Shutout

I've written a number of times in the last few weeks about writing jokes for that news sketch show. I've been enjoying it a lot, although it's been an up and down experience. I'd been rejected in submitting to be a member of the writing staff, which I can appreciate. My sketches were maybe not the best. I was then advised I could write this two line jokes for the show and send them in, good ones being accepted. I did that, finding on my first try that they used one. On attending the show, I found they only used half.

The following week the used a whole one, and I was feeling pretty good about that. I had the idea that I could reel off a streak of weeks with an accepted joke. In my mind, I could parlay that unparalleled success into a position on their writing staff, but I've hit a regrettable snag. Indeed it makes me question the feasibility of my plan. This week they did not take a joke of mine at all, and I submitted a lot. I wrote 87 separate jokes throughout the week, which I will venture to guess is more than most if not all of the people.

I liked a lot of my jokes for being accepted, although of course less than a quarter of them could be even if I was the only one under consideration. With the numerous other people, I'd be lucky to get one in. Even so, even knowing the odds, I was completely confident that I would get one in there. After all, I was so good they couldn't help but pick one, and the sheer numbers made it even more unlikely that I'd be passed over.

I was passed over. None of my nearly 90 jokes was considered to be among the top 20, I must assume. I knew it was technically possible, but I really didn't expect it. I more or less assumed that I would make it, as one would assume a good basketball team advancing from the first round of the NCAA tournament, but I was sorely disappointed. It was a little humbling, and I'm fortunate that by the time I was not too busy to be upset, I'd gotten over the worst of it.

When my joke wasn't entirely used the first time, I resolved to redouble my efforts, and that paid off. I am still in a problematic place. I am investing more time, energy and emotion than can really pay off consistently. I have to fix the formula I'm working with. I need to pull back those investments, making them more efficient where returns are concerned. Hopefully I will be able to get to where the pleasure of coming up with jokes is not ultimately marred by the feeling of insufficient ultimate reward. Whether it does happen or I merely don't feel that it does is of no consequence to me.