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1. hey , my names Tris . i’m 16 . i take a talented theatre class at school . tomorrow , we have to perform some stand up comedy for a grade . i’ve been struggling with coming up with ideas the past couple days . everyone at school tells me i’m hilarious , but when it comes to the story like stand up bits , i can’t even start ! i just don’t know where to turn . this article just reiterated everything i pretty much know . i just don’t know what to talk about ! i feel like i’m not funny . i can’t even come up with one idea ! any other pointers ? i’m so stuck !

   • I’m afraid I can’t be of much help and here’s why:

     While stand-up comedy may “look” easy on the surface, the reality is that it involves multiple layers of knowledge, structure, effective rehearsal, timing, delivery, etc.

     It’s not that any individual aspect of developing an delivering a stand-up comedy routine is difficult — it’s that there are so many actions, processes and considerations that go into a producing stand-up comedy act that will work, particularly on an individual level.

     In other words, it’s not just one thing that makes stand-up comedy work — it’s a symphony of things that work together. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

2. Steve, if you have done steps one and two, what is the best way to do step three? Facebook message? Track down a physical address? Would you send them a sample or simply ask permission to send them a sample or two and wait for their response?

   • Good questions. I would say yes, keeping in mind that it will take persistence to get the attention of a working comedian especially if you aren’t established as a comedian yourself.

   • I’m always looking for good material.

3. I have written some paradies I could picture a certain comedian performing. That’s why I believe they would work for him, they match his style and sense of humor and his timing. “Generic” jokes don’t work. Even if I could give or sell these songs to him, I am sure that he’d have to rehearse them in his own unique way to own them. Even though they are a perfect match, he still needs to own it. (Not own because he bought them!) They would need to become a part of him just like a parady he wrote personally.

   • I have to disagree with this comment. Generic jokes don’t work if you want to be one of the top five or six comedians in America. But they seem to work just fine for the other 99% of working comedians. Watch a few Youtube vids of comedians who have appeared recently on one of the late night talk shows (or from other TV appearances)and you’ll see that most of the jokes they tell (almost all, in fact) could be told just as believably by any of the rest. Very few of them have material that’s distinct and highly original. Of course, this is also why most working comedy club comedians struggle to make a living – they’re simply not that funny, and there’s no reason for people to come out to see them. You’ve seen one of these guys, you’ve seen them all.

     • You misunderstood the term “generic” in this case, by which I mean “written from paper” jokes designed to be read without regard to the other (and more important) aspects of what being funny is really all about.

       Most every comedian is going to hit on “generic” topics because if an audience can’t understand what the comedian is talking about, there ultimately is no joke.

       So if you want to take a chance on buying “jokes off the shelf” from someone who has never even seen you perform, like I said in the article — do so at your own risk and don’t complain when the jokes flop on stage.