#jokewriter

[0nelinerwordplay]

https://www.instagram.com/one_liner_joke_lab/

[alchemisoul]

Okay for you? Or Mars? What if Mars is definitely not okay with you touching it? Ever thought about that? Fuck na. You only think about yourself.

[andysandfordcomedy]

Some Things To Consider While Writing Jokes

Lately I have been doing one on one Joke Machine sessions with comics of all levels where I go over all the material they send me and see if we can improve upon that material. I’ll also watch a set they send and give feedback. It’s been interesting and very informative to see the different ways people stray from doing their best stuff the best way. Generally speaking, the comics who came to me were concerned with self awareness and open to criticism. That allows them to progress so much further than someone who would scoff at the very idea of doing that. I have a lot of respect for comics willing to do whatever it takes to get better. 

Earlier this month I was asked by Blue Ridge Comedy Club in Bristol, TN if I would be able to do a 3 hour joke writing seminar. Having recently done those Joke Machine sessions with comics turned out to be crucial in putting together a 3 hour lesson plan of sorts. That brings me to this: an attempt at a condensed version of that seminar. Just some things to keep in mind and steps to consider when writing jokes that I think will help you no matter what your particular style is. and with that; a caveat of sorts: I cannot make you funnier than you are. I can’t tell you how to guarantee yourself a successful comedy career. I can tell you that the most important aspect to a succesful comedy career is being good at comedy. I mean, really really good. Better than what anyone would expect. Try to get into a mindset of constant progression. Always try to envision what the better you looks like, and then be that you the next time you’re on stage. It’s the only way I know of to reach the level necessary to do comedy professionally. Ok, let’s get into it.

1st RULE TO WRITING JOKES: YOU MUST WRITE 

This is something people don’t like to hear. Many comics, when asked about their writing process, will say something to the effect of “I don’t really sit down to write.” Just know that this is bullshitting yourself. If you want to get good at something hard, you can’t be afraid to dive in and work. The time you spend on stage is a fraction of the time you put into your act, or should be. Set aside a couple hours every day to sit down and write. You will find that you can’t force your creativity to a tight schedule. That’s ok, don’t let that stop you from trying. When you are in a groove/the zone/whatever...when things are popping, RIDE THAT OUT. Cancel appointments if you have to. The time spent in the zone has to be maximized. That is as important as sitting down to write every day. Don’t bring things to a halt while you are in a groove and think that you will resume that creative rush later: you won’t. So, big takeaway here is write often, and when in a groove, ride it out. 

TALK OUT THE JOKE AS YOU WRITE IT

Stand up is only written to be spoken. As you are writing, talk out the joke. Find a comfortable rhythm. Find that perfect wording and assess each line. Always keep in mind that the joke’s final form is vocal. I personally hate writing in coffee shops for this reason. I can’t say messed up shit out loud in a coffee shop. I like writing outside if the weather is nice. If that’s not doable, I write at my desk. If you are able to, try to have a dedicated office space where everything you do while sitting at that desk is career related. The second you get away from important things and start dorking around on facebook, get away from the desk.  

WORD ECONOMY

My definition of word economy may be more in depth than other people’s, but it isn’t about just making everything shorter or using less words. Yes, conciseness is key, but overall just always consider every line you say. Does that line serve a purpose? Does it need to be said? Could it be said better? Remember that a setup is just the information needed to get the joke. If you can make the setup funny while being concise, perfect, but it’s more important that it is concise. One thing that helps me is to write jokes in outline form. Write down only the lines you know you need to say and have a space in between them. Then think, “get from this line to the next line as quickly and naturally as possible.” I find if I write down the transitional sentences I get hung up on them. It helps me to think of everything I say filling a balloon up with air, so the longer it takes me to get to the next laugh, the bigger the pop(laugh) should be. Sometimes I won’t be comfortable with how much setup is required to get to a mediocre pop, so I will find an “on the way” joke to get a little pop along the way. That visualization seems to help a lot of people I have shared it with. 

