--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a comedy writer, I'm always praying…" description: "\"As a comedy writer, I'm always praying for the day I can tell a self-aware/break-the-fourth-wall style of joke.\" — Nicholas Stoller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg" --- # As a comedy writer, I'm always praying for the day I can… ![“As a comedy writer, I'm always praying for the day I can tell a self-aware/break-the-fourth-wall style of joke.” quote by Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg) > “As a comedy writer, I'm always praying for the day I can tell a self-aware/break-the-fourth-wall style of joke.” [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer seeks innovative, self‑referential humor that breaks conventional storytelling boundaries. **In simple terms:** Want jokes that acknowledge they’re jokes. Key Takeaway Experiment with meta‑humor. Themes creativity meta‑humor innovation writing Mood playful inquisitive Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - scriptwriting - stand‑up comedy - improv workshops Key Concepts narrative theory audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can you introduce self‑aware jokes without confusing viewers? - What balance keeps humor fresh yet accessible? A Different Perspective Meta‑humor may alienate audiences unfamiliar with the style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Wall St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-st/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Behind every human deed there is a psychology, be it justifiable or not. (Dr Abin. From Broken Fourth Wall)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-abin/behind-every-human-deed-there-is-a-psychology-be-it-justifiable-or/) Dr. Abin > [I loved Bob Hope and the way he would turn to the camera and break the fourth wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-willard/i-loved-bob-hope-and-the-way-he-would-turn-to-the-camera-and-break/) [Fred Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-willard/) > [Imagining things are there that are not really there, with the green screen, is very much like theatre, when you're looking at the fourth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-fisher/imagining-things-are-there-that-are-not-really-there-with-the-green/) [Ray Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-fisher/) > [“Human mind is the most unpredictable machine in the world. Never could one draw a reason from it. (Dr Abin. From Broken Fourth Wall)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-abin/human-mind-is-the-most-unpredictable-machine-in-the-world-never-could/) Dr. Abin > [I always felt like an outer-space alien. I was always breaking the fourth wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/i-always-felt-like-an-outer-space-alien-i-was-always-breaking-the/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [Wrestling has progressed to the point that the fourth wall has been broken. People would enjoy more seeing what is behind the superhero that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-kim/wrestling-has-progressed-to-the-point-that-the-fourth-wall-has-been/) [Gail Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-kim/) > [Drag breaks the fourth wall, which is why it's never been quite accepted, because nobody wants to be told that they are really a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/drag-breaks-the-fourth-wall-which-is-why-it-s-never-been-quite/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [I love breaking the fourth wall, and being given permission to play with the audience!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-grande/i-love-breaking-the-fourth-wall-and-being-given-permission-to-play/) [Frankie Grande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-grande/) > [If you're doing stand-up, there is no fourth wall; you're engaging an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-glaser/if-you-re-doing-stand-up-there-is-no-fourth-wall-you-re-engaging-an/) [Jon Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-glaser/) > [There's no environment. Use your imagination. There's no fourth wall, whether it's the first time you've told this story about her life, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-clayburgh/there-s-no-environment-use-your-imagination-there-s-no-fourth-wall/) [Jill Clayburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-clayburgh/) > [It's so difficult to write good music. It's also really difficult to think about how to do it without violating the sanctity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/it-s-so-difficult-to-write-good-music-it-s-also-really-difficult-to/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [In film, the possibilities are greater. You can go beyond the fourth wall. You can go to these incredible locations and you're put into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/in-film-the-possibilities-are-greater-you-can-go-beyond-the-fourth/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [A lot of the times, reality shows don't like people to break the fourth wall. With a docu-series or a documentary, everyone breaks the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/a-lot-of-the-times-reality-shows-don-t-like-people-to-break-the/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [I'm just not made for that kind of live audience where you don't create a fourth wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-m-just-not-made-for-that-kind-of-live-audience-where-you-don-t/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) ## More by Nicholas Stoller > [Yes, the fans are going to get their money's worth. It's like...and everything on there is funny. It's not like random crap they put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/yes-the-fans-are-going-to-get-their-money-s-worth-it-s-like-and/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [Every day is still exciting. I have like a very good system worked out with my editor. Some directors are in there every day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/every-day-is-still-exciting-i-have-like-a-very-good-system-worked-out/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [I think people try to jam a lot of artificial plot devices into a lot of romantic comedies, and they don't treat it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/i-think-people-try-to-jam-a-lot-of-artificial-plot-devices-into-a-lot/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [And I watch all the dailies and I grade the jokes or the moments, you know, on a scale from... so I know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/and-i-watch-all-the-dailies-and-i-grade-the-jokes-or-the-moments-you/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [I never liked the extended cut personally because I like...we spend a lot of time figuring out our final cut. We test and test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/i-never-liked-the-extended-cut-personally-because-i-like-we-spend-a/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [But having said that, regardless to what reviews come out whatever, I like love the movie. I think it's great, and so people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/but-having-said-that-regardless-to-what-reviews-come-out-whatever-i/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [All of the things I've directed, I'm really emotionally close to. That's why I choose to direct them and spend years on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/all-of-the-things-i-ve-directed-i-m-really-emotionally-close-to-that/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [And then afterwards I worked in advertising for a year which taught me about writing even when you don't want to (laughter) because there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/and-then-afterwards-i-worked-in-advertising-for-a-year-which-taught/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [The Lampoon was definitely quite formative. You know there's a crazy like kind of network of comedy writers from The Lampoon that are, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/the-lampoon-was-definitely-quite-formative-you-know-there-s-a-crazy/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [All movies are inherently collaborative, and animation even more so. There are hundreds and hundreds of people involved with an animated movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/all-movies-are-inherently-collaborative-and-animation-even-more-so/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [Like everyone is either, "I grew up with it," or "I loved it," or loved them now. And when you watch The Muppet Movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/like-everyone-is-either-i-grew-up-with-it-or-i-loved-it-or-loved-them/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [When I was writing the script I thought he is this guy. I really hoped...I kept imagining him as that guy. And then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/when-i-was-writing-the-script-i-thought-he-is-this-guy-i-really-hoped/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [Every video you see in the movie we have an entire video of it that will be on the DVD, so the whole video…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/every-video-you-see-in-the-movie-we-have-an-entire-video-of-it-that/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [We have tons of live performances that we're putting on there. We have music videos. There's a music video for the song called I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/we-have-tons-of-live-performances-that-we-re-putting-on-there-we-have/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [When I just write something, it's usually because I love it, I love the material, but I feel like I really need a creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/when-i-just-write-something-it-s-usually-because-i-love-it-i-love-the/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) [Explore all 52 Nicholas Stoller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a comedy writer, I'm always praying for the day I can tell a self-aware/break-the-fourth-wall style of joke.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicholas Stoller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-for-the-day-i-can-tell-a-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-for-the-day-i-can-tell-a-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/nicholas-stoller-12876_always_as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-fo_2933779.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a comedy writer, I'm always praying for the day I can tell a self-aware/break-the-fourth-wall style of…” — Nicholas Stoller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nicholas Stoller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a comedy writer, I'm always...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-for-the-day-i-can-tell-a-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/as-a-comedy-writer-i-m-always-praying-for-the-day-i-can-tell-a-self/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```