Everybody loves to laugh, and the art of being a comedian is one of the greatest skills that you can ever possess. Making other people laugh is a true gift be it through film, theater, TV or standup. The ability to get a whole group of people that you have never met to enter your fantasy comedic world and ride the same fantasy is unique to comedians. And the hardest comedy of all is standup comedy, but it is fun to do and hugely rewarding. If you are thinking of pursuing a career as a standup comic here are some useful pointers.
Write and Compile Your Own Material
Starting a career in comedy is not easy, and although all your friends may tell you that you are the funniest man alive it is not them that you will have to impress. Firstly, you must have your own unique material this normally fits in with the persona you choose for your stage act. So always carry a notebook with you and write down situations and events that you could embellish and make them funny. Of course, smartphones have recording facilities if you do not like writing things down.
Organize the Funny Events in Joke Format
When you get time analyze your notes and start to write actual jokes around the themes. Keep in mind how are you going to deliver your material and try to come up with fresh ideas. One trick of the trade is leading the audience down one direction and then completely surprising them by reversing your thoughts to deliver a punch line. You need to rehearse your jokes so that you know them off by heart, this way you can embellish them by ad-libbing when you are on stage.
Learn from Other Comedians
Watch as many comedians as you can, go out to comedy clubs and see how the comedian deals with banter from the crowd, and learn some great put-you-down lines. Watch your favorite comics on TV and see how they present their punch lines, how they use timing as an integral part of delivering the joke. One famous comic one said comedy is all about timing, and that is exactly right. Learn how the great comics effortlessly move from one subject to another as this is a real skill.
Work on Your Routine
Before you say a word, you have to engage the audience with your persona, develop your character and what you will wear. Once you have written enough jokes start thinking of how you will restructure your whole set. So, your jokes should have structure so they go together, remember keep the best for last so you finish your set on a high note. Being a standup comedian can be a hugely rewarding career and can be quite lucrative definitely enough to make a living out of. But bear in mind just because you can deliver a quip or two at a party it does not mean you can stand up on stage and entertain a paying audience.
