Thread by Chris Hladczuk
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- Jan 8, 2022
- #Writing #CareerDevelopment
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So Jerry Seinfeld made $267 million in only 1 year.
He's the most successful comedian ever.
But it all started with his approach to writing.
Here is the 6-part Seinfeld system to build any skill👇
He's the most successful comedian ever.
But it all started with his approach to writing.
Here is the 6-part Seinfeld system to build any skill👇
The Scene:
A yellow legal pad.
20 pages of observations and half sentences.
A desk.
A fresh cup of coffee.
Welcome to Jerry Seinfeld's morning for the past 30 years.
A yellow legal pad.
20 pages of observations and half sentences.
A desk.
A fresh cup of coffee.
Welcome to Jerry Seinfeld's morning for the past 30 years.
He sees himself as an athlete.
His sport is standup comedy.
And his practice is writing.
"Stand up comedy is a profession of writing."
His sport is standup comedy.
And his practice is writing.
"Stand up comedy is a profession of writing."
And Jerry has a specific system for this morning practice.
It has rules:
1) Only 1 technique matters
2) Stop the torture
3) Live for the re-write
4) Run the experiment
5) Never break the chain
6) Treat yourself like a baby
Let's get into it👇
It has rules:
1) Only 1 technique matters
2) Stop the torture
3) Live for the re-write
4) Run the experiment
5) Never break the chain
6) Treat yourself like a baby
Let's get into it👇
1) The technique is stupidly simple:
"You can’t do anything else.
You don’t have to write, but you can’t do anything else."
No checking your phone.
Either write or stare at a wall.
His creative fuel?
A yellow legal pad with 20 pages of observations and half-baked ideas.
"You can’t do anything else.
You don’t have to write, but you can’t do anything else."
No checking your phone.
Either write or stare at a wall.
His creative fuel?
A yellow legal pad with 20 pages of observations and half-baked ideas.
2) Stop the Torture
You MUST have an end time for your writing session
"If you have the guts to sit down and write, you need a reward at the end of the session."
And that reward is the alarm goes off and you're done.
You MUST have an end time for your writing session
"If you have the guts to sit down and write, you need a reward at the end of the session."
And that reward is the alarm goes off and you're done.
Extra tip from Jerry: If you can do 30 minutes, make your session 20.
If you can do an hour, make it 45 minutes.
Never completely exhaust yourself.
If you can do an hour, make it 45 minutes.
Never completely exhaust yourself.
3) 95% of writing is re-write
Jerry splits time across free play and polishing.
Free play is using the yellow legal pad to spur ideas.
Polishing is perfecting each word.
Making each joke ready for "the experiment".
Jerry splits time across free play and polishing.
Free play is using the yellow legal pad to spur ideas.
Polishing is perfecting each word.
Making each joke ready for "the experiment".
4) Run the experiment
You now have a bunch of words.
You then deliver them to an audience.
They dump a bunch of data on you.
"This is good, this is okay, this is terrible."
Then you go back to re-writing and re-framing jokes or adding new ones.
You now have a bunch of words.
You then deliver them to an audience.
They dump a bunch of data on you.
"This is good, this is okay, this is terrible."
Then you go back to re-writing and re-framing jokes or adding new ones.
5) Treat yourself like a baby
"Writing is the most difficult thing in the world."
So be kind to yourself.
"When writing, treat your brain like a toddler, and then when you look at it the next day, you want to be a hard-ass."
"Writing is the most difficult thing in the world."
So be kind to yourself.
"When writing, treat your brain like a toddler, and then when you look at it the next day, you want to be a hard-ass."
6) Don't break the chain
Jerry has a yearly calendar.
For each day he writes, he X's that spot.
Over time, he builds a chain.
The longer the chain, the more you have invested.
The more you have invested, the less you want to break it.
Jerry has a yearly calendar.
For each day he writes, he X's that spot.
Over time, he builds a chain.
The longer the chain, the more you have invested.
The more you have invested, the less you want to break it.
Recap:
1) Refuse to do anything else
2) Your reward is the alarm
3) 95% is rewriting
4) Run experiments
5) Treat yourself like a baby
6) Don't break the chain
1) Refuse to do anything else
2) Your reward is the alarm
3) 95% is rewriting
4) Run experiments
5) Treat yourself like a baby
6) Don't break the chain
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