Things to Learn from Comedians

. How often do you see comedians using a lectern? That’s right—never! A lectern serves no other purpose than to hide a speaker’s fidgety hands from the audience. The lectern is nothing but a big fat crutch. Avoid it like the plague, unless you use it as a prop.

. When was the last time you saw a comedian pull out a notecard to see what their next joke was? A great speech is a prepared speech. Comedians practice their routines over and over, and you must do the same. You can use different mnemonic memory techniques to remember even the most complex speeches. Remember, if you take your eyes off of your audience, they will take their eyes off you. And that creates a disastrous speaking situation.

. Comedians often open up their acts by sharing a humbling or even humiliating story. Not only is it funny, but it shows the audience that they are just a regular Joe. And regular Joes get support from the audience.

. Just because comedians are master public speakers doesn’t mean you need to be a comedian to kill on stage. You aren’t even required to tell jokes. Start to observe the techniques comedians use, and employ them in your own presentations.

Comedy Writing Tips by Some Finest Comedians

. Become a ruthless editor of your own stuff. You have to be brutal.

. Learn to be concise. Pay attention to the rhythm of a sentence and how a joke unfolds. Just moving an adverb can change it. I’m still learning.

. Make sure you invest in a character. Anyone can write jokes. Well, almost anyone. But if you are writing a sitcom it’s the characters that make it interesting. They have to resonate.

. A writer will soon discover we don’t actually write.

. Shit. Whatever I write needs to be funny.

. Applying the rule of three doesn’t necessarily make it funny.

. Write often and write lots. Eventually, or at least hopefully, the rubbish will lessen and the gold will increase. Use language deliberately, and I don’t mean punctuation by swearing. Details can be so important. If you’re writing a joke about a car what type of car is it? Does it help to mention the colour?

. Try to be as lean as possible. Come in late, and go out early. More often than not, you can lose half of a scene quite easily and still impart the story.

The only advice I can give any comedian is this – just write.

Do the work.

Randall redd nj