Any endeavor worth doing is worth doing well. . . and that is especially true when it comes to performing before the general public. But many times we ventriloquists (or magicians, clowns, etc.) fail to put together our master "game plan", the outline of what we are trying to accomplish.

To try and perform without knowing what direction to take is like trying to steer a ship without a rudder. . . the whole thing wanders aimlessly. Therefore you owe it to yourself to take some time and figure out just exactly what you are trying to accomplish with your ventriloquism.

A brainstorming session with yourself and a piece of paper and a pencil or pen will do the trick. Sit down in a quiet place and do some soul searching. On that piece of paper you might want to put some subheadings such as:

1. What kind of audiences will I be playing for primarily?

2. What kind of characters (wood, fiberglass, soft-sculpture, etc.) will put the act across?

3. How much time do I need to do (length of act)?

4. Do I want to do this for a living? Do I only want to do vent part-time?

5. What is my ultimate goal with ventriloquism or my act?

By putting forth a little effort you can clearly define what you want to do with vent and/or your act and then have some purpose. By using this method you can avoid unnecessary side-trips into areas that you might not feel comfortable (for  instance. . . you might not like to do programs in nightclubs or lounges) or spend money on characters that you thought would be "really neat" but find out later that it doesn't fit in with your act or what you are trying to do. I would certainly hate to see the closets of some performers. . . they're probably jammed with puppets, magic, and props that looked good at the time but really didn't fit into the overall game plan.  

Remember. . . the "game plan" is like a road map. It can keep you on course and get you to your destination without detours. After all, life is too short to waste it on incidentals.