Summary
Telling jokes requires writing jokes, and writing them requires imagination, skills, time, and practice
Stand-up comedians spend most of their time writing and delivering the best possible show to keep their audiences engaged
Telling jokes requires writing jokes, and writing them requires imagination, skills, time, and practice. Stand-up comedy is one of the most intimate forms of performance. It takes years of hard work and dedication to master the skills and confidence needed to be on stage. As a stand up comedian you will also need to develop a thick skin and sheer willingness and passion to endure judgements and comments. As a stand-up comedian you will be able to hone your sense of humour and feel more connected with your audience.
How to get started in the field
Step 1: Observe and learn
Stand-up comedians spend most of their time writing and delivering the best possible show to keep their audiences engaged. If you are someone who wishes to rank in the same place, then you must think and thereafter compose your comic act. One of the crucial steps to get started in the field is to watch as many stand-up comedy shows and videos as you can. As a beginner in the field you can consider entering a comedy club, as this provides a great opportunity to meet good comedians.
Step 2: Overcome your fears
The biggest obstacles that most stand up comedians need to overcome is the fear of being on stage, in front of an audience. A good way to set foot in the industry, hence, is to try and perform at as many open mic events. This will allow you to both overcome your fear as well as gauge and test your jokes without being under the constant pressure of entertaining a paying audience. Once you face this fear and get past the first experiences, most things will get easier.
Step 3: Start rehearsing
As you write your jokes, make sure you cross check them and align them with the events happening around you. Most comedians have their own style of telling jokes. As a beginner in the field, it's crucial for you to learn the different styles and thereafter practice each one to determine which works the best for you. But remember that in this field, originality counts - so never blindly copy.
Step 4: Rate your performance
As a beginner in the field,you must evaluate your own performance after every show. While a few of your jokes will turn out to be big hits amongst the audience, others may not sit quite as well. Take your time to identify where you’ve succeeded and exactly which are the areas that require more work. You could also consider recording your performance and asking a close friends or mentor to review it. This will provide you with an added perspective - somethingyou may not have arrived upon on your own.
Do’s and don’ts
You don't have to write a joke perfectly to be funny. Nor does it always have to have a few crazy characters. All you really need is to be able to surprise people and hit the correct cords of their personal interest. Mentioned below are some of the do’s and don’ts of standup comedy:
Do’s of the profession:
- Do get to the mainline of your joke first
- Do draw from what you think might be the day to day experiences of your audiences
- Do perform in front of the mirror often
- Do tell a story to paint a picture in your audience's mind
Don’ts of the profession:
- Don’t start off with a dull tone
- Don’t make jokes on personal choices and elements
- Don’t say an absolutely fresh joke without testing it amongst your close freinds
- Don’t stress out or worry or hesitate when on stage
Stand-up comedians get paid to make people laugh instead of working at a mere desk job or analysing numbers - breaking the monotonous tread of the corporate world. Making your way to stardom through a career in stand-up comedy can be difficult, but the payoff is often what makes it worth pursuing, in the long run.
Last updated on 11 Oct 2022
