Writing is...hard. It’s fun! It’s something I like! It’s my job! But I think anyone who actually does it will agree that it’s difficult. The difficulty is part of what makes it so fun: breaking a tricky story, figuring out that challenging punchline, finding the perfect anecdote to open an essay. The accomplishment I feel when I do any of these things is like a mixture of winning a marathon and winning the lottery. It’s hard work and also a little bit of luck. [I imagine, I have never done either of those things.]
So many parts of writing are wildly unpleasant, like the solitary time, the introspection, and the waiting more than 90 days to get paid for whatever it was you wrote. But I find that, like most things, the hardest part is starting and getting into the groove. I feel the same about exercise. The hardest part of it is getting off the couch to walk out the door. Once I stand up and put on clothes, walking to the pool and changing and swimming and changing again and walking home is really not that hard. It’s the going from sitting to standing that takes up all of my mental energy. The same thing is true for me with writing.
Starting writing is hard, but especially when you’re like me and at any time you have several different kinds of writing you could or should be doing. So I thought for anyone else out there who writes or wants to write or knows that as they read this they likely should be writing (lies! Reading counts as writing in my book!!!) I thought I’d talk about how I get into each kind of writing I do for work.
BOOK
Writing my book (comes out summer 2026!!!!!) was the biggest undertaking in my career, just from a pure word count stand point. Also from a thematic, structural, and meditation standpoint. But really it’s the word count that felt like an insurmountable task. As someone whose life is mostly freelance, I don’t have an office I go to. And as someone whose freelance work is writing, I also don’t have a second bedroom. So when I started writing my book initially I tried to do it from my one bedroom apartment. I tried my desk but it’s taken over with podcast equipment (and a lot of unopened mail). I tried my counter, but the stools aren’t quite right for long stretches of typing. I spent a lot of time trying my couch (where most of my laptop time happens) and it was just always too easy to turn on the TV or to pet Rizz.
I finally joined a co-working space called Work Heights, which is a little chain in central Brooklyn that I honestly found so helpful. One opened two blocks from my apartment, which is the only way it would work. I needed to be super close or I’d never go. Once I joined, it was easy to get into a routine. I’d eat breakfast and commit to email time at home. Then I’d bring a few snacks and get a large iced coffee on my short walk over since they only had pour over in the kitchen. I’d set myself up at a nice big table and then get to work. It was nice that it was so close I could say okay, just commit to three hours of focused writing for the day. I figured if I could do that and then the rest of the afternoon if I was home on my couch fucking around and I decided to dig in more, great. But at the workspace I tried to close all other tabs and just focus on writing. Usually to get into writing itself, I would read what I’d been working on the day before to get my mind into the essay vibe (rather than stand-up or television).
My one complaint is that Work Heights insisted on everyone there being friends for some reason and did things to encourage talking, like a sign on the microwave popcorn that told members to walk around offering it to everyone. Thank god in my time there no one ever actually tried, except for one man who walked around ashamed and embarrassed that a sign made him do it.
STAND-UP
Everyone always wants to know how comics write stand-up. It’s my least favorite interview question because in almost fifteen years I’ve never landed on a method that feels effective. It constantly changes. I currently have a messy Google Doc with premises and written out bits living in it. Sometimes when I’m on the couch I open it up to see if anything sparks new thoughts (rarely does). But often, the stand-up I write these days stems from things happening to me. So when something joke worthy happens, I quickly write it down in my phone notes or a real notebook and try to get it on stage. I wish I were the kind of person who sat down and wrote out stand-up ideas, but I’m just not in this current moment. Though occasionally I’ll do this over a beer with another comic and we’ll toss ideas back and forth trying to see if anything is anything.
SCRIPTS (WITH JOSH)
Speaking of writing with comics, I wrote a fun script and pitch with my pal Josh. It was one of the easiest, most enjoyable writing processes I’ve had. We thankfully are neighbors and in our area there is a great coffee by day beer by night (and sometimes beer by day...) spot with big windows and large tables. So a few times a week I’d walk to Josh and we’d head over to our writing spot. If we met up in the morning, we’d first stop at our favorite bakery for a little pastry treat since the writing spot didn’t have many options. Then we would illegally sneak in our snacks, get giant coffees in big beautiful glasses, and head upstairs to eat our illicit breakfast treats out of sight. On days I was going to or coming from swimming at the YMCA nearby, I would inhale a giant crunchy salad they sold there, or demand Josh split it with me. We would write together at a table, occasionally reading things back to each other or sharing a screen to do small notes since the collaborative writing elements of Final Draft suck ass.
SCRIPTS (SOLO)
Writing a script with a friend? A dream! A creative adventure! Basically a structured hang for money! Writing a script alone? A slog. An unpleasant endeavor. The proof that you have no idea what you’re doing and should think about law school. I struggle to write scripts on spec because they often have no deadline, no boss, and no material money attached to them. I no longer have my coworking space now that the book is done, so my script writing is usually a home venture. I move between the couch (feet up, one arm on Rizz as he naps), and my kitchen counter/island where I can have various canned beverages next to me.
I also am a big fan of having a storyboard. When I learned narrative writing, I worked for showrunners who loved cards/a board. So I have a bulletin board that I move around my apartment when I need it. It’s not hung because I don’t have wall space that I’m willing to give up to these projects most people will never see. But when I’m in the first draft, and certainly earlier steps, of a script, I like to pull out the board and lean it against my television or kitchen stool so that when I look up, it’s there (hopefully with answers on it).
When I’m working on a script I like to watch something in that genre before I dive in. If it’s a half hour comedy, I’ll watch Veep or 30 Rock as I have coffee and breakfast to get in the mood. If it’s an hour long, I’ll fire up a random Succession or the latest from Netflix. This is where I have the hardest time focusing, and I try to just make page or scene goals for each day or week to keep the momentum going, even if it’s just “write two pages today.”