STEP 1 TO WRITING ANY JOKE: IDENTIFY THE PREMISE

If I were to ask you, “what’s the premise of the joke,” do not say “well first I say this...” No, I mean the concept of the joke. The idea that is funny. If you just come up with something that’s funny, assess it and be able to explain why. You don’t want to have to explain why it’s funny to an audience, but you should be able to explain what is funny so that you can find the best way to get that premise across to people. Drill that into your head: Know the premise. KNOW THE PREMISE. Know the premise. 

STEP 2: HOW MUCH MEAT DOES THIS PREMISE HAVE?

As you identify the premise, consider how much meat there is to that premise because that will determine what kind of joke it should be. You may think you have majority of the joke figured out and then need to stop and zoom out. Ask yourself, is this actually one aspect of a much wider premise than I originally thought? If so, the rest of the joke may kind of write itself. 

STEP 3: GET THE JOKE TO A STAGEWORTHY FORM

Remember to keep talking out the joke vocally and find that wording that works. Don’t work it most of the way out and put a pin in it. Get the joke to a point where you can try it on stage. Don’t put too much on yourself. Doing any joke for the first time is an undertaking, but you have got to follow through and write a complete joke once you start. Not doing that is a really bad habit. Once you try the joke on stage, consider what worked/what didn’t, then change the joke as necessary, and when you do: make sure you have a new complete version to try. Remember that a joke is always malleable. You can always change it/make it better. Do new jokes right up top. You may want to open with something reliable to get em first, but then do the new thing. Don’t put off doing the new thing. If you are confident in how funny it is, go ahead and open with it. 

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stand up is just one premise presented to completion, then another premise presented and performed to completion. One after another. Over and over and over. Don’t make it more complicated than that. Don’t try to weave some complicated tapestry filled with little half baked joke ideas and expectations from the audience. Keep it simple, crisp, and clear. This joke, then this joke, then this joke. One after another. That’s it. 

HAVE FUN

I have learned over 15 years of comedy that the one way to make sure you don’t do well is to not have fun doing it. If you can see that this show is gonna be a nightmare, find a way to make it a fun nightmare. It’s the only way to do well. The good news is: this is always possible, I promise. You will bomb occasionally: There is no escaping it. Do not concede to bombing though. Don’t speed through parts of the joke to get to the part you think they’ll like. If you don’t like how things are going, slow down. If things are going well, speed up a little. 

[phillipgallant]

“I’m trying to write a joke about selling organic weed.” said Gallant

[ruthy-ferrera]

#joke #jokewriting #comedy #latinosenusa🇺🇸 #latincomics #standupcomedy #funnies https://www.instagram.com/p/CqLWgbYN-Zd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[waynelvslcy]

Happy Birthday Red Skelton! As rubber-faced as Jim Carey with the high energy of Robin Williams, Red was the premier comedian of his day. Because he was always clowning around, I get the sense that he may have been joking here in this interview: ’Red Skelton has copyrighted every joke he has written since he was 10 (“or maybe not until I was 12”), when he wrote down a joke and sent it to himself by registered mail to have proof of where and when he wrote it. He once was going to sue Lucille Ball (“a dear friend”) for stealing a skit, the one in which she drinks some tonic and gets drunk. But then he figured, “To hell with ‘em.” He did sue Keenan Wynn. “But like my mother said, you can write ‘em faster than they can steal ‘em.”’—The Orlando Sentinel, May 27, 1989. #lucilleball #redskelton #happybirthday #oldhollywood #newsarticle #copyrightinfringement #lawsuit #jokewriter #keenanwynn #clowningaround #clown #orlandosentinel https://www.instagram.com/p/CReQfWJFSDR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[propicsmedia]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Cousineau (@propicscanada)

#storytelling #songwriter #scriptwriter #comedywriter #jokewriter #lyricist #lyrics #writer #author #musician #musicians #creativewriting #creativeprocess #arts #poetry #scriptdevelopment #comedians #songwritingchallenge #singersongwriter #creativebc #cbcarts #books #scripts #makemusic #AGT #TheVoice #maskedsinger (at ProPics Canada Photography) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUEJJl2JwHR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[amigospc]

