How To Write Funny Episode 44 | Patton Oswalt
Mar 3, 2021
Patton Oswalt, Emmy-winning comedian and actor, discusses the importance of hard work in comedy, the art of storytelling, love for obscure content, and reflections on comedy and talk shows.
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Obsession Trumps Casual Practice
- Obsessively pursue your craft and say yes to doing it all the time.
- If you split your free hours with other tasks, you probably won't succeed as a creative professional.
Find Jokes Through Live Discovery
- Patton finds material by workshopping onstage until it feels conversational and collaborative.
- He believes audience-involved discovery lands faster and stays with people longer than prewritten pieces.
Write Prompts, Not Full Scripts
- Use short subject headings or prompts on the page instead of full scripts.
- Treat notes like improv prompts to map story start, middle, and end before adding color.