I write jokes by talking to myself, out loud, in my car or on the streets of Philadelphia. Yes, I look like a crazy person. I don’t care. My best jokes weren’t written in my head, they were spoken out loud over and over until something started to click.
This process initially felt weird to me, mostly because I was so used to writing scripts and essays for school. I would sit at a computer, bang out a few words at a time, and read it back the next day. But writing for stand-up is different. The words you’re writing are meant to be heard, not read. As a result, I usually need to hear a joke out loud to tell if it’s working or not.
This process of hearing a joke out loud also makes me worry about how fun it is to listen to my jokes. Even beyond the content, I want people to be entertained by my choice of words, my pacing, and my cadence. I have a phrase in one of my jokes, “metropolis of equality.” Say it out loud. You hear that parallel emphasis on the second syllable? That’s the sort of thing I love, when the words just sound good together. Yes, I’m conveying a funny message, but I think jokes are funnier and more memorable when you find those little hooks that stick in the minds of your audience.
Driving and walking while I write also gives me the opportunity to divide my mind. My lower level brain is focused on a simple physical task, allowing my creative ideas more space to breathe. There’s a reason why writer’s rooms are full of tennis balls and stress relievers; it’s easier to focus on a creative task if you’re also occupied with something simple, repetitive, and physical that is totally unrelated to your brainstorming goals.
So that’s how I write. What about you?
Wow, glad to hear I’m not the only one who talks to himself, rehearsing material, while walking the streets. I actually write the exact same way and also have a love for words that go well together. A punchline that made me laugh really hard when I heard it, was one that just relied on alliteration. “Pepsi puppies get more puppy pussy with Pepsi!” Do you even need the setup to laugh at a line like that?
I usually come up with my best ideas in the shower. My body is physically on auto-pilot, and my mind is free to drift. I then sit the tape recorder on the passenger’s seat on my way to work and talk out what I was thinking.
I write it longhand in a little book, because it helps me omit needless words—I can type much faster, and am more likely to ramble—and then I work out the specific wording in my head and by saying it out loud. If I’m stuck, I’ll try telling the joke to a friend, and I find that I automatically pick the most clear, concise words, just because I’m trying to be conversational. I too walk the streets of Philadelphia saying my jokes out loud, but I hold my cell phone up to my ear so it looks like I’m talking to someone.
Steve’s comment reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Tim Burton’s Batman. The Joker says “I was in the tub yesterday, when I realized I’m destined for greatness.”