"I'm the Cockroach That Lives Under the Sink, and This Is My MasterClass"
An interview with Clare Blackwood
Hello and welcome to Humor Science, the newsletter I started so I could have an excuse to talk to and learn from some of my favorite humor writers. Thank you for being here!
This month I interviewed Clare Blackwood, a writer I’ve long admired for her creativity, imagination, and sharp specificity. I’m a big fan of format-driven humor and an even bigger fan of anthropomorphic characters, so I’m thrilled she agreed to talk to me about her piece for Points in Case, “I'm the Cockroach That Lives Under the Sink, and This Is My MasterClass.”
Clare is 100% right when she says to write about what you genuinely love and are passionate about, and I hope this interview inspires you to follow your interests and get specific in your own writing. Let’s dive in.
Tell me about the inspiration for this piece. When did you start writing it?
This was one of the first non-political satire comedy pieces I ever wrote, and it began the way most of my pieces still do: with me half-awake at 4:00AM, deliriously scribbling down an idea in my phone’s Notes app. I believe the thought process for this particular one was, Oh man, wouldn’t it be just great if a really pretentious cockroach taught a MasterClass? Doesn't that make sense? Wouldn’t that totally be something the general populace would want to read? And then I wrote it over a few months in late 2019, tinkering away until it was suitably ridiculous enough for me to submit to publications.
When you’re writing a piece like this, what’s your process? Do you have a solid plan going in, or do you write freely and then shape it from there?
I always make sure I start with a solid and specific POV, but I very rarely write comedy pieces with a plan. I have a terrible habit of aggressively editing as I go, but never really think ahead to where the piece will end up. With this specific one I knew I had to format it with chapters like a real MasterClass, and I knew I had to include the words “ootheca egg sac,” because that’s just What The People Want To Read About, but other than that, I simply had fun getting weird and specific about cockroach-related education.
One thing I love about your humor writing is that you bring a lot of unexpected characters to life and draw a lot from the natural world, like this cockroach, the sexually frustrated mayfly, and the proudly ambitious Burmese python. What draws you to these types of characters?
That’s so kind, thank you! I wish I had an erudite or clever answer to this, but truthfully with those types of character pieces I generally just begin writing with the attitude of, “It would be hilarious if a snake spoke with all the gravitas of a doomed Shakespearean protagonist.” I love absurd humor and giving voices to creatures and objects that don’t have any -- you have all the freedom in the world to imagine their internal monologue in any way you wish. The more specific and human they sound, the funnier it is to me.
Are you a fan of MasterClass or have you taken any?
I haven’t taken any MasterClasses, although it is extremely comforting to know that at any moment I am just one $180 annual fee away from learning to become a professional basketball player.
Where do you find inspiration for your humor pieces? How do you come up with ideas?
I’m sure I am the only writer who will ever tell you that I have an extensive Notes list of half-baked ideas that may or may not ever see the light of day. It has been lovingly curated over many years and contains ideas derived from deranged middle-of-the-night thoughts, funny pictures I see on the internet, whenever a political figure does something really terrible and/or stupid, or personal topics I can shamelessly mine for content. Sometimes I’ll ask a friend to help me solidify an idea and write it; sometimes I’ll reach out and ask a fellow writer if they’d like to collaborate. Last week I woke up to an idea I had scribbled down that just read, “Australian freedom cheese?”, so keep an eye out for that winner in the coming months once I decipher just what the hell I was thinking about.
Are there specific humor writers or any particular pieces out there that you’re inspired by?
There are SO MANY! I am so lucky to be surrounded by a wealth of incredibly talented writers, most of whom I found on Twitter when the pandemic began. There are too many pieces I’ve loved to name, but a few that I read early on in my writing career that will never fail to make me laugh are Tara Millette’s Welcome To The Hypochondriac Escape Room, Audrey Burges’ Excerpts from The Erotic Thriller I Wrote Despite My Overwhelming Discomfort with Sex Scenes, and basically anything Daniel M. Lavery ever wrote for The Toast (I highly recommend his “Ayn Rand Rewrites” and “Western Art History” series).
How did you first get started with humor writing? What advice do you have for someone who might just be getting started with their humor writing journey?
I started finding my voice when I began a short-lived solo travel blog in 2018. I’m passionate about solo backpacking and wanted to write funny-yet-informative articles about travelling alone as a woman, covering topics like safety, hostel etiquette, etc., and from there I developed the comedic tone that would carry over into my future work. Shortly after I was hired to write at The Beaverton (the Canadian version of The Onion), which allowed me to develop my political satire muscles and find a plethora of ways to yell at our politicians with jokes. All this to say, I think the most important thing you can do to get off the ground is writing about what you genuinely love and are passionate about. Make it easy on yourself! Do you like literature? Sports? Exotic bugs? Go forth and find the funny in those things!
Anything else you want to add about humor writing, comedy in general, or anything at all I didn’t ask about?
I encourage anyone who wants to write humor to read as much of it as you can, find specific authors you really like and consume all their stuff, and, most importantly, do your best to find a community that you can share your pieces with for editing, thoughts, etc. I have found such value in reaching out to my peers for reciprocal advice and notes -- it never hurts to have an extra eye or three on your work to make it better. And do your best to make stuff that’s really you. Don’t worry if anyone else will like it: there’s ALWAYS an appreciative niche audience you can find. The best thing you can do is get personal and specific.
Where can people find more of your work, and are there any particular projects or news you want to plug?
I am chronically online, and can mostly be found on Twitter @clareblackwood, so if you like jokes about cats, politics, acting, or cats, feel free to check me out there. You can also find me on my website www.clareblackwood.com if you want to hire me to act in things, or write things for you, or just, I dunno, gaze upon a vast array of professional headshots smiling unblinkingly back at you through your computer screen. No judgement if that’s what you want to do. I’m not your dad.
That’s it! If anyone needs me, I’ll be setting out my roach traps and working on my niche humor pieces.
What’s new:
I wrote this headline for Reductress (I didn’t write the article itself, but it is very funny!)
I recently revamped my website! There’s nothing like the question, “Who am I?” to make me spiral for days, but I was fortunate to work with Caitlin Kunkel who helped me clarify my skills and experience (and saved me hundreds of hours of spiral-time). Check it out, bask in its glory, and perhaps consider hiring me, if you want to.
Friend of the newsletter Kerry Elson has a new piece in the New Yorker and I relate so much to this tortoise planning their birthday party.
I laughed so hard at this Emily in Paris satire by Brooke Preston, tres hilarious. Also, “I’m Looking for Someone Who Isn’t Too Serious” by Alex Baia is a glorp glorping good time.
About me
I’m a comedy writer and freelance copywriter living in Brooklyn. My humor writing has been published by The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, Reductress, and more. I’m the co-author of Jokes to Offend Men, which was named the #2 Comedy Book of 2022 by Vulture. I’m available for new writing projects, humor coaching, and nerding out about comedy, so please reach out and say hi!