This post breaks deconstruction (aka Armando which seems like a silly name when you don’t have the context and even sillier when you do) into two ways to make pulls from the Monologist (the Armando). First, choose how close you want to stay to the monologue: Primary, Tangent, or Abstract …
Part 2: FOUR More Essential Tools for Comedy Writing Punchlines
You’ve mastered act outs, wordplay, misdirects, lists of three, analogies, and exaggeration, which you can read about in Part 1. Yay! You’re now less likely to die on the hill of dick jokes at an open mic night, because you did your comedy homework. Most people don’t and are happy …
CHARACTER MONOLOGUES.
Character Monologues: Not Just for Character Comedians You can be inspired by every type of comic out there. You don’t have to be a “character comic” to use this tool. You are borrowing, it’s not a new identity. (Unless we helped you fund your comedy superpower, in which case, you’re …
TOPICAL COMEDY How to Turn News Into Jokes Using Satire
We’d all love to be as good as Jon Stewart at the Daily Show. (Wouldn’t we? I would! ) Current events jokes can be a pain because they are related to a moment that will end soon so you can’t use the joke over and over as you would more …
EMOTIONAL FILTERS
The Power of Emotional Choice in Improv and Standup Comedy As performers, we often obsess over what we say. But here’s a secret that separates good performers from great ones: it’s not the words—it’s the emotion behind them. Let’s take the most mundane sentence imaginable: “This pineapple is very expensive.” …
SCENE MAPPING
Scene mapping can be a great tool for improvisers, but it’s hard to get your head around at first. To map a scene is to take each beat of the scene we have first seen, and use it in a new scene and in a new context. It might mean …
MY JOKE IS BROKEN
You wrote a joke. You have a premise and a punchline. You tell it and… nothing. Here’s what nobody tells you upfront: most jokes don’t work the first time you write them. Even the pros throw away more material than they keep. So if your joke bombed, let’s figure out …
ACTING EXERCISES FOR STANDUP COMEDIANS
Here are some solo exercises you can use to improve your acting skills. Good actors can make things believable. Being credible onstage for an actout joke or a sincere punchline is crucial. You also need performance skills and good vocal variety. Try these tools from the world of acting when …
THE PATTERN GAME. Finding Comedic premises
Using word association to make unexpected connections for jokes. The Pattern Game is an improvisation exercise that trains you to find unexpected connections and loop back to your premise—essential skills for both improvisers finding the game of a scene and standup comedians mining a bit for multiple punchlines. How it …
THE GAME OF THE SCENE
The game of the scene is an oft-discussed topic in improvisation. In standup comedy, we would call it a premise or a setup. But the game isn’t just the setup itself—it’s the specific unusual pattern or logic within that premise that’s actually funny. Here’s how it breaks down: Setup/Premise: “My …
COMEDY CADENCE. Mastering rhythm
(Especially when performing for non-native speakers) Controlling your cadence is crucial for any stand-up comedian. But it becomes even more important when performing for audiences where English may not be the primary language. In this post, we’ll look at cadence techniques to maximize laughs, as well as specific tips for …
NEW JOKES OR OLD JOKES?
Hopefully some of the jokes you wrote from your first open mic got a response. Keep whatever was working for you, and bring those jokes back. Can you add new jokes to the same premise? (A Tag). A lot of knowing if jokes work comes from practicing the jokes multiple …
185 BLANKS WALK INTO A BAR
A joke writing format from improvisation comedy. This is a fun exercise you can play alone or with fellow comedians to work on your punchlines. You have a fixed setup and you can make multiple punchlines. First you need to think of a random object or ask an online tool …
COMEDY PODCASTS. For comedians by comedians.
The Best Podcasts for Stand-Up Comedians Learning Comedy You can learn a lot from the pros. We recommend the following podcasts which are specifically for LEARNING to write comedy. Topics covered are everything from comedy personas to breaking down joke structure and performance skills. URLS change all the time, and …
POINT-OF-VIEW. The Heart of a Joke
Your joke needs at least 2 parts, a setup and punchline. This is joke structure. But what makes a joke very satisfying is attitude. What is it you are really trying to say? Having a clear point-of-view is what helps you create a relationship to your audience. Ideally every joke, …
You must be logged in to post a comment.