Stop getting writer’s block and learn how to get out of your own head. Over-analyzing material while you’re writing is a creativity killer. Too many new comedians concentrate on surface level concepts like “What should a punchline look like?” or “how long should a setup line be?”
This video suggests a better way to write comedy: by tapping your authenticity. The key is to get into the same mental state you’re in when you’re performing at your best or when you’re being extremely funny with friends. You never think about “comedy writing techniques” or “joke formulas” when you’re with your friends, and yet, you’re incredibly funny around them. The trick is to take that state with when you write or revise your stand-up comedy material. The more you concentrate on the rules of writing comedy the less authentic you will be as a writer and as a performer.
Stop thinking about what the “perfect punchline” looks like. You can think about this when you’re revising material. When you’re writing you have only one job, tapping into the mental/emotional state that you’re in when you’re already at your best. When you do that, most of the techniques new comedians constantly worry about fall into place by themselves.
