How to Be Witty

Laughing at your own jokes before others is a comedy crime.

A witty play on words will help you command an audience. Wit is the product of a sharp mind that is able to find humor in everyday situations. Improve your wit by honing your perception of the world to see the humor in everything and educating yourself on the use of timing and language.

Instructions

1. Visits your library or look online for comedy resources. Films and recordings of famous stand-up comedians will give you visual and audio examples of refined wit. Pay attention to the timing of jokes and vocal delivery.

2. Expand your vocabulary. Word-play is an important part of wit. Look up a new word everyday and practice framing it in a humorous sentence.

3. See the humor in things. Pay attention to the world around you and attempt to think laterally about life circumstances. Lateral thinking is the ability to re-frame events in a different light. For example, standing in line at the department of motor vehicles is a mundane event, but re-framed as a comic happening it is an opportunity for a joke.

4. Play word association games. Have a friend or family member give you a word and respond with the first thing it makes you think. Play with a timer so you can train your mind to adapt quickly.

5. Collect jokes. When you hear a good joke, write it down and memorize it. This gives you some ready-made humor to practice with until you begin developing your own jokes.

References

• Wily Walnut: Chicken-in-the-traffic Techniques to Unleash wit and Humor! ...; 2010
• John Kinde's Humor Power: Developing Original Humor for Your Talk; John Kinde; 2006