--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't write jokes first. I write down…" description: "\"I don't write jokes first. I write down topics. I think of what I want to talk about, and then I write the jokes - they don't write me... And even if y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/chris-rock-767_boring_i-don-t-write-jokes-first-i-write-down-t_993023.jpg" --- # I don't write jokes first. I write down topics. I think of… ![“I don't write jokes first. I write down topics. I think of what I want to talk about, and then I write the jokes - they don't write me... And even if you don't think it's funny, you won't think it's boring. You might disagree, but you'll listen. And maybe even laugh as you disagree.” quote by Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/chris-rock-767_boring_i-don-t-write-jokes-first-i-write-down-t_993023.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/chris-rock-767_boring_i-don-t-write-jokes-first-i-write-down-t_993023.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/chris-rock-767_boring_i-don-t-write-jokes-first-i-write-down-t_993023.jpg) > “I don't write jokes first. I write down topics. I think of what I want to talk about, and then I write the jokes - they don't write me... And even if you don't think it's funny, you won't think it's boring. You might disagree, but you'll listen. And maybe even laugh as you disagree.” [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He outlines his creative process: start with ideas, then craft jokes, emphasizing that humor can be engaging even when it challenges the audience. **In simple terms:** He writes topics first, then jokes, making humor thought‑provoking. Key Takeaway Start with ideas, then shape humor. Themes creativity humor process audience challenge Mood witty provocative Type performance instructional When to use this quote - stand‑up routine - scriptwriting - public speaking Key Concepts comedy writing persuasion cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance provocation with accessibility? - When does humor become offensive? A Different Perspective Humor can be polarizing and may alienate some listeners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boring/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Jokes Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes-write-678893/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Talk Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-write-695865/) [Think Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-funny/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Topics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/topics/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Write Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-jokes/) [Write Topics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-topics-2045920/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [For me, every book is a journey - questioning a really difficult topic that most people don't want to talk about, much less write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/for-me-every-book-is-a-journey-questioning-a-really-difficult-topic/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Sure, retarded jokes write themselves. But the spelling is always way off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/sure-retarded-jokes-write-themselves-but-the-spelling-is-always-way/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [My gift was in comedy. I found out I could make jokes. I could tell jokes. I could write them. So over the years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/my-gift-was-in-comedy-i-found-out-i-could-make-jokes-i-could-tell/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [For every 15 jokes I write, only one works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/for-every-15-jokes-i-write-only-one-works/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [I never really write the jokes. I just sit down over a week or two and try to figure out what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-never-really-write-the-jokes-i-just-sit-down-over-a-week-or-two-and/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [I don't talk very well. With writing, you've time to get it right. Also I've found the more I talk the less I write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/i-don-t-talk-very-well-with-writing-you-ve-time-to-get-it-right-also/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I wake up in the morning and my mind starts making sentences, and I have to get rid of them fast - talk them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-my-mind-starts-making-sentences-and-i/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I can't talk about anything or write about anything if I don't understand it. So a lot of the stuff that I go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/i-can-t-talk-about-anything-or-write-about-anything-if-i-don-t/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [People, when they talk or write about comedy, they don't really get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/people-when-they-talk-or-write-about-comedy-they-don-t-really-get-it/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [As always, I wrote songs. Some people cook or play sports. This is what I love to do. Sometimes I can't express myself that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yael-naim/as-always-i-wrote-songs-some-people-cook-or-play-sports-this-is-what/) [Yael Naim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yael-naim/) > [Don't talk about it; write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/don-t-talk-about-it-write/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [If you didn't talk to me to write something, you're just making stuff up. You're going by what you think, what you're assuming. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-butler/if-you-didn-t-talk-to-me-to-write-something-you-re-just-making-stuff/) [Jimmy Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-butler/) > [I think it's really important to not talk about how you're going to release something until you've finished it. People are like, "What are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-murphy/i-think-it-s-really-important-to-not-talk-about-how-you-re-going-to/) [Nick Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-murphy/) > [Protect your character when you talk, write or act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/protect-your-character-when-you-talk-write-or-act/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [Speak your dialogue out loud. If it sounds like the way people talk, then write it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/speak-your-dialogue-out-loud-if-it-sounds-like-the-way-people-talk/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) ## More by Chris Rock > [Ja Rule is not Tupac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/ja-rule-is-not-tupac/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Right now, my job is that I'm like an ambulance chaser. I've got to look for movies with white guys falling out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/right-now-my-job-is-that-i-m-like-an-ambulance-chaser-i-ve-got-to/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [If you live with a single parent, you don't see compromise. You witness a grown person living in a world where they do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/if-you-live-with-a-single-parent-you-don-t-see-compromise-you-witness/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Nobody ever says, 'Hey daddy, thanks for knockin' out this rent.' 