Many writers believe they have an idea problem.
They don’t.
They sit down to write something funny, and nothing happens. The brain freezes. The page stays blank. After a few minutes of staring at the screen, the conclusion seems obvious:
“I’ve got nothing – time for TikTok.”
That diagnosis is almost always wrong.
Writers rarely suffer from a shortage of ideas. The real problem is rejecting ideas too quickly. An idea pops into the brain, and the internal critic immediately kills it.
“That’s lame.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I should have listened to Dad and gotten an MBA instead of an MFA.”
The idea never stood a chance.
When I teach humor writing, one of my themes is a rule that feels wrong the first time students hear it:
Nothing sucks.
At least not when brainstorming.
When an idea first appears, it hasn’t had time to develop. It’s a seed, not the finished plant. Judging the idea at that moment is like judging a cake before it goes in the oven.
Of course it doesn’t taste good yet. It isn’t cake. It’s just batter.
Creative thinking and editing require different mental processes. When writers try to do both at the same time, the critical side of the brain usually wins. The critic is faster, louder, and way more confident.
The result is predictable: the writer shuts down ideas before they have a chance to become something interesting.
That’s why humor writers need to temporarily suspend judgment during idea generation. Instead of asking whether an idea is good or bad, treat every idea as a possibility worth exploring.
Even the stupid ones.
Especially the stupid ones.
Many jokes and comic premises start as thoughts that seem silly, awkward, or slightly embarrassing. Given enough time and development, those same ideas often turn into the funniest material.
But they only get there if the writer allows them to exist long enough to evolve.
So, the next time you’re brainstorming and a strange or questionable idea appears, resist the urge to kill it immediately. Write it down. Play with it. Twist it around. Have fun.
Remember the rule:
Nothing sucks.
If you don’t, the page will remain blank, and the second principle of brainstorming will dope slap you:
