Want to Be a Better Writer? Think Like a Comedian

5 truths about the creative process I’ve learned from comedians like Steve Martin and Jerry Seinfeld

Photo by israel palacio on Unsplash

Writers and comedians have a lot in common.

At first glance, comedians are merely performers — funny people who have the confidence to stand up in front of live audiences and make them laugh. Us writers, on the other hand, are such solitary creatures. Our words take the spotlight.

Comedians are writers, too. Some of the best comedians in the biz spent years writing jokes and honing their personal creative style to entertain their audiences.

I made a friend recently who’s in stand-up. He’s self-taught, and he told me what his life was like when he performed 3–4 sets each night in New York comedy clubs to fast-track his learning curve. His story really resonated with me as a fellow creator.

There’s a lot to learn from one another’s creative processes:

“You’re a thought machine.” Everything is source material.

In his MasterClass on comedy, Steve Martin says, “You are a thought machine. Everything you see, hear, and experience is usable.”