Joke Writing Articles

  • How to Deal with Hecklers

    How to Deal with Hecklers

    Ahh the heckler. The interrupter. The flow disturber. The bastard! How does the comedian respond? Get it wrong and the audience will turn like a politican with a policy, I’ve seen experienced acts floored by just one comment from the crowd…..

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  • The secret of good comedy writing… is writing

    The secret of good comedy writing… is writing

    What’s the secret of good comedy writing? A perfectly attuned comic brain that can twist every new concept they come across? Natural genius? An inherent sense of being able to tap into the zeitgeist? How about something more mundane?…..

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  • When to use joke writing formula

    When to use joke writing formula

    I love jokes. I remember saying to a terrible act who had just done another terrible gig how much I liked one of his jokes. He said: ‘Yes, I know that one’s good, it never gets a laugh but people in the room do stop talking when I tell it!’…..

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  • Genius? It’s all about taking risks

    Genius? It’s all about taking risks

    At Christmas, like everyone else, we get out our Christmas crackers and offer them to our guests. Once pulled and snapped, the paper hat and plastic present are tossed aside and we grab for the little scrap of paper with the rubbish joke on it. Why such excitement?…..

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  • Insecure? Mad? Obsessed? Well then write jokes about it

    Insecure? Mad? Obsessed? Well then write jokes about it

    As someone who teaches joke-writing formulae, I am often asked whether I think stand-ups need them. Surely they should write about what they know…..

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