This is STEP THREE of my Stand-Up Comedy Workbook Step one: Brainstorm Ideas. Step Two: Brainstorm details. Flesh out the WHO WHERE WHAT of your personal stories of observation and experience.
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Now it is time to pivot our personal stories of observation and experience into comedy routines. Here are a few ways to reshape our routine. Every time you get on stage try one or more of these techniques.
At each step of the game, get on stage and work the material:
- PREPARE – Organize thoughts. At the bare minimum outline your plan. DON’T WRITE A SCRIPT at first.
- HAVE FUN – Get on stage and execute the plan without ego or insecurity.
- ANALYZE THE WORK – prepare for tomorrow by dissecting the good, the bad, the ugly, without ego or insecurity.
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SHOW – DON’T TELL
Words are boring. Act out a character, use physical performance to enhance your routines.
MAGIC THREE
Human beings love things in 3s. Greek tragedy and Shakespeare utilize this technique.
ECONOMY OF WORDS
Less is more. Rip out anything that is delaying the first laugh that is not absolutely necessary to get that laugh.
SIDE COMMENTS
Taking too long to get to the funny, but you ABSOLUTELY need these details, add some jokes along the way.
ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE
Add rhetorical questions, or otherwise make a comment to the audience. “This guy knows what I mean”
THE Nth DEGREE
Exaggerate what really happened. Make it scarier, crazier, sillier etc.
SOLVE THE PROBLEM/REWRITE HISTORY
What is that thing you WISH you would have done? What do you WISH you would have said?
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PRESENTATION/STYLE
- RHYTHM Experiment with tempo and pace. Speed up, Slow Down.
- VOLUME Get louder/softer at different times to emphasize parts of the routine.
- PITCH You can use lower and higher tones, like notes in a song.
- ATTITUDE Exaggerate emotion, mood etc. Comedy is ALL about attitude.
- DICTION If a joke is not understood or heard, it isn’t funny.
- BREATHE: Breath = text = emotion = character = attitude = pace etc.
GET ON STAGE:
Reshare the same story now armed with additional game plan to add some laughs through material and performance adjustments.
ANALYZE YOUR WORK:
Did you execute your game plan? Did your adjustments get more laughs?
A LITTLE SECRET!
Play with rhythm, volume, pitch, and attitude. Anytime you go too long without a shift you will put your audience to sleep. ALSO Don’t be afraid of SILENCE. Jazz musicians will tell you the most important note is the one not played – the rest. SILENCE creates rhythm. It also lets the audience’s imagination to do its job. Awkward silence alone will create laughter.
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