Joke Writing Software: A Waste of Time for Stand-Up Comedians
Attempting to find (and use) some sort of joke writing software that will help you create a stand-up comedy routine that actually works on stage to get big laughs is a perfect example of how seemingly “perfect sense” logic doesn’t always represent reality.
It seems logical that if you were to find the right joke writing software program, then you should be able to quickly produce stand-up comedy material that works well most of the time.
The reality is that joke writing software won’t ever work to any substantial degree for the same reason that showing you written examples of stand-up comedy “jokes” won’t usually help you write better jokes.
Why Joke Writing Software Doesn’t Work for Stand-Up Comedy
But first, let’s talk about joke writing software and what it does (or is supposed to do).
From what I have seen over the years, joke writing software usually provides a list of premises or joke beginnings, along with a list of possible punchlines.
You simply match the beginning of the joke with the end of the joke and you are done. Seems simple enough, right?
Now, let’s talk about why joke writing software will never give you the real results that you want on stage:
- Joke writing software is merely an extension of very old and ineffective “one-size-fits-all” joke writing techniques — techniques that are suited for a reader and are not representative of expressive verbal communication (talking).
What you get from joke writing software is the ability to pluck “funny” from a list as opposed to trying to pluck “funny” out of thin air.
Either way, you are dealing with some sort of “static” process that has no reflection of who you are, what your sense of humor is, or how you actually express that sense of humor in everyday real life.
- The joke combinations possible when using joke writing software are going to be very generic for obvious reasons and again — won’t ever represent the way you speak or use your sense of humor in real life.
Hint: Powerful stand-up comedy material has a tendency to be much more personal and topic-based rather than the mere stringing together of “jokes”, unless you are doing old-school, “do-wop” style stand-up comedy like Rodney Dangerfield.
- Most great stand-up comedy won’t “read” funny.
That’s because real life, no-BS stand-up comedy is a 3-dimensional performing art where most of your laughter power comes from your delivery and the way you express yourself — NOT from just the literal words you use when you talk.
When you cause laughter to occur in casual, everyday conversations and discussions, you instinctively use specific stand-up comedy “formulas” which are exclusive to you and your sense of humor.
These “formulas” are usually not apparent in written form because of the missing body language, facial expressions, and voice tone variations that you use to actually make these “formulas” work for you.
So, the minute you start trying to “generate” stand-up comedy material from joke writing “formulas” or joke writing software…
You abandon your own sense of humor and simply rely on set-up and punchline combinations generated from software that doesn’t even begin to reflect anything about you, your speaking style, your unique sense of humor, or the way that you express your sense of humor.
The Real Way to Create Stand-Up Comedy Material That Works
So forget about “joke writing” software unless you have money to waste.
The most powerful method of producing stand-up comedy material is and will continue to be the Killer Stand-up Online Course because…
Developing high-impact, big-laugh stand-up comedy material is about selecting what you want to talk about and structuring it for the stage in a way that reflects who you are, your natural speaking style, and your unique sense of humor.
It’s really all about you being you in a tightly prepared-in-advance package that the audience does not know has been prepared and rehearsed in advance for maximum laughter impact.
But make no mistake — I’m here for you.
So if you are looking for time and money-wasting sorts of things that won’t produce the results you want when you step onto that stand-up comedy stage…
Here are two others that fall right in line with the joke writing software approach:
Stand-up Comedy Writing Exercises – Another Major Time Waster
Looking For Stand-up Comedy Material Examples?
Look, I get it — you want to do well, move ahead of the pack and have a real shot at taking your comedy talent to the pro level.
But if you buy into the nonsense distributed by so-called comedy expert after comedy expert that provides you with NOTHING on how to recognize, tap into, structure, refine, and capitalize on the real comedy talent you have now…
Forgive me — I have nothing to offer you except well wishes on finding that mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Conclusion
The fastest path to success as a stand-up comedian is about recognizing and effectively using your own comedic talent, without relying on ineffective tools like joke writing software or exercises. The key lies in delivering authentic material that reflects your true sense of humor.