I have a lot of little methods for coming up with ideas.
Some are spelled out in the first How to Write Funny book.
Here’s one for everyday use. It takes advantage of one of the 11 Funny Filters: Reference.
Throughout the day, whenever you notice something, make a voice note or write it down. If you have time, capture not only the thing you noticed but also your opinion about it. Just a sentence or two will do.
That’s it.
How many times does this happen in a day? Hundreds, probably. All you have to do is capture 10. You don’t even have to sit down and spend dedicated time writing 10 ideas. They happen almost automatically.
This is the core of Reference—the kind of comedy Jerry Seinfeld built a billion-dollar career on, writing a joke a day.
What “things” will you be noticing? Things no one else notices. Things no one else would think to pause and observe because they’re so common yet so relatable, they’re just part of everyday life.
Some examples from my voice memos / notes:
• Those little strings of plastic that hold a clothing tag in place—I hate them. They’re too hard to cut or get rid of. Sometimes you cut it, and one end gets stuck inside the pants forever, like you’ve left a sponge inside a lady after surgery.
• I’m impressed by all the different kinds of cardboard boxes. They’re making incredible advances in the cardboard box field. They’ve figured out a way to put some of these boxes together with special folds and no tape. Amazing! Top MENSA minds are working on these. This is the 21st century Apollo mission.
• When someone keeps talking to me after the conversation is over and I don’t want to talk to them anymore, the only polite thing to do is say “Well, I have to go,” which is such a stupid lie. I want to try just walking away or hanging up without saying anything. Let them keep talking on their own.
Once you have these, you can run them through the other Funny Filters to build workable jokes, bits, articles, sketches, or whatever you want.
And then you can try them out in front of audiences and see if anything’s there.
If one in ten works, that’s a good ratio.
That’s Seinfeld’s joke a day.
Have fun!