Thursday, May 03, 2018


First Time Dad:
I have decided to bring in a guest speaker for tonight. You guys can ask him anything you want but be cool okay?

FirstTimeDad added MehGyver

Archie:
I just caught up on the story so far

Uriel:
No promises.

First time dad:
Fellas say hi to Andre

Archie:
*faints*

Lettuce:
Okokok
First time dad:
Andrew

uriel:
Holy crap. I peed myself

lettuce:
Hi Andrew!

uriel:
Meh

MEhGyver:
Hey folks!

Uriel:
Gyver

Archie:
Andrew you are literally the account that introduced me to joke twitter. Also Hi I’m Archie.

First time Dad:
Andrew welcome to Twitter University!

M@tthew:
Hey, nice to meet ya

MEhGyver:
Hey Archie, Matthew!

Sonic:
Whoaa !
Uriel:
I don't know what chuck is paying you, but it's worth it.

Sonic:
Hi Andre

FTD:
Guys this is the guy that taught me to Twitter so ask him any questions you may have cause he is a rockstar in Jesse parts
these*

Lettuce:
I'm one of two John's in the room, but I also go by Lettuce

Mehgyver:
Chuck, you’re too sweet. Also I’m saying “In Jesse Parts” from now on

Sonic:


FTD:
Damn typos making me look foolish

Uriel:
Someone ask a question.

LEttuce:
I wish that I had Jesse parts

FTD:
Shut it Andre

Uriel:
Jesse has some tweets.

Archie:
Andrew where can I purchase Jesse parts?

Uriel:
Always been better tweets than mine

Mehgyver:
It’s her last name, “Jesse Parts”

Uriel:
Anyway. Hi andrew.

FTD:
Let’s start simple. Andrew how did you first discover joke twitter?


MEhgyver:
Hi!

LEttuce:
How in sweet good do you think of so many things? You tweet like 10 times a day, no?

FTD:
Also what are your hopes and dreams
Jk

MEhgyver:
Alright, let me get Chuck first then John:

Uriel:
And where do babies come from.

M@tthew:
I’m too dumb too know what I don’t know so I’ll just say I enjoy your stuff a lot and I think it’s cool that large accounts look to help others out.

FTD:
Dammit Uri

Uriel:
Ha!
Look, there's like a handful of ppl I try to impress, and this guy is one.

FTD:
Then shhhh and let him talk

Uriel:
So instead of impressing I'll make myself look dumb.

Meh:
So I was writing much worse jokes on Facebook. And all of them were REALLY long. Like multiple paragraphs when it could have been 2 sentences. I had never been on twitter until the day I made an account, but friends kept telling me it was a better place for this. So I signed up, started writing and found out it was actually a huge thing
That character limit really helped me become a better writer

AF:
Andrew!

MEH:
For John’s question, I probably get this one the most. First, it’s free time. If it’s a busy day I don’t write much, there’s not much you can do about that. But I write down EVERYTHING. I try to get the outline of a joke down if I can, but sometimes it’s a vague idea, sometimes I start chuckling and realize I have almost nothing, Zero way to convey what made me laugh, but something did, so it might just be a note like “sarcastic chipmunk,” but I put it down.
Also, a lot of times I get multiple jokes from the same thing

AF:
Nice to meet you

MEH:
If I have an idea I’ll often have 2 different ways I could go with it. I’ll use one, draft the other, and assume that I’ll be able to make enough changes to turn it into a different joke

LEttuce:
Do you have any writing strategies, that is, do you deliberately think "I will now try to do a misdirection tweet" or "let me pick words are look for puns", or is it always more organic?

Uriel:
How quickly do you return to those thoughts/ideas?

MEH:
Nice to meet you too, Andrew!

Uriel:
And how many do you forget once you go back?

Sonic:
Have you ever had periods of writers block ? Im.curious to know if you have a strategy to get back on track if you've ever suffered http://from.it

AF:
I'll add my question to the queue: Do you ever think of a joke but don't tweet it because it's not really your style/voice?

FTD:
You guys are on fire now let’s pause and let him catch back up!

