How To Make A Stand Up Comedy Set

It might go without proverb, but stand-up one-act requires copious amounts of joke writing before a stand-upwardly comedian can get upwards and speak in front of a alive or virtual audition and do their thing. Though many comedians make it look like shooting fish in a barrel, they'll exist the first to tell you lot it takes a bit of piece of work to go to that point.

For some comics, information technology comes easier, while others must acquire the craft of joke-writing over a longer flow. But whatsoever the path may exist, everyone who has any success with a stand-upwardly career spends tons of time observing, reflecting, and writing.

You may want to start writing those jokes right away, only if yous're a beginner at comedy writing, information technology's worth taking five minutes to read through some tips, watch some examples of stand up up one-act greats like Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen Degeneres, and Brian Regan, and then…get back to writing!

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Joke Structure

So, what does information technology have to do comedy writing? And more specifically, how do yous write jokes? Well, it's important to expect at how most jokes are structured.

The basic ingredients for a typical two-liner are a ready and a dial line. The setup is what sets the scene or states some fact, and the punch line usually points out some element of irony or provides a surprise twist that makes people express joy.

Sometimes at that place'southward a "tag" besides, which is an additional statement afterwards the punch line that adds some other layer of humor to the joke. Fifty-fifty without being explicitly stated, in that location is also a premise, which is the comedian's feeling about the discipline or an acquittance of a general underlying truth.

Let's apply an example from comedy legend Steve Martin. It's not even necessarily i of his all-time jokes, but information technology volition certainly suffice to bear witness the structure we just laid out.

"I decided to requite my cat a bath. He sat there, he enjoyed it, and it was fun for me besides. The fur would stick to my natural language, merely other than that, you know, it was great."

The set-up: "I decided to give my cat a bath. He sat there, he enjoyed it, and it was fun for me as well."

The punchline: "The fur would stick to my natural language, but other than that, you know, it was nifty."

The unspoken premise: Cats bathe themselves by licking their fur (so when he says he gave his cat a bath, the audition starting time assumes he ways with water in a bathtub, merely the joke suggests he bathed him just like a true cat would…with his tongue).

The tag: I didn't include it above, just on his comedy anthology after he tells this joke he asks for some social club soda, and the audience laughs again. Perhaps he'due south insinuating there might exist a hairball making its way up, or something of the sort.

Learning About Joke Styles

You may already have a sense of the jokes y'all tend to like, or those y'all e'er tell. Just if you're newer to joke writing, or desire to piece of work on some new material, you lot should pay attention to the various joke styles out there, and come across if you tin can work a few into your routine. Permit's go through a few of the common joke styles and why they work.

The Twist

A lot of jokes are written with this style, where the punchline is a surprise twist. The premise or set-upward puts forth some statement, and the punchline plays upon the assumptions you have made. Nosotros can use Steve Martin'southward cat-bathing joke above every bit ane example.

An audition knows something funny is coming, only perhaps they are expecting to hear most what a mess was made by his true cat in the tub, or another style a regular bathroom could accept gone amiss. Instead, he talks near getting fur on his natural language, making people laugh with surprise, and likewise with that visual image of him licking his cat clean.

The Allurement & Switch

Similar to the twist, the bait and switch plays upon the audience's assumptions, merely takes it a fiddling further. This style leads the listener along in a manner where they think they know how a sentence or idea is going to be resolved, but to take the metaphorical rug pulled out from underneath them. Once again the punchline comes every bit a consummate surprise, because not only was there misdirection, but audience members may have fifty-fifty had the words ready in their mouth when the comic flipped the switch.

For case, there's this joke from Wendy Liebman:

"My female parent ever said don't marry for coin, divorce for money."

The audience may be collectively finishing the familiar saying in their heads, "…marry for dearest," merely she flips the script and brings up divorce out of nowhere. The element of surprise is e'er good for a express joy.

The Rule of Iii

Whether it's iii strikes y'all're out, the three little pigs, or Larry, Moe, and Curly, our minds must really take a thing for the number three. Co-ordinate to Wikipedia, the rule of 3 is a "writing principle that suggests that a trio of events or characters is more than humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers." Information technology's one of the most common tips y'all'll come beyond for writing stand up-upwardly jokes.

Live stand up-up (and virtual) comics volition ofttimes list things in three, making sure that the 3rd thing said packs a punch. Actor and standup comedian Harland Williams has a joke that follows this rule of three.

"When you dice at that place's a light at the end of the tunnel. When my father dies, he'll run across the low-cal, make his way toward it, and so flip it off to save electricity."

Kickoff, he has the setup of the familiar end-of-life scenario, and then lists the three things his dad will exercise when his time comes. He delivers the last line – the third matter in the list – and gets a lot of laughs. And just every bit a refresher, this is funny and relatable because the premise is that a lot of dads (or parents in general) go around turning off lights that kids go out on.

