Women are often pushed into the idea that they write softer, more character-driven jokes.

In high school, I was performing "forensics." You take a section of a play and portray all the characters. I even went to camp for forensics.

I do love science. My father is a scientist.

I've met a surprising number of comedy writers whose parents are scientists. Both have an antiauthoritarian slant - they're both skeptics.

I remember one guy saying, "You're the only human out of all of them," and feeling a little concerned that somehow that meant I wasn't as funny.

I did improv at Yale, with the Exit Players. It was great, but they played a little rough.

I looked back at some high school journals and discovered that I definitely wanted to be a writer, but not necessarily comedy.