MEH:
It’s not so deliberate, there are times when I want to write a certain way, but, whether or not I can find it, there IS a way a joke is funniest. Trying to make it into a conversation format when it should be a one liner will only take away from it. But headspace does play a role. I find around the time I’m ready for bed I tend to just bounce words around. I’m most likely going to get a pun then if I’m going to get anything. And it’s pretty common for me to work on a joke in a format and discover after taking a break and coming back the next day I had a conversation format tunnel vision, and was approaching it completely wrong. So this answers a little vague, I am affected by mood in what I’m able to write, but I WANT to make the joke whatever way it reads best. A lot of times that means taking a break
For Uri now
I would much rather get quick turnaround. If I feel like it’s a good joke, and will only be a good joke, a lot of times I’ll just post it right then. If I feel like it really has something, I’ll typically finish it in a day or 2, but try to hold back posting until I can take a few hours to do something completely different. I will tell you, if it’s a really good joke, and I know it, its ALWAYS better for me to sleep on it. Sometimes the next morning I look at it and don’t make a single change, but I know it’s right when I send it, and I wouldn’t have been sure the day before. When you’ve made 5 or 6 edits in a row, you don’t have the objectivity you will the next day. Occasionally a first draft is just perfect, in which case I’ll send it right away, but if you’re really editing a piece, and you really like it. Take a break. Just enough so that by the time you come back to it it feels new. That being said I also have 6 month old drafts because I cannot find the joke, but still like the idea. But those will almost never be the great ones
Sonic, I do, and I think like most writers I get frustrated and try to force it and everything I put out is crap

ARchie:
Adding a question if I may. The fellas in this room are ppl I genuinely find funny and like enough to promote. There are however plenty of ppl I feel a pressure to suck up to, since I am still a budding account reliant on the support of others. Is there a balance of kissing ass u would recommend? Also, and only slightly related how do u feel about favstar

MEH:
And I do that for 2 days and suddenly I can write again. I don’t think I did anything to make that happen, just eventually it goes away. So I force it because I’m frustrated and WANT to be writing, but the only valuable thing I’m doing is reminding myself it will go away on its own
Andrew then Archie

Sonic:
Thank you , im.struggling at the moment

MEH:
Andrew, very rarely, and I think it’s really just about whether I find it inappropriate rather than matching my voice. In the beginning I did, as I was finding my voice. The first time I said “fuck” in a tweet I struggled with it. I don’t really curse much in real life, but the joke wasn’t funny without it. And it’s not a bad thing to do, to decide you want a specific voice. There are plenty of accounts that are good because they’ve defined a style. But I like writing whatever makes me laugh. I’m okay if I lose some followers over it. I lose followers every day. But I gain more than I lose, and the freedom of feeling like I can put myself out there however I want at that moment is really worth the trade off for me. I think I’d be too stressed “trying to tweet like mehgyver”
Sonic, go easy on yourself. There’s not a writer in the world it doesn’t happen to. I’ve deleted over 50% of my tweets today because I could not get it right. Eventually I dig into some really old tweets I did before I had a lot of followers, make minor edits (or sometimes copy exactly) and repost it. See if the numbers are better this time, that little reward eases the frustration, helps me relax and not try to force it so much.
Archie, in my experience, you can’t really make it happen when trying to get the big followers, but it’s pretty easy to make it not happen.
I know when someone is trying to get my attention, rather than adding a reply because they’ve got a really good joke

FTD:
Andrew, for the queue: what was your favorite tweet of all time and what was he inspiration for it? Was it clear blood? Tell me it was clear blood.

MEH:
Retweet the things that make you laugh, no matter the account. Not because I’m telling you not to worry about it, I get it, I still would kill for pixelated boat to follow me, and called my girlfriend the day iamspacegirl did follow me. It’s just that there’s not a lot you can do. If you want to strategize, make sure your timeline has your best stuff at the top, when you see an account you really love is very active (if you have notifications on for them), sure, go through their recents or their favstar. But most likely they’re going to see you from others retweeting you. I VERY rarely find someone I like from a reply or them blowing up my favstar. It’s just writing good material that will get you spotted. Favstar, I don’t have pro at the moment, and really just miss being able to see more than my top 20 jokes. The trophies are kinda nice, I remember how excited I was when I got my first one, but now most of the time I just get stressed that I didn’t thank someone for giving me one
Chuck! So when I posted clear blood, it was immediately my most successful tweet of the time. It sat in my drafts for a month. Exactly as is, because I didn’t feel like it had a punchline. Eventually I took it to a workshop group and they told me they wouldn’t change it
I loved the idea, but I almost deleted that one without posting it

FTD:
The ending: tell my story! Made the joke!
Alright fellas bring some more! We are caught up

Archie:
Can we be friends after tonight?