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Impressions & Human action Outs

Seeing every bit how standup comedy is a lot nigh performing, a comedy set will often include material where the comedian acts out a item scene, imitates a phonation, or does a full-on impression. These comedic devices can be very funny and are often crowd favorites. The term "human action out" describes the part when comics use physicality to heighten a joke.

They may try a unlike voice or exaggerate the movements of a person in their story to actually drive it home. However, it doesn't have to be over-the-top to work.

In i comedy routine, Jerry Seinfeld talks about the interesting configuration of characters working at airdrome security. Of class, being the master of ascertainment, he has more than than one joke on the matter, and is able to show – and non but tell – with an act out.

He kickoff sets the scene, proverb, "This Einstein has chosen to stand in front of X-rays 14 hours a day, that's his profession." He then uses the opportunity to evangelize a few of his lines as the TSA worker, crinkling his nose equally he imitates inspecting luggage. "What is that, some sort of bowling brawl candle?

Yeah, I got no problem with that. I don't want to hold up the line, go on it moving." Telling this from the perspective of the grapheme makes it work.

Here's a video of Jerry Seinfeld doing his drome security bit:

See if there'southward an opportunity somewhere in your five minute set to comprise an impression or act out and give it a effort at your adjacent comedy show.

Playing With Words

If y'all like to write, and love words, using wordplay tin can upshot in some actually funny jokes. Even if information technology makes you lot feel a niggling empty-headed at times and people start laughing at the sheer cheesiness of these jokes, they're still laughing. If you lot're up there on stage and you're making people laugh, then you're definitely doing something right.

Here's one example of wordplay from comic Stefanie Wilder Taylor. "I'm in therapy only I'thousand non sure I'1000 seeing results…its aromatherapy." Writing jokes like this requires that yous place assumptions an audience will make and also think about the double pregnant of words.

If you desire to start writing some wordplay jokes, begin ideas as you lot would normally, noting any opportunities that are ripe for misunderstanding. Some jokes volition only work when you say them (as opposed to read or write them), because they take a different spelling.

Here's a 2d example from Demitri Martin. "I saw a sign that said, lookout for children. I idea to myself…that's a fair trade." Of course, no i is going to trade a spotter for their children, and the ridiculousness of the topic is what actually keeps information technology light and humorous. Demitri Martin has a particular point of view that informs his onstage persona , which is a sort of mellow intellectual who's besides down-to-earth.

Taking Your Material to the Stage

To really become started in one-act, you'll need to say some of those jokes out loud. Whether y'all're doing an act out or a allurement and switch, the indicate of writing all those jokes is ultimately to perform them for an audience.

It may seem similar a long journey from when you lot write your first real joke to your 5-minute debut at a comedy club, merely at that place are steps to set up you lot forth the manner. Luckily, you take options when it comes to working out your textile and improving your delivery.

If you live in a city, you should be able to notice an open mic somewhere nearly you. There are open up mics that let musicians, poets, and comics perform, and some that are specifically for stand-upwardly comedy. If you don't live in an area that has these opportunities, there are now enough of virtual open mics to practice your entertainer skills that you tin nourish from the comfort of your couch.

I know it can exist scary to go up on stage for the first fourth dimension, merely once you do it, y'all won't accept to worry virtually that first time anymore. Y'all can motility right along and worry nigh the 2d time. Fun!

But in all seriousness, you'll soon see that you can survive information technology, whether it goes well or not. If you retrieve about it, we often acquire more from our mistakes, and so either style, you're a winner.

There are and then many other people just like you, trying out their hand and testing out their own comedic skills. In fact, most performers will be more than preoccupied with their ain set and wrapped up in their own story that they'll just be giving half of their attention to y'all anyway.

Nevertheless, information technology'due south a peachy take chances to practice your material or riff on a topic for a minute and meet if yous say anything amusing. You exercise want to write out your jokes and practice saying them to yourself first, but there's always room for a piffling extemporaneous, as long equally you don't try a brand new joke at an actual evidence.

These days yous can e'er test out your ideas online. If you're someone just starting out and it's a low-stakes situation, you can even come right out and ask, "which one is funnier?" and then share two versions of your joke.

There are a lot of comedy groups on social media that you can seek out. Of course, it'due south still a nifty thought to go to shows and be around other comedians whenever possible.

Keep Writing, Rinse, Repeat

The primal to writing stand-up one-act is writing, then writing some more than, and doing it all over again as frequently as you lot tin. Acquit a notepad around with you, or record your ideas in your phone. Simply be sure to write, revisit and edit.

Now it'due south fourth dimension to become started jotting downward ideas and writing jokes. Here's one more tip earlier we send you on your fashion. When you're working on a joke, write downwards the prepare and then write out several options for a punchline.

That fashion you'll take your choice of the best. Sometimes information technology takes 10 or more times to get the wording just right. Less is oft more, and then remember to keep it brusk and sweet…and funny!

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Adam Christing is a professional comedy magician, virtual MC for rent, and the founder of CleanComedians.com. He is a member of the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and a popular virtual comedian, magician, and virtual speaker for hire.