How to Become a Good Stand-up Comedian

Being a good stand-up comedian requires impeccable timing.

Being a stand-up comedian takes a lot of courage. Not only do you have to write jokes you think are funny, you have to stand before an audience and tell the jokes in a way that makes people laugh. Comedy audiences can be tough, and in some venues, heckling comedians is considered appropriate behavior. To ensure that your off-the-cuff jokes are as funny as your scripted ones, you must practice in front of an audience as much as possible.

Instructions

1. Go to comedy clubs as often as you can. If there's not a comedy club in your area, watch comedians on TV, DVD or online. The more you see what works for others, the more you can incorporate those same skills into your act.

2. Take an improv class. The skills you'll learn will sharpen your wit, teach you to be funny on your feet and introduce you to others in the business.

3. Write with a partner. The collaboration and riffing between you can give rise to jokes you wouldn't have written on your own.

4. Start small and work your way up. Do short sets at open-mic nights, where you can try out new material on new audiences. By refining short sections of your act, you can slowly build a longer show.

5. Listen to people talking around you. You never know where good material might come from. It could be the subway, the state fair or the local buffet restaurant. Keep your ears open and carry a notebook to write down funny scenarios or observations.

Tips & Warnings

• Judy Carter has a few books on comedy that I wholeheartedly do not recommend. The advice given teaches you how to become a bland and overly generic stand-up comedian

References

• Stand Up Comedy Clinic; What's the Key to a Good Joke; Jerry Corley
• Fastco Design; Method: Eight Things Stand-Up Comedy Teaches Us; Paul Valerio; March 3, 2011

Resources

• "Time"; Not Just Laughs: Stand-Up Comics Come to Broadway; Richard Zoglin; April 26, 2011