M@tthew:
I really appreciate his time but all I’m thinking right now is that maybe Christopher Walken’s father was a comma salesman and that influenced his method of acting.
I don’t think that helps anyone

MEH:
Oh, and my favorite, I’m really not sure, but probably not one of my most successful ones. Though I do like horpses a lot, and my current pinned tweet, but that’s in part because I had to go all over Paris to get it

Uriel:
Horpses was hilarious.
Is hilarious.

FTD:
M@t...no! Noooo

Uriel:
Sometimes I'm happy twitter randomly Unlikes things so I can relike it.

MEH:
Archie yes
Matthew I think you have a tweet in there

FTD:
Question: when did you feel like alright, I can do this I’m pretty good at this joke twitter thing

M@tthew:
Sorry, I wasn’t trying to workshop on you.

MEH:
I felt pretty good about 6 months in. I think a year in I was actually good

M@tthew:
Yeah, do you have some that weren’t well received that you loved?

MEH:
I talked to a standup once that said he didn’t know a single comic that used material from his first year of writing. You do keep getting better
No worries, Matthew, and I do! I actually have an unpublished moments just titled “thought they’d do better”

Uriel:
How much time do you spend twittering a day, on average?

FTD:
No way that moment sounds awesome

Lettuce:
You said you delete a lot of tweets. Is that for the purpose of reworking and reposting them, or just keeping duds off the TL? What's the harm in having something so-so up?

MEH:
MehGyver @AndrewNadeau0
I couldn't afford those magic eye posters as a kid so I'd just squint at regular pictures and hope there was subtext.
Don’t retweet these, just to show you some from my moments folder. The numbers are only where they are because I mercilessly bumped them: https://twitter.com/andrewnadeau0/status/842538517704163328?s=21 …
MehGyver @AndrewNadeau0
FRIEND: Don't come on strong. {Later} DATE: Want to try some of my soup? ME: The spoon is too heavy.
https://twitter.com/andrewnadeau0/status/902764236312633344?s=21 …

FRAZZ:
I’m here and I’m late and hi mehgyver

MEH:
That one is my girlfriend’s all time favorite
Hey, John!
MehGyver @AndrewNadeau0
ME: You know if you learned to say “there” we could describe you as “knock-knockturnal”. MY PET OWL & BEST FRIEND: Who. ME: You’re so close, Barnaby.
https://twitter.com/andrewnadeau0/status/930219592752009216?s=21 …

Archie:
I audibly laughed at the spoon one just now

FTD:
That owl one!


FRAZZ:
I’m sorry I will go back and read the chat later but for now are we just asking questions?

AF:
Andrew probably doesn't remember this but he and I both had the same idea for a Christmas tweet, and I jokingly called him out on it. I had like 56 followers at the time. He retweeted mine, and it was the first time I'd ever gotten more than like one like. After that I had the bug. So thanks, Andrew.

FTD:
It an ask anything with MehGyver John

MEH:
Thanks, Archie! Back to question: Uri, I really have no idea, but if my day is free, I’m on and off all day. Sometimes just go on, tweet something, 30 minute break, check the feed for 5 minutes, 30 minutes later check again. But I tend to tweet in clumps. Either going through drafts, or I’m just in the right mindset, I’ll tweet something, go back to my tv show, then have another idea 5 minutes later

FRAZZ:
Ok I’m sure a lot of questions I’d have have already been asked so I’ll ask you something that’s probably different maybe

URIEL:
That's an answer. And thanks for the previous answers (and being here in general)

FRAZZ:
Do you do standup Andrew?

