How-to write comedy everyday?

[Phil]

So we're supposed to right everyday, write? I haven't tried but I can't imagine working on my stand-up everyday. Starring at my notebook doesn't help, I either have ideas or I don't, I'm either in a creative mood or I'm not. Yeah I can add toppers and edit lines etc.. but really, everyday?

• What do you guys do to get your creative orange juices flowing?
• Do you work on your act each day?
• Or do you do other forms of comedy writing? If so what other types?
• Do you do exercises like writing topical jokes from the day's newspaper?
• Does doing other types of comedy writing help your stand-up?
• I should write an hour per day at least, but if I don't have any fresh ideas, what should I write about?
• Does writing lame, annoying posts in Stage Time count as "writing"?

[punkdc]

I'm with you, I cannot write everyday. If I have an idea I'll work it out, but I don't force anything. I currently got a writing job for the local tv station so I try to come up with at least 1-2 sketch ideas per day to pitch at our weekly meeting. Also fellowship season is coming to a close so I've been trying to just finish those scripts before deadline.

[st.raw]

Here.

[MJEH]

What do you guys do to get your creative orange juices flowing?


Do you work on your act each day?

"If by 'act' you mean being a total asshole to everybody, then yes."

Do you do exercises like writing topical jokes from the day's newspaper?

(See "Writing News Jokes" thread/ "MJEH". And, also, what's a 'newspaper'??)

Does doing other types of comedy writing help your stand-up?

"Yes, writing 'Top Ten' lists and constantly insulting people."

I should write an hour per day at least, but if I don't have any fresh ideas, what should I write about?

"Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Y'know, that stuff in the box with the powdered 'cheesey food/flavoring' stuff? What the hell is that shit anyway?!?!?"

Does writing lame, annoying posts in Stage Time count as "writing"?

"If your AST Forum ID is 'John Santana' it does, apparently."

Suitable for framing.

[ASR]

I'm a chaotic person, but I have odd quirks about me that say certain things need to be organized or have a process.

So, I've created a very specific way of writing jokes.

It's extremely cheesy and lame, but it works for me. I really think everyone has their own way of writing jokes, but if this works for you... then, hell. You're welcome?

I have three categories: The Pot, The Oven, and The Plate.

The Pot is basically any premise or funny idea that pops into my head. I don't force ideas: if I think of something, I'll write it down on a nearby scrap of paper or save it in a note on my phone or something. Then, when I get home, I'll open my notebook and add it to what I call "The Pot." Every few pages or so, there is a page titled "The Pot" along with the date of the day I started that page. I tack new ideas or premises on there until the front and back is full, or if too much time passes. Most of this stuff makes no sense to anyone who isn't me: it's fragmented and jumbled, just little word phrases to remind me of ideas.
Examples of stuff in my most recent Pot:
- "sneeze so hard you fart"
- "masturbation with rumble on Gamecube controller"
- "does a machine make rubber band balls?"

The Oven is another page where I keep the more promising premises from The Pot. I develop them and write more and expand them to multiple lines, even precise wording of what I might say. This is where I prepare material that I'd like to try out on stage. It doesn't necessarily mean I'll use it, and sometimes stuff skips The Oven altogether and goes straight to the stage. They can be as short as one line so long as it's sufficient enough to remind me of what the joke is. They can also be really long and detailed and complex and wordy. It really just depends.

The Plate is all my final and tested working material. This is stuff that has been used successfully on stage at least once. It's all trusted material that I'm proud of and will not be risks. What this page looks like is a bulleted list of 1-2-word cues for jokes. Nothing more than that, just a name for the joke. After each one is a categorization in parentheses: (short) for a joke that takes only a few lines like my Mockingbird bit, (line) for a one-liner like my 20-dollar-bill bit, (rant) or (story) for a lengthy bit like my No Sense of Smell one or the Biggers/Short joke, and (list) for, obviously, a joke that is a list, like my Movie Porn bit.

Currently there are only 12 bullets on my plate, which amounts to about 15 minutes of material as far as I can recall.