THIS SUBSTACK
I have a very specific way that I write this Substack. First, at the end of the week after it publishes, I bask in how much I like it and how fun it is to write these stupid little diaries and thoughts and picture books of snacks. Then I immediately text my friend Natasha, “UGHHHHH what do I write for my next substack?????” Then I spend the weekend ignoring it or thinking about it and feeling like my brain is empty and mushy. Then I think about all kinds of different topics and text Natasha again being like “is this anything??????” after just sending the word “groceries.” Then In the evenings or for a stretch of Tues/Wed I plop on the couch and just start stream of consciousness writing about something until it finally becomes this newsletter. Then I upload and schedule it Wednesday night, and when Thursday morning at 10am rolls around I think, “man, this is fun.”
So, I don’t know if any of that is helpful. Probably not because you aren’t me! But my writing process boils down to being in the right space and having the right amount of black iced coffee. Small goals instead of long deadlines is usually the name of the game: 3 hours today, 2 pages by Friday, etc. The rest is just, well, writing. It’s good! It’s bad! It’s nothing! It’s something! It’s the best! It’s the worst! It’s writing.
Here are a few more buddies of mine generously revealing their writing process:
BLAIR SOCCI
Comedian, Writer, Good Meal Appreciator
So I have extreme adhd and self doubt and have trouble multi-tasking with all the video posting, shows, auditions, podcasts, traveling — so I often times text Amy Silverberg and ask her to do pomodoro with me — she usually sets the timer for 25 min and then we get a 5 min break and we go again. We do it virtually but it really helps me when im on a deadline. Also sometimes I will text rosebud and say I have to pay u 50 dollars if I dont turn this in by tonight. I have to do a lot of systems and timers and lists for me to get stuff done. I usually write on my couch cuz a desk makes me feel like it’s too daunting, like im attempting some massively important global thing (psychotic) but im always trying to trick myself also into remembering im enjoying the things im writing, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and im not curing cancer.
A lot of procrastination for me is just subconscious self doubt that I am not consciously aware of. I worry I won’t know how to do it or it won’t be good enough but that is every artist that ever lives. The difference between the people who complete work and release it are the people that just complete stuff even though the entire process of writing is wildly uncomfortable. I am trying to approach writing with more of an athlete mindset just show up and do your best, but the most important part is showing up and doing it.
Watch Blair’s comedy special, Live From The Big Dog!
MYKA FOX
Comedian, Writer, Owner of Large Beautiful Cat
I was told to write in the morning while the brain is most creative, but I prefer to write at night, after every possible excuse has been taken care of and there is no reason for me to do anything else.
I have an office and a special vintage knoll chair that I like to work in. If my cat toe is already sleeping in the chair, I will transfer her to my lap. If she isn’t, she will be in shortly. I would actually prefer to write without her because she demands pets while on my lap but it is ultimately more time effective to just let her have her way.
I have a fan going for climate control and white noise, and I also like to play music to keep out the sounds of other people both outside and inside of my apartment. Stephen King said the only music you should listen to while writing was heavy metal, citing certain brain enhancing properties, but it makes me too agitated, so ill listen to whatever style fits the vibe of what im working on, and ill let needing to change the music distract me as necessary. I’ve tried turning my phone off, but then I can’t control my music easily, so do not disturb mode is usually helpful.
To get into writing I like to read over and edit the last bit of what I was working on to build momentum into new sentences, another Stephen King tip, but was also instinctual for me and I realized I was already doing that without being told to. Depending on the project, Ill have a word count I’d like to hit or a time frame to fill to let my mind feel like I can check off the job off writing. And that’s it.
Watch Myka’s comedy special, My Joke My Choice!
JUSTIN TYLER
Comedian, Writer, Director, Excellent Home Mixologist
My writing process has entered chaos mode in this time of my life. It used to be so simple.
Ten years ago it was like this:
I would have said I write in chunks in the morning with a massive coffee urn next to me. I would always have music on and especially playing records because they make you have to stand up every 15-20 minutes to change the music to get the blood flowing. Back then, when writing with a partner in person, I would always have the laptop, constantly versioning the different brainstormed lines. Writing was sitting and luxuriating, plucking ideas out of the air.
But then... I had kids.
Now writing is a mad dash, stolen moments when the kids are at school in between errands and watching the violent prestige TV shows I can’t watch when the kids get home. Music? Who cares! Get into it NOW, then get back to an email or podcast or Instagram reel that I should probably re-edit and then crosspost. Plus now I write fucking everywhere, I’m in the corner seat on the subway cranking out pages, in a parked car outside of a kid’s drop off birthday party, in the doctors office waiting for the nurse to draw blood. A couple years ago another parent asked my kids what I do for a living and they said ‘laptop’ and honestly, I should write that down, cause that’s a good one.
Watch Justin on Characters Welcome!
MORE STUFF! MORE STUFF!
I’ve been playing more solitaire at home and it’s a delight. I did a lot of that during lockdown days as an attempt to get away from my three screen life. I’m doing the same now, just putting on music, pouring a glass of wine, and playing a few rounds instead of looking at my TV, laptop, and phone all at the same time. Highly recommend!
You can pre-order Natasha Pickowicz’s new book, Everyone Hot Pot now!!!
This week on Ruined we did Jug Face!
Also Ruined Live is Sunday to do...Weapons! Get your tickets!
Friday night at 10pm I’m on Hot Gossip at Union Hall. And then next Wednesday 10/1 I’m hosting for the writers of Jimmy Kimmel Live at 7:30!
another incredible read
I love reading these every week and I am so excited to read your book! Has a title or anything been announced?