MEH:
Lettuce, there’s probably no harm in leaving it up. Other than the more followers you have the more likely someone will be a dick about it. But also I tweet so much, I figure if someone gets 4 new tweets from me on their timeline and none are good, they’ll probably unfollow. But most of the time I draft to rework it

M@tthew:
When you back to the archives and rework a joke do you leave the old version up?

MEH:
Hi, John! And I do remember that, Andrew, though I didn’t realize that was you. That was a solid joke, I’m glad you kept writing!

URI:
I'm gonna fanboy for a moment and say I was so excited the day you liked my Gollum horpses comment.

MEH:
John, I’ve done it twice, and do intend to do it more, just so I can develop the skill and branch out, but I like writing more than performing. My whole set is one liners. Modified tweets. Growing up my favorite comedians were Steven Wright and Mitch Hedberg. Eventually someone pointed out I could also do standup in that style, which I had somehow never considered before
I do leave them up, Matthew, just because people steal jokes, and I want the evidence I wrote it first
But if I REALLY like a joke and it keeps not performing, I’ll only leave the first one up and the newest, delete the middle attempts

M@tthew:
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

MEH:
The Gollum @ was good, even had someone else reply to it!

Archie:
Archie @BeginsWithKaye
It used to really bother me that we never had Mitch Hedberg and Twitter at the same time. It still does. but it used to, too.
https://twitter.com/BeginsWithKaye/status/984180209804079106?s=20 … Steven Wright and Mitch are my top comedians too. I’m shamelessly dropping this cuz if u loved Mitch u should agree

MEH:
lol, I actually listened to both of their albums today

URI:
Thanks. I was so freaked out that I had commented to "the" mehgyver. I didnt know if there were twitter rules or anything about that, and I'd put my foot in it a few times with others.

FTD:
Andrew just so you know I knew I could do this joke twitter thing when you reached out and complimented my if guys were treated like girls. You even shouted me out for the format.

Archie:
Ooh question. U mentioned getting stuck in the dialogue format. Any tricks to viewing a joke from another angle?

MEH:
Oh yeah, that was really good, I’m glad I could have an impact! You’ve really blown up since then!

FTD:
Thanks Buddy!

MEH:
Take a break, and when you come back to it start writing it again without reading your original version
If I get an idea for a totally new approach and then see the original I always get thrown off
Write the new one fully, then go back and see if one is better or if you can cherry pick from both
Also, go read somebody else’s work
Sometimes when I’m trying to branch out I’ll just pick a comic I really like and try to write a joke like they would. A large part of my style is because I tried writing like @KimmyMonte and really liked it

FRAZZ:
Ahh I got you. Haha I joined twitter two months so I could become a better writer and I could work on doing more jokes. Have you ever considered trying to write for TV shows?

Sonic:
This is incredibly helpful stuff , i may try to write another tweet

MEH:
I think I’d enjoy it, but I have no idea how to script write. I’ve seriously thought about taking classes to learn, but as of now it’s not the path I’m on. Are you a writer/comic outside of here then?
I’m glad, Sonic!

Sonic:
Thank so much for talking to us

FTD:
Alright fellas! Say thanks to Andrew, any last questions? He has given us over an hour, we gotta let him get back to living life

M@tthew:
Thanks for your time. Enjoy your night.

FRAZZ:
I do improv and standup outside of here, I took a couple online second city classes to work on script writing, I figured twitter would be a good way to get jokes out to the world.

Sonic:
Thanks Andrew , its been fantastic

MEH:
You all are very welcome, thanks for having me! I wish I could save this convo but have no idea how

URI:
Thanks andrew! Helpful advice all around.

MEH:
Last piece of advice (which is a little long)

FTD:
Save? You mean like a million screenshots?

Archie:
Real pleasure meeting u and truly helpful stuff. Please don’t be a stranger

URI:
Screen grabs (chuck are you doing that?)

Sonic:
I.screenshotted most of it

LEttuce:
Thank you!

AF:
Thanks, Andrew!

FTD:
Again fellas this stuff stays in here!
Talking to them Andrew not you

RUD:
Hello Andrew, I'm Christopher. I appreciate you taking the time to share with us this evening. It was a really nice of you to do this.

FRAZZ:
Thanks Andrew I really enjoy your tweets

URI:
Chuck, they guys and I talked offline, got you a present.

