How to write stand-up comedy

In 2024 I decided I would try my hand at a comedy routine.

No joke.

Well, a few.

Did they go down well?

Probably about as well as this introduction.

But I loved the process and did some research on writing good comedy.

As a starting point I really recommend this article which beautifully explains how important it is to create a sense of safety in the audience. Before you then violate that safety 😉

https://creativestandup.com/comedic-conflict/

I wrote up some of my key lessons to a friend below:

I created a note and just jotted down observations and funny thoughts over many weeks. This acted as inspiration.
I saw some open mics. What I realised was that the funniest comedians would establish their character really quickly and then stick to it. It means the audience knows what you’re about and what to laugh at. Kinda like picking a storyline rather than randomly throwing jokes together. So I went with this whole shtick of being gay but looking straight. And made my jokes pretty much all about that in different ways
I really recommend the below article. It’s a great concept exploring how jokes are comprised of the tension between safety and violation
I had a little brainstorm with my friend sharing ideas. Then naturally the ones you laugh at are keepers
I wrote up a bunch of jokes. Then started prepping them on small note cards and just saying them out loud in my room. Once happy with delivery I shared them with a flatmate and killed the ones that bombed. Also recorded myself and listened back. This process took maybe two weeks
The nerves are real. It will come up - really hit me ten mins before the show. Adrenaline spiked. It all kinda went like a blur. Watching back the video I realised I was moving around all over the place with my legs out of nervous energy. I could have practiced this a bit more but maybe it’s just part of it and who cares
have fun. Do it for yourself. If you get an internal laugh out of it that’s what it’s all about. It’s a super random thing to do and that made it funny to me haha. You’re gonna be great, you’re naturally funny and you’ll be able to establish such a good and unique character 😂
Give the audience permission to laugh. That’s why I made the jokes about me cause I’m giving them permission. Where I saw comedians bomb is that they just went after certain types of people. Can just come across rude and I think there’s a real skill to it.
Also the low hanging fruit is observations that we’re all thinking but no one has really pointed out. Like I was at the airport and waiting for the luggage on the belt and maaaan was I feeling stressed. For ten minutes I’m thinking some fucker’s stolen my bag, what am I gonna do, I’m gonna have no clothes. Then it just rocks up and I take it and get on with my day. I’m sure I’m not alone in that 😂