Thanks for the article. Maybe I'm too left-brainy to understand "Your set should be able to be told out of order". To be able to tell jokes in any order, they all need to be like 1-2 sentence jokes, no? I think even after reading this post, I don't know how to not write long, structured, plotted jokes.
Hi Ozan thanks for the message. No not jokes, "bits" - which is a collection of jokes around one theme. Say you have a bit about summer one about parenting, one about airplane food. There shouldn't be any narrative structure that ties these bits together so you can jumble up the order or say drop the parenting bit if the comic before you did a lot of that.
Yes, I like this essay even better than the earlier version, which I am now coldly kicking aside even though I used to love it
It reminds me of seeing comedians on TV years ago, doing this little mumbled segue thing, where they’d say a few words awkwardly, to suggest a ramp to the next thing. And they usually seemed a little embarrassed as they were doing it.
this is one of my favorite pieces of yours! so many gems in here. here are some of them:
"Ignore this left-brain need to tie things together and create a clever little package. If you present a hilarious set people will say “I LOVE how you structured that!”. Writing about yourself is already a story, you don’t have to create fakey little sub-narratives and segues."
"Who here likes hats!?"
"Please don’t ask the audience questions if you don’t care about the answer."
"Stop impersonating other stand-ups and start embracing the shit-show you are"
"By definition structure it is not funny."
"Having said that I do love a joke that starts out with a really vapid idea, and ends with your whole life unravelling. Surprise!"
"after Funny Town, there is Hilarious Hill, The Swamp Of Guffaws, LMAO Mountain etc."
"I only mean the specific thing I mean."
thank you for all of this beautiful, accurate, hilarious advice!
Ah perfect! I still have a couple of sets to go through but this will make a great article 🤝
Thanks for the article. Maybe I'm too left-brainy to understand "Your set should be able to be told out of order". To be able to tell jokes in any order, they all need to be like 1-2 sentence jokes, no? I think even after reading this post, I don't know how to not write long, structured, plotted jokes.
Hi Ozan thanks for the message. No not jokes, "bits" - which is a collection of jokes around one theme. Say you have a bit about summer one about parenting, one about airplane food. There shouldn't be any narrative structure that ties these bits together so you can jumble up the order or say drop the parenting bit if the comic before you did a lot of that.
Thanks! What if your whole set is one bit 😂?
lol I have no idea. Do you have a recording or have it typed out?
I think the set in the email I sent you, fits to that description 😇
Yes, I like this essay even better than the earlier version, which I am now coldly kicking aside even though I used to love it
It reminds me of seeing comedians on TV years ago, doing this little mumbled segue thing, where they’d say a few words awkwardly, to suggest a ramp to the next thing. And they usually seemed a little embarrassed as they were doing it.
Thanks Ozan, you're one of the few people that might have seen both essays! I will be rewriting some of the old more obscure ones this summer.
dear caroline,
this is one of my favorite pieces of yours! so many gems in here. here are some of them:
"Ignore this left-brain need to tie things together and create a clever little package. If you present a hilarious set people will say “I LOVE how you structured that!”. Writing about yourself is already a story, you don’t have to create fakey little sub-narratives and segues."
"Who here likes hats!?"
"Please don’t ask the audience questions if you don’t care about the answer."
"Stop impersonating other stand-ups and start embracing the shit-show you are"
"By definition structure it is not funny."
"Having said that I do love a joke that starts out with a really vapid idea, and ends with your whole life unravelling. Surprise!"
"after Funny Town, there is Hilarious Hill, The Swamp Of Guffaws, LMAO Mountain etc."
"I only mean the specific thing I mean."
thank you for all of this beautiful, accurate, hilarious advice!
i love your writing AND i love hats!
love
myq