How to Format a Stand Up Joke
Are you looking to do stand up comedy? Are you often told that you're the funny one in your group of friends, and want to see if you have what it takes? It's not as easy as it looks, and there is certainly a format to the art. Creating a joke takes time, and is often a struggle. Besides just writing the joke, you'll need to test it, edit it, test it again, until it is perfect. Here is a simple way to format your joke before you begin to run it on the stage.
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Instructions
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Formatting and Writing Your Joke
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Write your premise: The premise is the topic of your joke, and where you want to take it. An example would be your neurotic mother, and what makes her so neurotic. You can also name your joke "neurotic mom" for your own reference.
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Write your set-up: You'll need a lead in for your joke, and your set up. The lead in is how you prepare your joke to be set up. If you are coming off of another joke, it is the transition into the next joke. A set-up would be "anyone have a neurotic mom? My mother is the worst ... " You can continue by giving a specific example that your joke will be centered around. The set up is preparing the audience for the punchline.
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Write your punchline: The punch is what hammers in the point. It is where you go for the laugh. A good punchline is not expected. "...Which is why I'm going to bury her cell phone with her." It's good to write multiple punchlines, so you can test each one to decide which is strongest.
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Write your kicker: The kicker is not used for every joke, but when it is, it needs to be strong. It's the extra one liner that you throw in to get a laugh on top of your laugh. "That whore!"
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Run your joke: Now it's time to test your joke. Hit up an open mic night, or any other gig, and run your new material. Try to record it if you have the opportunity. You'll want to hear what parts get a laugh, and what parts don't work. Make note of it.
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Edit your joke: Take your notes, and make some changes if need be. Did anything that you improvised get a big laugh? Was your punchline not strong enough? Should you try a new one? Was your kicker not necessary? Modify your bit, and run it again until it is perfect.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember to write multiple punchlines to test out. Don't finalize your material until you feel that it is perfect. It's one thing to write your bit, it's another thing to finish it.
Remember your audience. You'll need to try the joke a bunch, because each crowd is different. Watch your time, so that you have enough room in your set for all of your material.
