On Freewriting
“Writing things down without knowing if anything good or clever will come out.”
Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian
Comic Matt Ruby offers standup comedy philosophy, advice, and inspirational quotes from great comedians. Some praise for posts here...Judd Apatow: "Great." Gary Gulman: “Love this!”
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Latest posts
Comedy Means Business: Back of the Room
Deadline features “a new regular column of observations on comedy from stand-up Matt Ruby.”
Good on the flyer, bad in real life
Why I’m suspicious of comedy shows that need a gimmick.
Scott Dikkers: Write down ten opinions about anything
Also: Comedy works better when there’s a “straight” frame that contrasts with the absurdity.
20 things about standup
Comedy brain dump on audiences, crowdwork, bombing, the attention economy, and more.
How do you follow two heavy hitters?
Chris Gethard on following killers like Nikki Glaser and Dan Soder at the Cellar.
Taking the W
10 Good Things: Why activists struggle with victory, Louis CK on building an hour, Mel Brooks on comedy, Ira Glass on beginners, and more.
When do people buy tickets to shows? Punchup answers...
Data to help you understand ticket sales, whether to add shows, and when people buy.
"Passion can’t be faked"
Highlights from "The Comedy Bible" by Judy Carter.
"Tony, where are those Jew jokes?"
On Kill Tony, Jew jokes, and "hours of comedy content per week" as a metric of success.
“An opinion is a closing. An observation is an opening.”
Louis C.K. on seeds, silence, and detaching from validation.