Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Writing jokes
• Part 2 of 3: Optimizing your show
• Part 3 of 3: Giving a stand up comedy show
• Tips
• Warnings

You've been the pias in the classroom since kindergarten, and at parties you always make your friends laugh. Making a career as a stand up comedian might be something for you. Unfortunately, becoming a stand up comedian is not as easy as it seems. It's a very difficult career to start, but if you manage to keep it up, then you can start sharing your jokes with the world.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Writing jokes

1. Write clear opening lines. Your opening line is the run-up to your joke. You provide the audience with background information necessary to understand the joke. Your opening line should be clear and concise.
   • Your opening sentence will be worked out up to your punchline. If you deviate from your opening line to move to a different topic, you run the risk that the audience may no longer be able to follow you.
   • An example of a classic joke opening sentence is: a priest, a minister, and a rabbi walk into a bar.
2. Write punchlines. The punchline is the moment when people laugh at the joke. A good punchline usually contains an unexpected spin that makes people laugh. Your punchline should be an unexpected conclusion to the opening line you started with.
   • Jay Leno's next joke has a clever punchline: “Nine out of ten doctors agree. One out of ten doctors is an idiot! ”
3. Think of "tags" and write them down. "Tags" are additional punchlines that you create after your first punchline. Apply them so that your audience laughs at you even more. You can build on the first punchline with tags, or you can give the joke a new angle.
   • Mitch Hedberg was a master of adding tags to his jokes. Some of his jokes have as many as nine tags.
   • Here's an example of a Mitch Hedberg joke with a tag after the punchline: I called the hotel operator and she said, "How can I direct your call?" I said, “Well, you could say action! And I'll start to dial. (punchline) And when I say goodbye, then you can yell cut! ” (tag)
4. Make sure you are well informed. Pay attention to what's on the news. The current affairs in the news can lead to great material that people feel involved in. Make sure you always know what is going on in politics. Comedians such as Jon Stewart and Bill Maher have built on political humor throughout their careers.
   • Will Ferrell became a celebrity in Hollywood mainly for his impersonation of George W. Bush.
   • This is a joke Jon Stewart made after Dick Cheney accidentally hit his friend while hunting: “I'm not just Jon Stewart, I'm also a concerned parent. So moms and dads who are watching this right now ...don't let your kids go hunting with the Vice President. ”
5. Write every day. Take time every day to write down some ideas or jokes. Keep your ears and eyes open. Inspiration for a joke can come from anywhere. Make sure you always have a pen and paper at hand.
   • Get out of your house. You need experiences to write about.

Part 2 of 3: Optimizing your show

1. Practice making jokes. Timing is crucial if you want to joke effectively. Know when to joke and when to be quiet. Take a break before giving your punchline so that you build up the tension in the room first. Allow the audience to laugh before moving on to your next joke.
   • If you move on too quickly, the audience may stop laughing.
   • Johnny Carson had a show where he held a sealed envelope with a note with a question in it on his forehead. He then answered first. Then he slowly opened the envelope under a drum roll, so that he first built up the tension before revealing the question (the punchline).
2. Come up with an opening sentence. You need an opening line to grab your audience's attention and make them laugh. This should be a short sentence that you have memorized and that gives a brief introduction to you as a comedian. Daniel Tosh's opening line in South Beach, “This is my third favorite city to do stand up in,” immediately typifies the kind of sarcastic humor he is known for.
   • An example of a classic opening line is: "I just landed and guys my arms are so tired."
   • Be careful with opening lines that can be offensive. Because you want your audience to like you.
3. Rehearse your show. Make sure you can stage your show perfectly. Rehearse until you can cancel your show without even thinking. Practice your show over and over in front of the mirror so you can see which parts are funny and which parts need to be removed.
   • Keep hitting and rearranging your show until you feel confident about it.
4. Record yourself. Make a video of yourself giving your performance. Look at it several times to make sure you're making your punchlines the right way. A good show should have about four to six jokes per minute. Grab a timer and make sure every minute in your show has at least four punchlines or tags.
   • Show the video to a friend to see if he likes it.

Part 3 of 3: Giving a stand up comedy show

1. Stand on the podium. The first few times you perform, you will probably be very nervous and your performance will not be very good. Be afraid that you will make mistakes, because that will happen anyway. Go to as many improvisation evenings as possible so that you can get rid of your stage fright and perfect your material.
   • The only way you can be charismatic on stage is to gain experience on stage.
   • Even Jerry Seinfeld ruined his first performance. Thinking back to his first performance, he said: "I just stood there for about thirty seconds, saying absolutely nothing, just standing there, freaking out."
2. Get the audience to know you. The audience needs to see things from your perspective so they can understand your humor. Think of your show as a conversation you have with your audience, rather than a performance.
   • Relax. If you are nervous it is difficult to really connect with your audience.
   • Talk to your audience, not to them.
3. Interact with the audience. Making audience members a part of your show is a great way to bond with them. You can talk to your audience in between jokes.
   • Robin Williams was the king of audience interaction. In one of his shows, he borrowed a woman's raincoat, put it on, and pretended to be a pencil peddler to the audience. Then he borrowed another woman's fur coat, put it on, and said, "Right now, there's a whole bunch of animals going, boy is it cold!"
   • Be careful not to bully anyone. Some people don't like to be the center of attention. If you feel like someone isn't comfortable being the center of attention, talk to someone else.
4. Work on a character. It can take years before you create a character. The type is your starting point for all your jokes. Rodney Dangerfield was the "sweet loser" everyone could relate to. Every time he finished his jokes, he said, "I get no respect." After a while you will notice that you develop a unique character based on your own personality.
   • Your character is what your fans pay for and what they want to see.

Tips

• Be patient. It takes at least three years before you break into the comedy circuit.
• Keep the job you have during the day. It is expensive to start a career in the entertainment industry, and you probably won't make a profit on the investments you make for the first few years.
• Treat your fans right. Try to get to know them after every show.

Warnings

• There are probably many comedians who are more experienced than you. You can get discouraged if you compare your career to theirs.
• Develop thick skin. You will probably be on the podium several times in the beginning. You may even be chased off the stage by a negative audience.