I’m getting better at rewriting bits that nearly work, but I’m also starting to suspect I’m keeping some of them alive because I’ve already spent so much time on them. If something has had a few proper tries and still only gets the occasional laugh, when do you bin it? Do you have a number of gigs in mind, or is it more about whether you can still see what the fix might be?
I don’t use a fixed number because rooms vary too much. But if I’ve changed the obvious things, tried it in different positions and I still can’t explain what I’m testing next, it comes out of the set. Retired doesn’t have to mean deleted. I’ve had premises become useful months later when I finally found the angle.
I am spectacularly bad at this because every weak joke looks like a solvable engineering problem to me. I’ve started keeping a separate document for bits I’m not allowed to touch for a month. If I still care about one when I come back to it, fine. Usually I don’t.
For me the warning sign is when I’m changing the premise rather than sharpening the joke. At that point I’m usually keeping the slot in the set because I like the idea of the bit, not because the bit is earning it. I park it and write something else.
Become a member to comment in Banter
Tough Crowd is a members-only community. Your first 24 hours are free — cancel anytime.
Become a member