Second Pizza Mentality and Bad Scripts vs Great Ideas

Handed in a full draft of my book and it's got me thinking about the process of taking things from bad to good. Plus recs for Rob Stephenson's NYC, Ryan Goodcase's timing, and Elle Griffin's books.

I handed in the first full draft of my book this week so I’ve got some time off while I wait for my editor’s feedback. In my opinion, there’s no better feeling than being between phases on a work project. I know I’ll have more work to do, so there’s not the existential crisis of “what am I doing with my life???” but there’s also no work to be done right now, so I can just relax for a bit.

It’s like Jacqueline Novak’s perfect standup joke about eating pizza. The only correct amount of pizza is three slices, because it takes one slice to even realize that you’re eating pizza. And you need the third slice as a kind of emotional dismount. “The second slice of pizza in a set of three slices of pizza is pretty much my only opportunity to live in the present moment in this life.”

Right now, I’m fully in second slice of pizza territory. It’s a good place to be.

Handing in a first draft has also gotten me thinking about the best creative advice I’ve ever gotten. My friend Christine was working as a high-powered movie exec. I asked her if I could tell her an idea I had that I thought would make a great movie. She said that, of course, she would listen to my idea. But she also told me, “A bad script is worth a lot more than a great idea. Because you can fix a bad script, but no one can do anything with a great idea until you write it.”

At the time, that idea blew my mind. But it’s 100% accurate. It’s really easy to get stuck in the idea phase, waiting and fretting that you won’t be able to execute perfectly. But the only way anyone ever gets to good is by making bad versions first. That’s been on my mind a lot because I get very embarrassed and anxious looking at my first writing drafts. I want to delete the whole thing. I’m trying to be better about using Christine’s advice. The point isn’t to write a perfect draft. The point is to take your idea and to make it exist. Once it exists, there’s all sorts of ways to improve it.

So that’s where I’m at this week: taking a little break and trying to appropriately value second slices of pizza and bad drafts.

My projects and upcoming events:

PODCAST: How to Be a Better Human (TED/PRX) - Tessza Udvarhelyi recently won her election to become the vice mayor of the 8th district of Budapest. But long before any political victory, Tessza has been working as a grassroots democracy activist in the face of increasing authoritarianism. This week on the podcast, we talked about the lessons she’s learned and how they apply far beyond Hungary. Listen here (or wherever you get your podcasts)

AUDIOBOOK: Let's Hang Out: Making (and Keeping) Friends, Acquaintances, and Other Nonromantic Relationships - This is out now as an audiobook or e-book on Everand. You have to create an account to listen or read, but you can get a 60-day free trial with promo code ChrisDuffy60 or if you click this link it should automatically fill out that code. You can always cancel after reading and not get charged!

This week’s list

GREAT:

Rob Stephenson’s The Neighborhoods newsletter is a prime example of how, if you’re willing to put in the time and energy as a reporter, you can find fascinating stories anywhere. Each week, he picks a different neighborhood in NYC and dives deep into the history and culture. Even as someone born and raised in the city, I find that almost all of the stories he uncovers are new to me. Especially now that I live on the other side of the country, it’s a delight to experience the vastness (and weirdness) of New York through his eyes. This week, as a holiday treat, Rob reported not on a neighborhood, but instead the handball courts that he’s photographed across the city. Their history goes back to Ireland (I had no idea) and it’s a surprisingly moving story about communal spaces and finding joy even when you don’t have money. Handball

FUNNY:

After 10 years of doing comedy, Ryan Goodcase has a particular joke that he’s the most proud of. For good reason too! It’s a bit that I’ve never seen anyone else do and it’s so funny. I don’t want to spoil it by telling you too much, but I think you’re going to be impressed. Comedy is all about timing.

INTERESTING:

There’s something oddly salacious about knowing all the details when it comes to money and spending. This summary of “everything we learned about the publishing industry from Penguin vs. DOJ” is extremely niche and specific, but I gobbled it up. The publishing industry pays big money for celebrity books. It makes money on bible sales, children’s books, and a few huge bestsellers. It tends to lose money on everything else. But seeing some of the actual numbers and reading the sworn testimony of the people running the companies is eye-opening. Elle Griffin: No one buys books

(In related news: my book is going to come out in 2025. Please start buying books by then.)

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading! Please share Bright Spots with anyone you think might enjoy it.

Ringing your doorbell to hand you three slices of pizza,

Chris Duffy

This has been Bright Spots, a newsletter.

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…wait, who are you?

I'm Chris Duffy, a comedian, TV writer, podcast host, and both a former fifth grade teacher and a former fifth grade student. I’m currently writing a nonfiction book about humor for Doubleday.