9 Tips to Improve Your Stand-Up Comedy Writing

 Heard of James Veitch? Obviously! His one of the most famous TED talk videos on replying to scam emails still makes one's stomach flutter. James Veitch is one of the most famous names in the stand-up industry. His way of trolling spammers and explaining the situation with visual images went viral ever since. He has also written a book titled Dot. Con, which speaks about the art of scamming scammers. 

You may have also considered stand-up comedy as a career because your relatives and friends have told you that you are a hilarious person. However, writing for stand-up comedy is something that comes with practice, and passion. Want to be as quirky with your jokes as James Veitch? Then here are 9 tips to improve your writing for a successful stand-up career. 

1. Practice

As they say, 'Practice makes a man perfect'. Being a good comic needs a lot of practice. You must be rigorous and strict with your timings while writing humor. If you're being honest about your job, you'll have to set out time to sit at your desk and write funny jokes. It may take a few rounds to develop a routine. Even if it's a lousy joke, phrase, one-liner, or narrative, jot down anything that comes to mind. You'll have to write a lot until you find that one funny joke that will make everyone go on laughing gas.

2. Observe Other Comedians

Observing, taking inspiration from a comedian, and copying a comedian are two different things. Avoid doing the later one. It is often helpful to watch or listen to some of your favorite stand-up comedians shows like James Veitch. Pay attention to the structure of their jokes, how they present them, and their aura on the stage. Observe them, and note them down when learning how to write stand-up. 

3. Add Punchline

Starting your performance with a solid punchline might give you more ideas for jokes related to that. Consider the funniest incident that has ever occurred to you, and then write a detailed description of the situation and your emotions. Consider the series of events that led you up to the point. And begin to write a quirky and crisp narrative around the punchline. 

4. Develop Your Observatory

Observation in stand-up comedy is one of the most crucial things. Observe your surrounding for inspiration like your parents, your boss, random friends. Look for humor in a normal situation. However, make sure your jokes or story should be relatable to the audience. Relatable jokes are something that gathers more laugh. Try focusing on jokes that can connect your audience with your story. Concentrate on humor that will help your audience connect with your tale. Look around, and you'll see stories like these all the time!

5. Build a Comedic Persona

It is often easier to write jokes when you have a unique persona than your usual self. Create a comedic persona for your performance that you can play on stage. Make a list of a few character concepts. It might feel uneasy at first to be a character you are not. But the more you perform, you can start getting used to being a comedic person on stage. However, don't set any limits for yourself at first. Experiment with different viewpoints to figure out what works well with your jokes. 

6. Build a Story

Performances that tell a tale about your personal life are very popular these days. In his TED presentation, 'What happens when you reply to your scammer,' for example, James Veitch described how he tried to reply to a scammer and the conversation carried on for a week. Such stories have an introduction, a story build-up, and a finale that draws your audience's attention to you. Sit down and think of a few embarrassing stories from your life, then write them down. Pick the one that seems most fascinating to you and go to work on it.

7. Brainstorm Some Similarly-Themed Jokes

Just telling random jokes might make your whole routine illogical, and disconnected. Consider the subjects of your present jokes, and then come up with amusing feelings and visuals to go along with them. It can help you to flesh out your comedy routine screenplay, write more jokes based on the same thing. It will help you to connect all the jokes together to form a logical performance. 

8. Keep the Jokes Within 30 Seconds to 5 Minutes Set

Now that you have got your material, entered into a comedic persona, first start working on the first 30 seconds of your act. You must start your performance with some good 2-3 jokes to keep your audience interested throughout the show. Remember of an embarrassing or funny incident in your life, and keeping that in mind, write down the first 30 to 45 seconds of your act by introducing the story with some punchline.

After the introduction, you must build the story within 2 to 3 minutes. The most critical aspect of your set's middle section is how well it flows. Consider how you can go from one joke to the next smoothly, and rehearse often. Begin building your two-minute set by working backward from the punchline of your 30-second act. 

9. Keep the Best for the Last

Last but not least, you must always save the best joke for the last. You want to make the audience laugh, and concluding your act with your funniest joke will help your show stand out. Make a list of different jokes that you may use to conclude your performance. Practice your ending your show with each joke. Choose the one that sounds most amusing and fits your act's content.

For example, in one of his performances, 'the agony of trying to unsubscribe' James Veitch, ended his TED talk with a picture he re-created from his childhood, playing dead and said if you ever feel weighted down by the bureaucracy and frequently mundanity of contemporary life, don't fight the aggravation, let it trigger the whimsy. The way he kept his ending inspirational yet humorous makes him stand out among other stand-up comedians. 

The Bottom Line

These are some pointers from some of the most well-known stand-up comedians to help you write better material for your performances. Follow these tips and improve your humor.

Work hard, create your image in front of the audience, and who knows, maybe one-day others may come to you for help on their stand-up career.

Location: New York, NY, USA

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