Advice On Writing (Jokes)
8 Tips From An Unexpected Source (Comedy Mindhacks #54)
C.S. Lewis once wrote a letter to a young American schoolgirl who asked for writing advice. He replied with eight simple tips, which, when you read them through the eyes of a comedian, land almost like gospel. To me, they’re consonant with the comedy mindhacks I often write about on this site so, I thought I’d share them. Ultimately, these are super practical tips for any writer but are also good for joke writers. So here they are, albeit with a little translation for us weirdos who write jokes into notebooks, phone apps, and on napkins.
1. Turn off the radio.
Today, most of us only listen to the “radio” in the car. So, is this pointless? Not at all. What Lewis really meant here was “distractions.” In our world, it’s not just the radio, it’s the podcast, the endless scroll, the open tabs, the doom loops, etc. Shut it down. Shut it all down. You can’t hear your own voice if it’s buried under everyone else’s! Get somewhere quiet and write jokes.
2. Read all the good books you can, and avoid nearly all magazines.
Comedy translation: Don’t just watch social media clips. Start watching full specials. Read memoirs, novels, essays, old speeches. Get transcripts of comedians’ shows. Let better voices raise your bar. And avoid low-grade shock humor and culture churn that numbs or rots your brain. Learn how to write great jokes from engaging with and studying the works others, especially the greats.
3. Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye.
Not every joke requires sound. But most do. And most require a rhythm, too. If you can’t hear the punchline coming, neither will the crowd. Write aloud. Read it back to yourself. If it doesn’t sing, it also won’t sting. Get up in front of a crowd, grab a mic, and tell your joke out loud.
4. Write about what really interests you…and nothing else.
Don’t write about planes if you have zero interest in them. Don’t write about marriage if you’re just regurgitating sitcom clichés. Write about what bugs you, what obsesses you, what interests you, and what makes you laugh out loud alone in the car. Rule: if you’re not interested, no one else will be.
5. Take great pains to be clear.
There are no bonus points for being clever if you aren’t also clear. In fact, confusion kills just as many, if not more, jokes than bad premises. Write like the audience is smart but distracted. As a colleague of mine says: clarity is kindness.
6. Don’t throw your scraps away.
That half-joke you abandoned six months ago? It might be your closer in two years. Keep a graveyard of bits. Never throw anything out. Ever! The dumb ones age surprisingly well. Recycle your rejects. They’re not dead, they’re just waiting for the right setup or right moment or right version of you.
7. Don’t use a typewriter.
Lewis, I think, was talking about rhythm here more than anything. The clack of keys on the typewriter got in the way of good thought. Today, some comedians carry little books and others use phone apps. The point is: use that which most enables you to write jokes most frequently and avoid that which most deters you or most gets in the way.
8. Be sure you know the meaning (or meanings) of every word you use.
Words have weight, edges, double meanings, and are insanely powerful. Words are the comedian’s playground. But if you misuse a word, even slightly, you’ll derail the whole joke. Jokes are tight little machines. One bad bolt and the whole thing can collapse. Know your stuff by knowing your words!
So, there you have it, eight pieces of advice from a man who wore tweed, smoked a pipe, wrote fiction, and definitely never did a bar show in Peoria or Chattanooga. Lewis definitely had a great imagination and good sense of humor. And the reason all this resonates still is simple: good writing is good writing. And joke writing is really just good writing that detonates!
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