Standup Comedy: The Secret to Becoming a Successful Comedian!

Stand-up comedy is a different brand of comedy. There is usually a live audience and the comedian (stand-up comic) will talk to them directly. They use a microphone and stand up the entire or at least for most of the show.
The performances only last a short time and the comedian will tell stories to make people laugh. These are called one-liners and short jokes. They are usually doing the show by themselves (monologue). The comedians usually perform their shows in comedy clubs, colleges or theaters. They will do their shows wherever they can.
There are some places where open mic shows are held where even if you are not a comedian, you can go ahead and give it a try. This is a way that many amateurs start out and make their way to the big time in comedy. You will find that with many beginning performances you will notice the red brick background.
Doing stand-up is not easy because of how the audience may react to the jokes. The comedian will expect them to laugh; however, that will not always be the case. The comedian has to work hard in order to get the audience to respond favorably. If their jokes are not funny, they will get heckled by the audience. They will have to eventually overcome that hurdle.
The comedian has to work on making people laugh, or they can hang up their career. They are usually wearing many hats once they start in stand-up comedy. The comedian also works as a writer, editor, producer and promoter when they are first starting out.
Sometimes it can take several years before they get a following with an audience. It can really be lonely during this time when they are trying to break out of their shell.
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How To Develop A Style Of Comedy
Even though their road to stardom may be difficult in the beginning, once they start getting a captive and responsive audience, they are on their way to their reward. Starting out, they have to use their brain and think about what could make an audience laugh.
Comedians constantly have to tweak and fine tune their material until they get to a point where people are responsive to them. Even then, there will be times where they have to think about what they say.
Think about what style of comedy will fit you. How do you speak? Are you full of life and animation? Or are you stiff and just stand there trying to tell jokes? Do you have any funny stories from your childhood that could make good fodder for the audience? When you know what you want to do, you will be able to create a brand.
Find comedians that perform in the same way that you do. The best way to advance is to visit different comedy clubs and look at what professional comedians are doing. Look and listen at how they speak, tell stories and deliver punch lines.
Some comedians will talk fast, while others will talk slow. Some will speak soft, while others will speak loud. It depends on their personality as to how they deliver.
Get involved on a personal level. Look for things in your life that you like and dislike. Think about things or incidents that make you happy or unhappy. Comedians need to be able to connect with their audience on a personal level. Free your mind and write what comes to you.
There are different styles of jokes that you can practice with:
Observations – this is when you are noticing silly incidents or other things that happen everyday.
Mimicking – this is when you are trying to sound like someone else.
Comparison Jokes – comparing yourself to someone else, acknowledging differences.
List Jokes – the first two parts are similar and the third part is opposite of the first two.
Don’t forget the punch line when you are trying to woo your audience with humor. A punch line is the last portion of a joke or comedic sketch where there is a phrase or a few words that the comedian will use to make the audience laugh. If you take too long to perform the punch line, the audience may become disinterested.
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With stand-up comedy, you must practice your comedy routine. You may first want to practice it in front of people that you don’t know. You are looking for an honest opinion, whether it’s good or bad.
Doing it in front of people that you know may be tricky. A lot of times they don’t want to hurt your feelings, so you may not get an honest opinion from them. You want to know if your material is any good. If it is not, you will want to tweak it to where you will get people to respond favorably. Work the comedy clubs and wherever else you can try out your material.
Comedy clubs are a great place to start your career. Continue to get a feel of what you can do in order to capture the delight of your audience. Make sure that your comedic routines are original and that they have not been lifted from other comedians.
Doing stand-up comedy is not easy. Back in the day when you could get your buddies to laugh at your jokes, it was ok. Back then, ...