Ask the Author: Jared Volle
Answered Questions (4)
Jared Volle
It depends on where in the process I'm feeling it. To me, the only difference between "deciding between different options" and "having writer's block" is the feeling you get. I often come to forks in the road where I'm not sure what to do, but I don't feel it's "writer's block" because I never lose my playful curiosity. So while I might not know what do to next, I never FEEL stuck... and that makes a huge difference.
To feel writer's block, you have to be focused on yourself. When you focus on others, there's no room in your head for worry. It's the same with being on stage. Focus so hard on what you want to give to people that you lose yourself in the moment.
To feel writer's block, you have to be focused on yourself. When you focus on others, there's no room in your head for worry. It's the same with being on stage. Focus so hard on what you want to give to people that you lose yourself in the moment.
Jared Volle
I published the second edition of Playfully Inappropriate in August, 2025. Now I have a live, online comedy class beginning soon. I've coded a beta-version of an app for comedians to measure and analyze their material and laughs. There are also 2 more book ideas that I'm considering. Now that my son has started kindergarten, I feel I'll have a lot more time to create some awesome stuff. I think 2025-2026 will be exciting and busy.
Jared Volle
For Playfully Inappropriate, the most important inspiration came from Benign-Violation Theory. The entire book is based on it. When I first learned the theory, I tried everything I could to break it, but I couldn't. Eventually, I started seeing BVT as the most important theory of humor ever created. I tried to research it more, but nobody had applied it to comedy yet, so I decided to be the first. Playfully Inappropriate is basically building a framework around BVT and teaching people how to apply it. So, in short, I wrote Playfully Inappropriate because I believed that BVT was incredibly important and people needed to learn more about it and how useful it can be.
Jared Volle
I try to focus on what I want to give the reader. I imagine the reader's life being positively impacted by the book, which excites me and can sustain my motivation for a long time. In Playfully Inappropriate, I tell comedians to "write from the emotion you want to give the audience." I do the same thing in non-comedic writing. I don't write a single word until I'm feeling inspired. If I'm not feeling it, I take a break and find my WHY.
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