'Hey daddy, I sure love this hot water.' 'Hey daddy, it's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/nobody-ever-says-hey-daddy-thanks-for-knockin-out-this-rent-hey-daddy/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [You know the world is messed up when the tallest man in the NBA is Chinese, the best golfer is black, and the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/you-know-the-world-is-messed-up-when-the-tallest-man-in-the-nba-is/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [You can't think the thoughts you want to think if you think you're being watched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/you-can-t-think-the-thoughts-you-want-to-think-if-you-think-you-re/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [There's not one reference in that thing that doesn't play. People deal with emotions in music all the time, but comedians are always talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/there-s-not-one-reference-in-that-thing-that-doesn-t-play-people-deal/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [My mother got sick when I was rich. And my mother, you know … I don’t really want to get into it, but my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/my-mother-got-sick-when-i-was-rich-and-my-mother-you-know-i-don-t/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [I think anybody in front of a crowd is a comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-think-anybody-in-front-of-a-crowd-is-a-comedian/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [I see as white people finding loopholes in the slavery laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-see-as-white-people-finding-loopholes-in-the-slavery-laws/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Here's the thing. When we talk about race relations in America or racial progress, it's all nonsense. There are no race relations. White people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/here-s-the-thing-when-we-talk-about-race-relations-in-america-or/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [I was raised to believe that you had to do things better than white people in order to succeed. The old black shows were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-was-raised-to-believe-that-you-had-to-do-things-better-than-white/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [Men lie the most, women tell the biggest lies... a man's lie is, "I'm at Tony house, I was at Kenny house!" A woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/men-lie-the-most-women-tell-the-biggest-lies-a-man-s-lie-is-i-m-at/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [You can't fake comedy - it's not like a movie, where a director can just cast a pretty face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/you-can-t-fake-comedy-it-s-not-like-a-movie-where-a-director-can-just/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [All people naturally hate. My kid bites people now. I didn't teach my kid to bite anybody. Kids say mean stuff. Only through love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/all-people-naturally-hate-my-kid-bites-people-now-i-didn-t-teach-my/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) [Explore all 376 Chris Rock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) ## More Boring quotes > [Normal is so Boring!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/normal-is-so-boring/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [I'd be very controversial if I said why, and I don't do controversial anymore. That's too passé. So last year. Being controversial is boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/i-d-be-very-controversial-if-i-said-why-and-i-don-t-do-controversial/) [M.I.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-i-a/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Life is what you make it¦If one refuses to use ones imagination..it will be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-if-one-refuses-to-use-ones-imagination-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I'm bored of being bored because being bored is very boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachithra/i-m-bored-of-being-bored-because-being-bored-is-very-boring/) [Sachithra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachithra/) > [The films I find boring are the ones that have no space for the audience's misconceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-decker/the-films-i-find-boring-are-the-ones-that-have-no-space-for-the/) [Josephine Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-decker/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I've always felt that dark lyrics with dark music is pretty useless. Maybe that's a strong statement - not useless, but for me, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/i-ve-always-felt-that-dark-lyrics-with-dark-music-is-pretty-useless/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) > [Something is wrong if workers do not look around each day, find things that are tedious or boring, and then rewrite the procedures. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/something-is-wrong-if-workers-do-not-look-around-each-day-find-things/) [Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/) > [Plumbing is usually boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/plumbing-is-usually-boring/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-something-is-boring-after-two-minutes-try-it-for-four-if-still/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Acting is an escape from the boring person that I am in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-an-escape-from-the-boring-person-that-i-am-in-real-life/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) [Browse all 3,123 Boring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't write jokes first. I write down topics. I think of what I want to talk about, and then I write the jokes - they don't write me... And even if you don't think it's funny, you won't think it's boring. You might disagree, but you'll listen. 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