Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Prepare to Tell the Story
• Part 2 of 2: Tell a story

You find yourself in a group of people at a party or trying to start a speech or presentation and want to tell a funny story. But you worry about making it funny and interesting, not boring or silly. With a little practice and confidence, your audience is bound to laugh!

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Prepare to Tell the Story

1. 1 Condition the situation. The situation creates the premise of the story, giving your audience the background and details they need.
   • The explanation should be as short and accurate as possible. It should focus on a topic or idea because the story should be fun and easy to understand.
2. 2 Define a climax. The climax is the heart of the story. It should lead the audience in one direction, and then surprise it with a sudden rise to a new climax, or lead it in a completely different direction than the one suggested in the premise.
   • A sharp twist in a story or an element of surprise tends to be a good climax.
   • Defining a climax will help you tie up additional details and structure the situation so that it leads to burst of laughter.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   "Sometimes it's best to climax, wait for a burst of laughter, and then put out the lights and end the scene."

   
   

   

   Dan Klein

   Improvisation Instructor Dan Klein is an improvisation specialist who teaches in the Theater and Performing Arts Department at Stanford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Has been teaching improvisation, creativity and storytelling to students and organizations from all over the world for over 20 years. Received his BA from Stanford University in 1991.

   Dan Klein
   Improvisation teacher

3. 3 Write down your story. Read your first draft of the story out loud to determine what is funny and what can be cut or cut.
   • Remove unnecessary words and only use adjectives when necessary.
   • If you use adjectives, they should be interesting and eye-catching; don't use the word "big" when you could use "huge", "gigantic" or "immense."
4. 4 Practice telling the story in front of the mirror. Watch your body language as you tell the story. You should be relaxed, friendly and confident.
   • If you are telling a story with different characters, change your voice to match the character who is speaking. You don't have to be monotonous and mumble in an undertone.
   • Try to tell the story as if you were telling it to a close friend. Don't be too formal or tense.You need to look like you believe the story you're telling. Make it your story and make it believable to the listener.
   • Pause before the climax to signal the listener to pay attention now. This will ensure that the audience hears the climax and, hopefully, is ready to have a good laugh.
5. 5 Add tags to your story. After you've practiced the story a few times, you get the hang of the material and you can start adding tags or additional climaxes.
   • Tags can be based on the original climax, or they can sharply rotate the climax in a different, completely new, funnier direction.
   • Tags will help you take advantage of the momentum of the initial climax and prolong the laughter or explode the audience with renewed vigor, so don't be afraid to use them.

Part 2 of 2: Tell a story

1. 1 Make an introduction. If you want to introduce a story into an already started conversation with friends, use a short introductory phrase to start the story, for example: “You know, this reminded me of a story ...” or “Funny that you mentioned that, just the other day I was..."
2. 2 Be brief. The first laugh should be elicited as quickly as possible, preferably in the first 30 seconds. There is no need to lay out a complex, detailed scene, or mention what happened the day before, unless the details are full of funny moments that will lead to a general climax.
   • If you can't tell a story in less than 30 seconds, then the first 30 seconds should be made intriguing and entertaining.
3. 3 Be confident in yourself. Don't be silent, don't look away from the audience, don't hesitate. Try to relax and tell the story in a casual manner, as if you were telling it to a close friend.
   • Since you have previously practiced telling this story and have learned how to communicate well, it should be easy for you to act like a confident storyteller.
4. 4 Remember to use your hands and face. Timely gestures and facial expressions can greatly enliven the details of a story and keep your listener interested.
   • Also remember to change your voice and pause before the climax. As with any form of humor, timeliness is very important, it will contribute to a good storytelling.
5. 5 Maintain eye contact. Don't be afraid to look your listeners in the eye as you dive into the details of the story.
   • Eye contact also means that you are confident and comfortable in front of your audience.
6. 6 Try to end with the biggest burst of laughter. Most listeners will only remember the last part or climax of the story. If the ending is flat, it will likely destroy the funnier details in the premise.
   • Ideally, you want to leave the audience laughing and wanting more.
7. 7 Move on if the audience isn't laughing. Despair, no matter how you present it, will never cause laughter. If your story doesn't generate the huge laughs you hoped for, ignore it.
   • End the story with a smile and say something like, "Well, I think you should have been there" or "It probably can't be translated from the original German."
   • Don't get hung up on a story if it doesn't go as well as you hoped. The best way to recover is to laugh at yourself (even if no one else is laughing) and move on to another topic.