two hands reaching to each other

SETUP & PUNCHLINE. The two parts of jokes

The key to writing a successful joke is to make sure you understand how joke structure works. PREMISE. First you need a setup. This is a topic that is what your joke is about. It could be about relationships or…

collage of portraits of cheerful woman

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…

group of people having a meeting

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…

wavelength

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…

comparison of old and new phones

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…

brown and white counter table and six brown high chairs

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…

two gray condenser microphones

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…

APPS AND TOOLS FOR COMEDIANS

FIVE Websites, apps and tools to help you with writing 1 – ORGANISE YOUR JOKES However you prefer to organise your jokes, Evernote will make that process easier. You can set up Notebooks with specific functions, tag jokes, search your…

selective focus photography of microphone on microphone stand

THE SECOND OPEN MIC

So you survived your first standup comedy open mic. Congratulations. Whether you killed it or you bombed or (more likely) something in between, you are no longer a standup comedy virgin. You got up there and showed the audience you…

pexels-photo-1010973.jpeg

WRITING YOUR FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF COMEDY

So you want to start standup comedy. Where to start? A good way to find topics for your first five minutes of standup comedy is to have a think about yourself… what’s unique about you? What are your most pronounced personality traits?…

black pencil on white paper

JOKE INSPIRATION LIST.

Check out our joke inspiration list before heading to your next open mic. For new comedians it can be difficult to know what you should write jokes about. For more experienced comedians it can be easy to get writers block…

Punchlines Joke Setups Joke writing practice

WRITING SETUPS FOR JOKES.

Random Punchlines – A setup joke writing exercise. It is helpful to be able to separate a punchline from the setup. Below are a list of 30 punchlines to real jokes. You should pick a random punchline and write as…