I have a theory. Writing is all about storytelling. No that’s not the theory, that’s accepted as fact, I believe.. The theory is that good writers would be good aural (or verbal, I’m not sure which to use) story tellers. That is if people still told stories. Since almost no one does anymore, my theory is that good writers are good joke tellers. Jokes being today’s version of stories. I’m a good teller of jokes, always have been. Not bragging, I was just born with the ability. People at parties ask me to tell jokes.
On the other hand, I’ve known many people, some of them the most intelligent people I’ve known, that couldn’t tell a joke if Chris Rock was standing beside them whispering in their ear.
I believe joke telling (as a stand-in for story telling) consists of all the important elements of writing: premise, character development, POV, tense, pacing, timing, word selection, arc, climax (punch-line).
So what how do you test a theory? Why, you conduct an experiment. So here it is. If people laugh when you tell this joke you are a good joke teller, and my hypothesis is that you are therefore a story teller, and going even further, a good writer. If not, then not. What do you think? Plausible? Quite a stretch? Crock of shit?
The Joke: Two brothers work at a pantyhose factory. It goes out of business. They apply at a pantyhose factory just opening up in a nearby town. The human resources guy sent down by the company doesn’t know much about the manufacture of pantyhose.
First brother goes in for his interview. Personnel guy looking at file, says, “I see here that you have experience in pantyhose manufacturing. What did you do?”
First brother says, “I was a diesel fitter. Best one in the whole place.”
The personnel guy doesn’t know what that job is, but doesn’t want to admit it, so he says, “Yeah, I think we can use one of those. You’re hired. We’ll start you at fifteen dollars an hour.”
First brother says, “All right! That’s great. You got a deal.”
Second brother comes in. Personnel guy says, “What did you do at the old pantyhose factory?”
Second brother says, “I was a stuffer. I stuffed the pantyhose in those little plastic eggs. Yes sir, I was the best stuffer that company ever had. I hold the record for stuffing five thousand eggs in one day.”
Personnel guy says, “O.K. I think we can use one of those. We’ll start you out at ten dollars an hour.”
Second brother says, “Ten dollars, ten dollars? Why you just offered my brother fifteen dollars!”
Personnel guy says, “Yes, but he was a diesel fitter.”
Second brother says, “Diesel fitter! Diesel fitter! You know what he did? He would just walk around the factory all day and once in a while, he would pick up a pair of pantyhose and put them on his head and say, ‘Yep, diesel fitter’.”
On the other hand, I’ve known many people, some of them the most intelligent people I’ve known, that couldn’t tell a joke if Chris Rock was standing beside them whispering in their ear.
I believe joke telling (as a stand-in for story telling) consists of all the important elements of writing: premise, character development, POV, tense, pacing, timing, word selection, arc, climax (punch-line).
So what how do you test a theory? Why, you conduct an experiment. So here it is. If people laugh when you tell this joke you are a good joke teller, and my hypothesis is that you are therefore a story teller, and going even further, a good writer. If not, then not. What do you think? Plausible? Quite a stretch? Crock of shit?
The Joke: Two brothers work at a pantyhose factory. It goes out of business. They apply at a pantyhose factory just opening up in a nearby town. The human resources guy sent down by the company doesn’t know much about the manufacture of pantyhose.
First brother goes in for his interview. Personnel guy looking at file, says, “I see here that you have experience in pantyhose manufacturing. What did you do?”
First brother says, “I was a diesel fitter. Best one in the whole place.”
The personnel guy doesn’t know what that job is, but doesn’t want to admit it, so he says, “Yeah, I think we can use one of those. You’re hired. We’ll start you at fifteen dollars an hour.”
First brother says, “All right! That’s great. You got a deal.”
Second brother comes in. Personnel guy says, “What did you do at the old pantyhose factory?”
Second brother says, “I was a stuffer. I stuffed the pantyhose in those little plastic eggs. Yes sir, I was the best stuffer that company ever had. I hold the record for stuffing five thousand eggs in one day.”
Personnel guy says, “O.K. I think we can use one of those. We’ll start you out at ten dollars an hour.”
Second brother says, “Ten dollars, ten dollars? Why you just offered my brother fifteen dollars!”
Personnel guy says, “Yes, but he was a diesel fitter.”
Second brother says, “Diesel fitter! Diesel fitter! You know what he did? He would just walk around the factory all day and once in a while, he would pick up a pair of pantyhose and put them on his head and say, ‘Yep, diesel fitter’.”
Not because I'm any good at telling jokes or because I believe any theory can be all-inclusive--especially one as specific as this one. But I have a little story of my own to share 
