III. HOW TO BEGIN TO WRITE

As a monologue is a collection of carefully selected and smoothly
blended points or gags, with a suitable introduction to the routine
[1]--each point and gag being a complete, separate entity, and the
introduction being as truly distinct--the monologue writer, unlike
the playlet writer, may begin to write anywhere. He may even write
the last point or gag used in the routine before he writes the
first. Or he may write the twelfth point before he writes either
the first one or the last one. But usually, he writes his
introduction first.

[1] _Routine_--the entire monologue; but more often used to suggest
its arrangement and construction. A monologue with its gags and
points arranged in a certain order is one routine; a different
routine is used when the gags or points are arranged in a different
order. Thus _routine_ means _arrangement_. The word is also used to
describe the arrangement of other stage offerings--for instance, a
dance: the same steps arranged in a different order make a new
"dance routine."

1. The Introduction

A monologue introduction may be just one line with a point or a
gag that will raise a snicker, or it may be a long introduction
that stamps the character as a "character," and causes amusement
because it introduces the entire monologue theme in a bright way.

An example of the short introduction is: