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Emmy winning writer for The Daily Show and host of the podcast The Writer's Bloc, JR HAVLAN reveals what it really takes to make a career as a comedy writer. You'll hear the real story of how The Daily Show switched hands from Kilborn to Stewart; what a warm-up comic stomachs; just how different it is to write for Bill Maher and Jon Stewart; how to survive pilot season; and the joy of taking your dog to work.
If you want to write for TV, this interview will make you funny! It won't, but it will offer insight. In addition to writing for the Emmy Awards, Bill Maher, and doing stand up, Havlan has written for The Daily Show for seventeen years. Today, TV writing is considered a viable, lucrative, and glamorous profession and there are college professors to failed writers to pet psychics offering tips and tricks on how to hone the craft. But most late night comedy writers found their own voice on stage before considering writing in someone else's.
Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.
By Slate Podcasts4.4
131131 ratings
Emmy winning writer for The Daily Show and host of the podcast The Writer's Bloc, JR HAVLAN reveals what it really takes to make a career as a comedy writer. You'll hear the real story of how The Daily Show switched hands from Kilborn to Stewart; what a warm-up comic stomachs; just how different it is to write for Bill Maher and Jon Stewart; how to survive pilot season; and the joy of taking your dog to work.
If you want to write for TV, this interview will make you funny! It won't, but it will offer insight. In addition to writing for the Emmy Awards, Bill Maher, and doing stand up, Havlan has written for The Daily Show for seventeen years. Today, TV writing is considered a viable, lucrative, and glamorous profession and there are college professors to failed writers to pet psychics offering tips and tricks on how to hone the craft. But most late night comedy writers found their own voice on stage before considering writing in someone else's.
Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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