I’m a writer first. Writers work in sentences. Every sentence counts. Don’t let any weak sentences into your work. Be mean to yourself if you have to.
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Don’t tell me “Good set.” Unless I actually had a good set. Then, it’s fine. Thank you.
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Speak softly and carry a big rubber chicken. Turn off your amygdala. Let it rip (quietly).
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Push the sacred cow in front of the trolley. Just kidding. That’s a bad idea. Pull a lever that redirects the trolley toward the sacred cow. Now you’re getting it.
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Be as nervous as you like in your real life, but once you step on stage you need to be in control. But also, not so in control that it feels oppressive. Chill out a little bit. Cool your jets.
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I’m going to tie a leash around your head and read you poetry. I hope you like it.
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Joy to the world, stand-up is fun. I’d like to write a joke. Let every ear, prepare to hear. A joke that makes you smile. A joke that makes you smile. A joke, a joke, that makes you smile.
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Give me an oddball walking in circles staring at the sky wondering what to do with his life over a determined individual with a clear direction in life anyday. At least when it comes to comedy writing.
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I’d be lying if I didn’t say one of the reasons I got into doing stand-up was because I thought it was cool. But cool has nothing to do with actually writing or performing stand-up. In stand-up, cool is a lie. It will lead you astray. Be dumb. Be lame. Be weird. Be you. But don’t get tricked into thinking you’re cool. Stay humble. Play the game.
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One of my great regrets in life is not getting involved in musical theater and improv from a young age. Ok, maybe that’s a little dishonest. But I wish I had some acting chops. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Robin Williams and Adam Sandler have also pulled off dramatic turns. The best stand-up shouldn’t be caricature. It needs to be a little heartfelt.
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These are four common writing and performing mistakes I make as a stand-up comedian. If you get this stuff right, audiences will trust you more, appreciate what you’re doing more, be able to follow your lead more reliably, and stay on the edge of their seat eagerly awaiting what you have to say next.
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If you put enough of yourself in the joke, it won’t be a challenge to recall and perform the bit. It’ll just happen. But what of us mortals who are struggling to work and form and shape the bit still? What if we don’t own it yet? I have tips for that too.
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Every comedian has a flavor they add to the way they tell their jokes. This has been working out well for me. It’s not a hard and fast rule. Rules are meant to be broken. But it’s a nice baseline tone and rhythm.
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You can only truly figure out what the things you’re saying mean after other people have heard it and reacted to it. It’s a dynamic exchange. None of us fully understand the world, but we can get closer and closer the more we master the conversational dance.
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I take myself to task for trying to manipulate language so I seem funnier than I am. You have to get beyond the words. Emotions are where it’s at. Or maybe it’s further beyond that. Can we perform comedy wisely? Can the fool be wise?
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I make the case as to why it is good and useful to be selfish as an artist. You shouldn’t be selfish in all aspects of your life, but in your art, it’s necessary.
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Why going after comedians for their miscues on stage is counterproductive and discourages the risk-taking required for creativity.
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Discussing my personal experience making slow progress over time as a joke writer, my process for developing jokes, and how to harness restless creative energy and anxiety to produce better art.
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What is the difference between personality and performance, between art and the artist, and how can you maintain a healthy relationship between your approach to creative work and to everyday life?
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Discussing the building of trust between comedians and audiences, benign violation theory, and the neurological relationship between the genres of horror and comedy.
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