Comedy Lab, v1
This doesn't write jokes for you.
It teaches you how to think like someone who can.
A guided thinking system built around the structural shapes used by working stand-ups and improvisers. You bring the noticing. We bring the questions.
A heads-up before you start
This will feel awkward. That's the point.
If the drills feel uncomfortable, if your first 10 ideas feel bad, if the blank page stares back, you're not doing it wrong. You're doing it exactly right. Comedy writing is a muscle, and muscles only grow when you push past easy.
- The bad ideas are the toll. You can't skip them, you write through them.
- Discomfort means you're at the edge of what you already know. That's where new stuff lives.
- Working pros write piles of garbage too. The difference is they keep going.
- Reps beat inspiration. Show up, do the small thing, close the laptop.
Be kind to yourself. Be relentless about the reps. That's the whole game.
Stations in the lab
Idea Engine
Walk a topic step-by-step. Reality → perspective shifts → assumption flips → setup + punchline.
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Structure Trainer
Learn the load-bearing shapes: setup/punchline, rule of 3, misdirection, act-outs, callbacks, tags.
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Rewrite Lab
Drop a rough joke. Get a structural breakdown, a Funny Filter score, and 2, 3 directions to explore.
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Daily Drills
Short reps that build the muscle: list 10 weird things, write 3 bad punchlines on purpose, etc.
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Notebook
Your personal vault for observations, half-jokes, and notes. Tag, search, reuse.
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How the coach behaves
- Asks questions before giving suggestions.
- Gives directions to explore, never the finished joke.
- Labels examples as examples, generic on purpose.
- Reinforces structure: setup is shared reality, punchline is the surprise.
- Encouraging, dry, slightly soft on scores so you keep going.