Joke Writing Articles
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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
Turn off the internet for an hour and get creative! 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? How about, the secret to good comedy writing is just to sit down for an hour a day, and do it……
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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!’ It’s funny how audiences can recognise a good joke told by a bad comic but can’t bring themselves to laugh (bastards!) When I was a new act in 1992, other comics often used to say: ‘What great material you have’. This was nice of them, but not much consolation when…
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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? I’ve already admitted the joke is rubbish. Because in our house of comedy the Christmas cracker joke is a participation sport. The game is, not just who can guess the punchline, but who can top it? Who’s got something better? ‘Okay, I’ve got one,’ shouts my partner. ‘What do you get if…
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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/be naturally funny/mine their own psyches for humour? And I agree. When I was an act I always used my own life as the basis of my comedy, but I always topped it up with topical jokes, which is where formalised joke writing came in……