I've probably made it sound a lot more complicated than it is. It's so simple in my head and it took way too long to type all of this out. This is the first time I've ever tried EXPLAINING it. It took me a while to fall into this process, and I tried a ton of different things before I finally decided on this one.

[punkdc]

ASR, I think that is an awesome way to write. It's a great way to keep order. My friend who does comedy would love this method.

[ASR]

Yeah, I'm glad I got this all figured out so early on. I've only been on stage 15 times, heh.

[Alex Mac]

I honestly think a lot of a person's writing habits have to do with the type of learner they are.

For example, I a very much an auditory learner so I find a lot of my material is found in conversation with other people. It probably has to do with starting in improv first as well. I am sure that more tactile, goal orientated, kinesthetic learners can probably sit down and force themselves to write better.

What this mean for visual learners is beyond me but it is probably something like what ASR has outlined.

[CaptainBreakfast]

I found the best way to write comedy every day is to write comedy every day. Sound vague? Good, because it's supposed to be. Doesn't sound vague? Well, then I messed up.

I found that it takes sitting down in front of a blank page while toying with your thoughts until something funny comes up. I do this every day. Preferably in the morning. Some times I get frustrated after about an hour or two, I say fuck it, I go away, begin to live my day. And I've found that if I return later in the day to that pad of paper that has all the unfunny jokes angrily scratched out or to that wordpad document with all the self-hate and expletives on the page, I generally find myself to be able to write fun, funny stuff for about an hour or two, where before it was only misery. Then I take the second try writing to the stage at the next opportunity, and 70% of what I wrote works on some level, which I find to be an exceptional hit rate, even if it is about 1-1&1/2 minutes of material per day.

Lately however, things have been changing, like they always do. I start to find that my jokes are no longer fun or pleasing, that my writing has gone down the toilet. It's important, however, when I get in these pockets of depression, that I keep writing, and keep going on stage. That way I learn more about what makes what I'm writing not funny. And I know that I'll get out of this slump, and continue to write well again. Perseverance is key, because, and I know that I could be wrong, but you can't really learn about doing comedy by not doing comedy.

That being said, it's important, when you're not writing or performing, to relax and enjoy life. I've fallen into the trap where I can't stop thinking about it, that I assault my consciousness with jokes and scenarios and "what worked and what didn't" thoughts and preoccupations about writing more and working harder at it. It gets to the point where I'm onstage IN MY DREAMS, and I can't escape it. I get out of it by realizing that I need to talk to friends again and say hi to my family that I stopped contact with, and get back to reality, all the while writing for 2-3 hours daily.

Also, it is easier to do when you are unemployed and don't go to college.

• Or do you do other forms of comedy writing? If so what other types?

I occasionally will write essays or stories just for the hell of it. I'll spend 2-3 days doing sketch premises if ever I get invited to join a sketch group (the sketch groups usually last 1-2 meetings)

• Do you do exercises like writing topical jokes from the day's newspaper?

I used to, and I've been able to get some material out of it. Writing from the headlines can be a nice exercise that yields material itself.

• Does doing other types of comedy writing help your stand-up?

There's a local comic that has been doing comedy for six years, and in those six years, he barely improved. Most comedians considered him a doomed cause, that he would continue to do terrible until he quit. Then, he recently took an improv class at a newly opened comedy theater, and he has taken off. Every week he's getting funnier and funnier, and I make sure I see him every time he gets on stage.

It helps some people, as stated above, but don't count on doing another type of comedy to make you better at standup.

• I should write an hour per day at least, but if I don't have any fresh ideas, what should I write about?

Watch your shoulds, they'll make you miserable (as I've experienced.) Switch your first should in that sentence to a choose, and see if it sounds like a choice you'd make. As far as the second sentence, don't worry, ideas will come to you.

• Does writing lame, annoying posts in Stage Time count as "writing"?

Yes, because people will read it, and you're practicing writing forum posts. If you want to be the funniest poster on AST (JasonDaro currently holds the title), then it counts as writing.

[pg13]

So we're supposed to right everyday, right?

Says who?