FTD:
Hang on. Andrew is typing one last piece of advice

Sonic:


MEH:
Take this as seriously as you want. I stopped seeing it as twitter and started seeing it as short form comedy. Figure out what you want YOUR account to be, and whatever that is is fine. If you’re good at this you will get trolls. Don’t worry about it. I won’t say just ignore it, because emotions don’t really work that way, but remember they’re not the ones that matter, it’s the people who you make laugh you’re writing for. And most importantly for yourself. So be fearless, take chances, try stuff out, whatever it takes to discover your voice. And once you do keep pushing boundaries. If Chuck is backing you you know you’re good. So have faith and keep writing!

FTD:


URI:
Thanks a lot andrew. I know we all look up to you - so this means a lot.

FRAZZ:
That’s an awesome tip


FTD:
Andrew what did you mean save it? Do you want Uri’s screenshots?

Archie:
Blessings, kind and funny man

FTD:
Or Sonics?

URI:
I'm gonna try to snag it from my computer too. See if it will take better.

Sonic:
Thank.you Andrew , im.feeling very positive about my twitter future now

MEH:
If anyone has it saved somehow, sure. I was hoping there’d be a way to copy and paste but I couldn’t

FTD:
Uri can you control print screen it?

URI:
I got you.

Sonic:
I'll keep my screenshots , but uri is going to do it i think

FTD:
We will get it to you buddy! Again thanks for your time and encouraging these Young Guns!

LEttuce:
Very helpful. Thanks again.

AF:
It's been a real treat, thank you again

MEH:
My pleasure, thank you all for having me, goodnight!

Sonic:
Brilliant and insightful stuff Andrew , thank you !!
FTD:


FRAZZ:
Thanks for everything! I wish I would have known it was eastern standard time haha

Archie:
Sorry for grabbing ur leg, Andrew...if u walk far enough from the room I will eventually let go

FTD:
John I clearly stated Eastern Standard.


FRAZZ:


FTD:
I kid John I kid

FRAZZ:
I’m young and stupid

FTD:
Guys shhhh he is still here


Sonic:
Thanks Dad , that was incredible, i may have a future on twitter after all , thanks for bringing mehGyver to talk to us , im.blown away

AF:
This is like on Community when Troy met LeVar Burton

FTD:
Also Andrew if you ever wanna stop bye and say hi let me know

MEH:
Sorry, trying to retweet you all before I left so I didn’t forget anyone. Talk amongst yourselves, I’m Irish Goodbying as soon as I’m done, which is admittedly less mysterious when you say it in advance

FTD:
Touché

URI:
Hahaha!

Archie:
EXCELLENT REFERENCE FOWLER

URI:
i just shamelessly retweeted some of my stuff so it's at the top
*hint, hint*

RUD:
Thank you for the love Andrew, and thanks again for stopping in

LEttuce:
Thanks for the RTs!

Uri:
Yeah. What he said

MEH:
I think that’s everyone, bye everyone!

MehGyver left

FTD:


Sonic:
Thanks for the RT's Andrew

FTD:
Ok now you can talk amongst ourselves

Sonic:


Lettuce:
*sigh* he's dreeeeamy

FRAZZ:
I’m stupid

Archie:
CHUCK U R A KING FOR THIS

LEttuce:
Yeah, kudos Chuck

Sonic:
Im still in shock over here

FTD:
Now he knows who each of you are.

Sonic:
Thanks so much Dad

FTD:
Great questions all!

RUD:
Did someone need this for the start time?

Sonic:
Im feeling real positive about twitter since i http://snuck.in to this room

URI:
Haha!
I have and 82 page word doc of this convo

RUD:
Also he rtd my pin so if he hit your pin make sure yall swap it out

URI:
Partially because it saves the avi every time.

Archie:
My notifications are back after his RTs lol. I gtg like an hour ago. This was amazing . Ur the best dean ever chuck. Gnight all

Sonic:
G, night Archie

URI:
I can try to clean it up a bit
Night Kaye

FTD:
The biggest lesson I wanted you guys to learn tonight is 500 followers or 28k followers we are all human. We have the same thoughts of not being funny, we have the same struggles, the same doubts