Matt Ruby on Adapting Standup Comedy Writing to Screenwriting

In Chapter 14 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "Which Standup Skills Are Transferable to Comedy Web Series and Which Are Not?"  The transferable comedy skills Ruby sees as most relevant are writing skills.  He shares how character writing is very different between stage and script.  Screenwriting allows for more non-verbal character setup whereas standup comedy character development is personal and mainly verbal. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University.