to a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certification.