Comedy Writing Toolbox: Make Lists!
Gather your ideas so you can turn them into things.
When I taught a comedy writing class, the first homework assignment for students was to get a notebook and to start carrying it with them at all times. I love a good notebook. To be more specific, I love good notebooks. I’m typically using a few at the same time. I use small notebooks for quick thoughts, medium notebooks for long-form writing, and large notebooks for freewriting brain dumps. I have specific notebooks dedicated to just a single topic. I use legal pads for script writing. I use a notes app on my phone to capture thoughts on the go - but always transfer the stuff in the digital note to paper later. Usually I’ll transfer it to another digital document later, where it can live until it morphs from “idea” into “thing”. I’ll admit that my system is probably overkill. One notebook plus one digital backup is really all you need. But if it ain’t broke…1
The next assignment after getting a notebook was to start using it. I find that the simplest and easiest way to get into the habit of using a notebook is to start making lists. It’s also a great way to start gathering ideas to eventually turn into things.
But what kind of lists, exactly?
The first list I recommend keeping is simple and straightforward: Things That I Find Funny. I’m looking for comedy ideas, so it’s a no-brainer to keep a list of things that make me laugh. I fill this list with silly thoughts, weird things I’ve done, and things that I find peculiar or strange (the “what’s the deal with…” kinda stuff). When looking for ideas to turn into a joke or an article or whatever, this is probably the first list I’ll check - because it’s already made me laugh in some way - I can figure out where to go from there.
Next in my list of lists are Things That I’m Interested In and/or Things That I’m Curious About and/or Things That I’m Obsessed With/Can’t Stop Thinking About (these can be three separate lists or one list, depending on how detail-oriented you want to be with list labels.) If comedy comes from the finer, specific details deep in the weeds of a topic, I’m already on the right path if it’s something I’m obsessed with and have been thinking about nonstop for a while. If it’s something that I’m genuinely interested or curious about, I won’t mind doing the research to find out more about it. Even if it doesn’t turn into a joke, I know more about something I was interested in, that’s a win!
Comedy often comes from strong emotions,2 so I like to keep lists of things that:
I Love
I Hate
I Am Afraid Of
Make Me Feel Confused or Stupid
Make Me Anxious
Embarrass Me3
The Feelings Wheel is a great place to start if you need to kickstart a writing session and you don’t know where to begin. Pick any old slice of the pie and start writing down things that you associate with that feeling. It could be things from within, things you witness in others, memories from your past, or completely made-up stories inspired by that emotion. I bet you’ll think of something funny before too long.
Two other lists I keep are Things I Agree With and Things I Disagree With. These can come from news stories, opinions I hear from other people4, general concepts/ things that we accept about our everyday lives. These are a great way to get relatable material on topical or universal subjects, if that’s the kind of material you’re looking for.
This next suggestion is a doozy - it takes a bit of self-reflection and introspection, but can lead to some great material if you’re brutally honest with yourself: Things I Avoid. The items on this list will most likely tie back to/fit in one of the lists of strong emotions (afraid of, embarrass me, etc.), but might not be as immediately evident. It might take a while to even realize there’s something I’m avoiding, but once I figure it out, I’m on a path to some real, honest, vulnerable stuff.
All of those lists are great for general idea-gathering and jump-off points. I also keep lists that are more specifically targeted to script writing. These lists help me remember little things that might make for good character or scene details someday. Things like:
With all these lists, you’ll never have to start writing from a completely blank page, there’s always something to start from. Where to take it from there is something to cover at a later time.
Honestly, it might be broke. Maybe just stick to one notebook at a time.
Or, at least, pretending to have strong emotions about something.
Or would embarrass me if they actually happened and weren’t just daydreams.
Or read online - let’s be honest, mostly ones I read online.
This could be a person whose actions inspire a character, or an occupation that makes me think “what kind of person would want to do that job” or bits and pieces I observe from people that make me want to fill in the blank or think of a story.
Sometimes I just think a song is cool and other times when listening to a song I can picture certain action happening that I feel like would fit with the song.
