Humor writing improves one's writing skills as it requires attention to timing, pacing, and the music of language. It also evolved as a part of culture in Ivy League schools, where it helped writers get better with skills like acceptance, rejection and editing.
Deliberate practice involves writing for editing, acceptance, and rejection, a concept that can improve writing skills faster than writing alone in a journal or personal blog. Applying deliberate practice to writing is crucial for better writing, similar to programming and poetry writing.
Writing for humor publications was a big deal, especially during the days when comedy writers for shows like SNL and the Tonight Show mainly came out of Ivy League humor societies. It was a competitive world where writers would pitch funny pieces and had the chance to be edited or rejected.
The speaker shares how humor writing and mathematics have been the two necessary skills to improve his writing. He talks about how humor writing helped him with pacing, timing, and the music of words, while mathematics helped him develop a sense of coherence, making it cognitively pleasing to read his written pieces.
The host recounts how his love for comic book artist Jim Lee led him to apply for a job and discover some unexpected drawings in his desk, and recommends the book "Draft Number 4" by John McPhee on structure in writing.
The host discusses the cultivation of humor writing and timing with Jim Downey, a former writer of Saturday Night Live. They explore the idea of practising comedy without formal training, and the concept of exaggerating everyday realities to make them funny.