The Writing Process podcast – Christopher Wink

01:04 Comedian Todd Glass

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How does a joke writer take a punchline from a voice memo to a major Netflix comedy special? Let’s ask celebrated standup comedian Todd Glass.

In the fourth episode of the first season of the weekly Writing Process Podcast, I discuss that among many other methodologies from a man who doesn’t quite consider himself a writer. Todd’s perspective is unique: he grew up with several learning disabilities, so his relationship to writing is far different than others.

Unlike other comics, he won’t write his jokes out longform. He uses writing as a means to create order and structure, not precision. But he has a real process. Among the other topics we hit:

  • The detailed process of recording a joke on first pass among friends, then later workshopping it into a final form
  • What’s the difference between a punchline between “unexplained children’s deaths” and “unexplained deaths”
  • How you might visually edit (like with index cards on a hotel wall)

    • Below, watch the trailer for his new Netflix special:

    Also, in this episode, I mention the heartfelt 2012 interview he did on the WTF podcast, during which Todd first came out as a gay publicly. Find that here.

    And this is just a silly interview in which Todd Glass gets high with Sarah Silverman.

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    The Writing Process podcast – Christopher WinkBy The Writing Process podcast – Christopher Wink
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