So I’m re-posting it here. . .
3 easy ways to get over joke-writers block
So I took like a month or so off of my blog/twitter/facebook/linkedin communications, and I’m now having writers block as to what to start this blog back up with. Soooo, so why not start with how to get over joke-writers block. Here’s a couple of quick tips that I use weekly. . .
Do something else – when I’m trying to come up with some jokes on a particular topic, like, say, dogs, then I sometimes I have to leave it alone by either doing something completely different and/or working on jokes about another subject. Last week I wrote jokes at the same time for both a cartoon strip and for a ventriloquist. My brain seems to work behind the scenes – while I was actively thinking about bits for the ventriloquist, then my subconscious came up with bits for the cartoon strip, and vice versa. OR sometimes I just do something completely different. . . make phone calls, mail out packets, take a walk. . . .Anything I can think of to interrupt my lack of inspiration and let my subconscious take over. It usually works.
Secondly, when I get stuck, I try to un-jam my joke-writing by doing some quick research – I start looking at the way other people are talking about my subject. In the dogs example above, I’d do this research by going to Wikipedia, doing Google searches, checking out dog blogs, etc. . to just see what people are saying about dogs. A lot of times the reason I’m stuck is because I’m only looking at the subject from one angle. . . and many times the way the information is worded in my research will give me an idea for a joke and a different perspective. Remember, I’m not looking up dog jokes. . . that’s my job and I don’t want to accidentally incorporate something someone else has written. I look up dog facts and figures.
And finally, I’ll re-read other joke I’ve sold, regardless of the topic. It doesn’t necessarily have to be jokes about the same subject I’m writing on. . . any jokes will do. This is more to remind myself that I can write and to give me a little motivation. When you’re all by yourself, and YOU are your only motivator, you sometimes have to remind yourself that you’ve done this before, you’re funny, and you can do it again. This also gets my mind off of “stuck” mode, and gives me a little breather.
Of course I think it was Keith Richards who wrote one of the biggest Rolling Stones hits while he was high. From what I heard, he just woke up after a major party black out and the words were on the paper. . . so that’s another way. But my ways are legal, cheaper, and a little healthier.
jan