In order to write a good joke, it is best to start with a real story. When you're telling that story to an audience, make good use of pauses to get the audience to laugh. Then expand on the story with your own joke or punchline.
When you are writing a joke, it is always good to start with a true story. They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and this is generally the case. Learn to listen to the news, and observe the world around you. Comedy is about finding the funny elements of everyday life, and in order to do that you need to watch or listen carefully. Lewis Black is known for a comedy routine that consists of strange things he overheard while eating in restaurants.
Once you have a story to tell, you need to tell it for maximum impact. Many jokes consist of telling a story that sounds familiar, then having an unexpected twist at the end. Figure out which part of your story contains the unexpected twist, and save that part for last. Use pauses to give the audience time to react to your story. In order to get your joke right, experiment with different ways of telling your story. Use as much detail as necessary, but not more. Everyone has been on the receiving end of a joke that just goes on and on, so keep your joke as brief as you can without losing the gist of your story.
Once you've started telling the story, take the time to put your own twist on it. A great punchline or an unusual point of view is what will make the joke your own, instead of something that anyone could have thought of. Try to look at your story from a different point of view, then integrate that point of view into your joke.
The ability to write good jokes is crucial for a successful comedian. Writing jokes doesn't start with a blank sheet of paper. Instead, start with an observation or a story. Practice observing life, and looking at it from a different point of view. Then experiment with telling your story for maximum impact. As you're telling your story, put your own twist on it by looking from a different point of view.
If you're looking for more tips on writing jokes, check out http://www.comedyschoolreview.com for some great ideas.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Cad
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Comedy Writing - I'm Funny You Lack a Sense of Humour
In humour writing, the first person that has to think something is funny is you. If you don't think what you've written is funny, probably no one else will either. Still, that's no guarantee others will enjoy your comedy because not everyone shares your sense of humour. We're all unique when it comes to comedy. We laugh at different forms of humour. Some like clever jokes, others visual slapstick comedy, and others dry wit. That's the hardest thing about writing funny humour and comedy. Creating comedy that is universally funny and appeals to a large audience is challenging.
The number of times I've been the only person in a cinema laughing during a particular comedy scene that I find funny is, according to my family members, ridiculous. And the loud, solo laughter at my favorite humour becomes the source of humour for everyone else. At my expense and to the embarrassment of my family. Of course, so is my solo singing, which is why I'm frequently asked to sing solo that no one can hear me. Hey...whatever lame joke it takes to get a laugh, right? So let's take a closer look at humour.
Comedy is similar to magic. It surprises the audience. Like slight of hand, you intentionally lead the audience along a thought pattern towards a certain assumption or conclusion and then switch to the unexpected. For you, the comedy writer, it means always looking at things from a different, humourous perspective. Always asking what if? Where's the comedy? How can I make it funny?
Tomorrow morning I have to get on a plane to Chicago...I'd prefer to ride inside the plane, but really, have you seen ticket prices lately? Work has been killing me lately because I've spent the last 3 weeks on the road...run over by 100 cars, 25 trucks, and picked on by 4 buzzards.
Universal humour and comedy is all around you. But you must train yourself to be observant and capture those funny moments when you encounter them. And when you see things that are funny, actively turn them over in your mind to make the comedy stand out. It's the common problems we all face, the similar annoyances we experience, the familiar quirks of humanity we see every day. In reality, life is routine most of the time. And when you observe the comedy episodes in routine life, you'll find humour that makes everyone laugh. Like...
The person ahead of you in the grocery store checkout line, that unlike you, is not in a hurry and uses the opportunity to share all the details of his current medical condition with the cashier. The five year old that keeps obnoxiously blurting out loud questions to his parents in the middle of an intense movie...that he shouldn't even be at because it's R rated.
However, it's not just reporting these comedy moments, although sometimes, they are so naturally funny that alone is enough. What separates you as a freelance humour writer is when you add comedy, color commentary. It's embellishing, exaggerating, and inserting the flavor of a little sarcasm. When you do, you create humour that makes us all laugh together. And it brightens up our day.
Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter with a sense of humour who is experienced in writing for all media. He's written for corporations like Wendy's, LexisNexis and Iams along with faith-based organizations like John Maxwell's Injoy, Gospel Light Publishing, and Catholic Marianists. To learn more visit: http://www.chiptudor.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Tudor
The number of times I've been the only person in a cinema laughing during a particular comedy scene that I find funny is, according to my family members, ridiculous. And the loud, solo laughter at my favorite humour becomes the source of humour for everyone else. At my expense and to the embarrassment of my family. Of course, so is my solo singing, which is why I'm frequently asked to sing solo that no one can hear me. Hey...whatever lame joke it takes to get a laugh, right? So let's take a closer look at humour.
Comedy is similar to magic. It surprises the audience. Like slight of hand, you intentionally lead the audience along a thought pattern towards a certain assumption or conclusion and then switch to the unexpected. For you, the comedy writer, it means always looking at things from a different, humourous perspective. Always asking what if? Where's the comedy? How can I make it funny?
Tomorrow morning I have to get on a plane to Chicago...I'd prefer to ride inside the plane, but really, have you seen ticket prices lately? Work has been killing me lately because I've spent the last 3 weeks on the road...run over by 100 cars, 25 trucks, and picked on by 4 buzzards.
Universal humour and comedy is all around you. But you must train yourself to be observant and capture those funny moments when you encounter them. And when you see things that are funny, actively turn them over in your mind to make the comedy stand out. It's the common problems we all face, the similar annoyances we experience, the familiar quirks of humanity we see every day. In reality, life is routine most of the time. And when you observe the comedy episodes in routine life, you'll find humour that makes everyone laugh. Like...
The person ahead of you in the grocery store checkout line, that unlike you, is not in a hurry and uses the opportunity to share all the details of his current medical condition with the cashier. The five year old that keeps obnoxiously blurting out loud questions to his parents in the middle of an intense movie...that he shouldn't even be at because it's R rated.
However, it's not just reporting these comedy moments, although sometimes, they are so naturally funny that alone is enough. What separates you as a freelance humour writer is when you add comedy, color commentary. It's embellishing, exaggerating, and inserting the flavor of a little sarcasm. When you do, you create humour that makes us all laugh together. And it brightens up our day.
Chip Tudor is a freelance copywriter with a sense of humour who is experienced in writing for all media. He's written for corporations like Wendy's, LexisNexis and Iams along with faith-based organizations like John Maxwell's Injoy, Gospel Light Publishing, and Catholic Marianists. To learn more visit: http://www.chiptudor.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Tudor
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