---
title: "Do you write the premise first, or discover it after the | Tough Crowd"
url: https://toughcrowd.co/banter/tip/writing-material/do-you-write-the-premise-first-or-discover-it-after-the-joke
description: "I keep ending up with three or four lines that make me laugh but no clean answer to “what is this bit actually about?” Part of me thinks I should force myself t"
lang: en
---

# Do you write the premise first, or discover it after the jokes?

M

MayaWritesTooMuch (https://toughcrowd.co/banter/Stand-Up-Comedians/MayaWritesTooMuch) 28 Aug

I keep ending up with three or four lines that make me laugh but no clean answer to “what is this bit actually about?” Part of me thinks I should force myself to write the premise in one sentence before I keep going. The other part thinks that’s how I turn something funny into homework. When you’re building a bit, do you want the premise clear early, or are you happy to let the jokes tell you what the premise was afterwards?

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