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<\/a>\u201cI mean, I think that\u2019s the most difficult part; trying to come up with a new set every year,\u201d says Quinn. \u201cYou know, I don\u2019t have a lot of time, so what I try to do is just take notes of things that are kind of funny throughout the year, and then, basically, come September, I sit down, write them, and just flow, and let whatever happens happens. Try not to judge\u2014I think the main thing when you\u2019re being creative, in the beginning, is to just try not to judge the joke.\u201d<\/p>\n
In circumstances of creative demand, community is a lifeline. Whether it\u2019s to have someone hold you accountable or merely to bounce ideas off of, having a strong network in your chosen field is essential to success, both personal and professional. For many comedians, this is a cornerstone of the creative process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get to work with other people that we respect, and they\u2019re a lot of fun to hang out with\u2026 And it\u2019s really, actually, fun when you see another comic do one of your lines on stage,\u201d says Quinn. \u201cIt\u2019s almost better, you know? Because you\u2019re actually getting to see the performance of your joke. Which, when you write a joke and say it, you\u2019re never gonna see the performance of it. So that\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another challenge, of course, is knowing your demographic. However, for these comedians and storytellers, this serves as more of a suggestion than a rule. What\u2019s most important is knowing your material and why you are up on that stage\u2014why you matter, even just for a moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think, when it comes to jokes, people can look at it in two different ways, and people will laugh,\u201d says Quinn. \u201cOne is when you watch somebody do something and go, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s just like me,\u2019 and, \u2018I can see myself doing that as well.\u2019 You relate to the comic. But the other way that people laugh is when they can relate through the comic.\u201d<\/p>\n
These lessons are for anyone to learn, not just comedians with decades of experience and good ticket sales. But experience\u2014good, bad, or otherwise\u2014tends to be the thing that shapes us the most, creatively and all.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was doing a show in New York in East Village\u2014which is, like, very hipster\u2014and it was the year 2000. And on the show was Janeane Garofalo, Dave Chappelle, Marc Maron, and Jim Gaffigan. And I was the guy going on last… So, I do the show and I tell a story about going moose hunting in northern Alberta, which is as far from the East Village as you can get,\u201d says Quinn. \u201cBut the joke went really well, and after the show, this guy came up to me and was like, \u2018Hey, man, you were my favourite comic on the show\u2019… And that, for me, was a big moment\u2014to realize that I can relate to people that I have nothing in common with, as long as I\u2019m true to who I am and what I\u2019m talking about, and making it funny.\u201d<\/p>\n