Seriously, when it comes to the creative side of being a comedian, there really aren't any "supposed to" or "have to" type of things. If it works for you, do it that way. If it doesn't work for you, try something else.

Now, you may indeed find it helpful to write every day. Doing so...and committing to doing so...may help your creative process. It may force you past the easy...and it can you help dig deeper, to the really juicy marrow stuff that you didn't know was in you. It can train you how not to settle for "not being inspired today."

On the other hand, it can make comedy feel like a job when maybe you don't want it to be... Maybe it can make you resent comedy for being so demanding. Maybe your brain simply isn't wired that way.

Advice, however confidently it's given or how cleverly it's presented, isn't to be misconstrued as "rules"...advice certainly isn't enforced doctrine. What works for one person might work for someone else, but it might not, too... And, for many of us, we've chosen comedy because we don't function well if we're expected to follow too many rules.

Sure. Go ahead. Try to write every day...and commit to trying to do it...if you think that's something that would help your process.

But, if you don't write every day, rest assured, nobody is going to take your comedy privileges away from you.

pg--Choices. We all make them. We all have to live with them. Well, at least, we're supposed to live with them.--pocatello, idaho

[MJEH]

It's extremely cheesy and lame, but it works for me.

The Pot, The Oven, and The Plate.

Gee, your hands must be pretty tired after typing all that! No sex for you tonight! This is actually a very intellectual and systematic approach to a creative art. It displays an attention to detail and an organizational style.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." Socrates

I a very much an auditory learner so I find a lot of my material is found in conversation with other people.

Spontaneity, I have found, is one of my strengths as well. I really enjoy playing off of others.

I found that it takes sitting down in front of a blank page while toying with your thoughts until something funny comes up. If you want to be the funniest poster on AST (JasonDaro currently holds the title)...

I like sitting in front of a blank piece of paper as well. It's like a temptation of creativity. JasonDaro???

[Bucky_Sinister]

this is all dependent on the type of comedy you're doing. I do long form, story-type stuff. so I write what looks like 100-300 word essays. I'll pick some subject like jobs. Then each day, I write about a different job I had, until I covered them all.

On first draft, I only care about honesty. The funny, that'll come later.

If you're doing more standard setup-punchline stuff, political material, characters, whatever, your process will be different.

Also, figuring out your creative process is a personal journey. Once you figure out what time of day you're most creative in, where your best workspace is, whether you like to type or write longhand, whether you like pencils or sharpies, you'll get somewhere.

[Phil]

Also, figuring out your creative process is a personal journey. Once you figure out what time of day you're most creative in, where your best workspace is, whether you like to type or write longhand, whether you like pencils or sharpies, you'll get somewhere.

Time of Day: I think 9pm-1am, just starting to figure this out. Being a bit tired helps me think funny. I don't know how these people write first thing in the morning, funny is the last thing on my mind.

Workspace: Any clean room in my house. Clutter distracts me.

Write: Laptop, definitely laptop.

What other things are there to consider?

[Cameron]

Phil, how did you write the jokes you already have? However you did it is probably the way that comes most natural to you, and therefore, is the best way for you to do it.

You are needlessly overthinking something that is actually pretty simple and entirely specific to the individual.

[Having Fun!]

I write the words "fat women" and go from there.

[suavepebble]

I write the words "fat women" and go from there.

I find that the phrase "Lady fatems" gets you to where you need to be at a much faster clip. Food for thought.

[spriest]

Joe Janes, a Second City writing instructor in Chicago, has a blog where he's attempting to write a first draft of a sketch everyday for 365 days... sort of to see if he could do, sort of a 'practice what you preach' thing. He's on day 159.

http://biteandsmile.blogspot.com

So, not stand up, but maybe that'll be inspirational to someone.

[klorjne]

I write the words "fat women" and go from there.

and then for punchlines you add "eat junkfood", "smell", "always eating"?

[Siggers]

I write the words "fat women" and go from there.

You're learning.

[Siggers]

and then for punchlines you add "eat junkfood", "smell", "always eating"?

Or, Gunt, hungry hippo, wut? fried chicken works as well.