129. Shaun Eli Corporate comic and joke writer for Jay Leno

[standarddesigns]

Old Chestnut just keeps coming out with ‘em. ‘Relentlessly, gratingly upbeat’ says the Daily Sketch. ‘What have we done to deserve this?’ asks the Northampton Southampton & Littlehampton Advertiser. ‘Please contribute to our appeal to buy him a one-way ticket to the South Pole,’ pleads Apathy Weekly. #theoldonesarethebestones #oldchestnut #jokes #jokewriting #typography #fonts #vintagefonts #design #retrosupplyco #chestnut #newspapers #botanical #botanicalart https://www.instagram.com/p/CddoLqqqRQD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lindseyjenningss]

This Tuesday night, I’m so fucking excited to return to the @thecomedystore @roastbattle stage and battle one of my favorite opponents ever @sarahkeller07 ! You dont want to miss this rematch!!! 🔥🔥🔥watch it live in person or if you’re not in LA, don’t worry! @realmintcomedy has you covered! Watch the show in HD and feel like you’re there with us!!! ❤️‍🔥✨ . #roastbattle #thecomedystore #roast #standup #jokewriting #jokes (at The Comedy Store) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRpt-DTrU8d/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jennifersarahashley]

These kinda jokes write themselves. I got tools from places to always be aware, everything has the ability to be a joke. But these exchanges just make me sad. #jokewriting #jokes #comedymemes #comedy #revolution #protests #firedrillfriday I want the coffin tree now #coffintree #sadness #freedombacon (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7J7fsaJnaC/?igshid=c8kouvdqln4l

[new-author-daniel-plivori]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 #funny #jokes #joke #funnymemes #funnyjokes #funnyjoke #bookjoke #writingjoke #jokerwriters #jokewriting #colon https://www.instagram.com/p/By9m9v8AbUn/?igshid=bceopsgd6laq

[alchemisoul]

Dude...Jesus...Sun of God, no?

Dude...Y'all moved the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday!

Dude...That Obelisk was imported all the way from Egypt!

Dude...In 1817, circular stones were set to mark the tip of the obelisk's shadow at noon...

...as the sun entered each of the signs of the zodiac...

...making the obelisk a gigantic sundial's gnomon!

[bigemoneyz]

Writing I have my writing #socks on #weedsocks #cannabis #cannabiscommunity #hempclothing #jokedealers #hiphopcomic #fchent #comedyrockstar #comedylife #jokewriter (at Joke-Dealers)

[thevividgreenmoss]

I know it's passe to compliment Tina Fey but literally any other showrunner would've forced a Liz & Jack pairing at some point even if it was just for an episode and it would sucked for a billion reasons but she never did That so props also she was the best tv jokewriter of our time and 30 rock is the best sitcom of the last fifteen years

[waynelvslcy]

Happy Birthday Red Skelton! As rubber-faced as Jim Carey with the high energy of Robin Williams, Red was the premier comedian of his day. Because he was always clowning around, I get the sense that he may have been joking here in this interview: ’Red Skelton has copyrighted every joke he has written since he was 10 (“or maybe not until I was 12”), when he wrote down a joke and sent it to himself by registered mail to have proof of where and when he wrote it. He once was going to sue Lucille Ball (“a dear friend”) for stealing a skit, the one in which she drinks some tonic and gets drunk. But then he figured, “To hell with ‘em.” He did sue Keenan Wynn. “But like my mother said, you can write ‘em faster than they can steal ‘em.”’—The Orlando Sentinel, May 27, 1989. #lucilleball #redskelton #happybirthday #oldhollywood #newsarticle #copyrightinfringement #lawsuit #jokewriter #keenanwynn #clowningaround #clown #orlandosentinel https://www.instagram.com/p/CCyiTb8nrS3/?igshid=141apsyiiy0hs