Understand Humor Explore the Creative Process of Comedy Get Writing Techniques and Tools With Karen Eddington www.momcomedian.com Learn the rules of comedy so you can get on stage and break them. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Then go have fun. Part 1: Understand Humor Why do people laugh? The act of true laughter is a natural, instinctive reaction. People tend to laugh when they experience connecting truth and surprise. If you are going to make an audience laugh, your real goal is to present real experiences in unexpected ways. Connecting Truth: The moments and experiences of our lives. Truth is funny. Think about being in the moment, tapping into nostalgia, describing struggle, connecting over disappointment, or coming together about the world as it exists. Don t try to be funny. Just try to be real. Surprise: An experiencing you did not expect. Misdirection: The ability to provide an experience for your audience. Create a diversion, use assumptions, give the wrong answer, or lead people to think one concept when you really know you re going to present them with another. Point out what others overlook. Misdirection works. Create a thought-shifting experience in the fewest words possible. Set-Up (a.k.a premise): A clear, specific topic you will use to apply misdirection. A set-up is typically serious and provides the contrast for the laugh. When creating a set-up DO NOT try to be funny. Do try to be real. Punch Line: The application of misdirection. How you are leading the audience to think different. Punch Word: The most unique, surprising, or quirky word which should be used at the end of your punch line. Callback: Callbacks are like referencing an inside joke with a group of friends. Your audience will share experiences together. Anytime the audience laughs during your event you can reference that moment for an easy laugh. Call backs only work 3 times of 33 times (around the 4 th reference the audience gets bored).
HELP! They smile but they don t laugh. 5 REASONS AN AUDIENCE WILL NOT LAUGH Don t feel bad. I ve experienced every single one of these moments. Your audience will NOT laugh if they are: FIX IT! Confused Unsafe Feeling bad/worried for you Not experiencing a contrast Not surprised Get clear in the least amount of words possible. Use the simplest concept possible. Your goal should be to make unique and interesting ideas easy to understand. They will laugh if they understand you. Help people feel accepted, unified, and comfortable. Give people permission to laugh. True comedy, especially in a roast, always honors other people. Start with laughter friendly room set-up. Example: no center aisle. They will laugh if they feel safe. Show them you belong on stage. Love your bad jokes. Use saver lines to show them you re okay even if they don t laugh. Crowds respond to confidence. Your unaddressed insecurities make an audience want to protect you not laugh with you. Address your insecurities with confidence. Use self-deprecating humor with honor and confidence. They will laugh if they trust you are comfortable on stage. Get real or serious in your set-up. A funny idea will usually not get a laugh unless it has a contrast. You can t go full force funny all the time. You have to have serious for the misdirection to work (you can do this within sentences). The bigger the contrast the bigger the laugh. They will laugh if you provide a release from tense or serious moments. Don t give away the laugh by saying, this is so funny You do not want to audience to know when the thought twist is coming. Use more misdirection or try a new method of surprise. They will laugh if you use misdirection. Apply comedy structure to your speech. Learn how to take stories from your life and speech and apply comedy structure. Using set-up, punch line, and punch word structure in stories can help you create laughter. Correct way to get a laugh Set-up: I don t want company to see my dirty dishes. Punch line: I don t want people to think I eat. Set up: I let my potty training toddler choose stickers to put on his reward chart. Punch Line: He chose the dump truck. Clear, serious set-up. Clear punch line (application of misdirection-both examples use the irony joke structure) with the funniest word at the end. Use the least amount of words possible. Incorrect way to get a laugh I always feel so self-conscious about my dirty dishes. I m uncomfortable with company coming over. What are they going to think about me if they see my mess? My 2-year old son is potty training. I decided that we needed a sticker chart for a reward. We made a graph chart. He picked out a cool set of construction stickers with a dump truck and demolition crane. We put his sticker chart on the bathroom wall It s not laughter friendly because there is no clarity, no contrast, no application of misdirection, too many unnecessary words, and no punch word.
Comedy is the balancing act of sharing extreme confidence and extreme humility. Part 2: Explore the Complete Comedy Process How to Write Tip: The hardest part of comedy writing is just doing it. Just get started. You can start with a moment in your speech that has already gotten a laugh, start with a specific set-up idea you already have, start with a general topic idea (refine it into a clear set-up later), or start by free writing your frustrations, misunderstandings, flaws, or difficulties. Comedy is often born in struggle. If you need a starting point free write based on the struggles of your life until you have a topic you want to write a joke about. 1. Choose a prime topic. Just like there are prime numbers in math, there are prime concepts in comedy. If the topic is broad or wide, divide it out until you have a specific topic. Working with something too broad like technology will likely cause you to feel overwhelmed and get writers block when you try to get a punch line. Where, if you explore cell phone etiquette, you will likely be able to list build out better details which will get you better punch lines. 2. List build. It is very difficult to create a punch line if you have no material to pull from. List building is a comedian s most important creative skill. It is simply a rapid fire brainstorm. Create a list of anything that comes to your mind. Try not to filter or be hard on yourself. You must recognize connecting truths before you can write a punch line. Getting an audience to laugh is more about the ability to list build truth than it is about magically creating a funny line. Try it. List build the word: SHOE. Write down anything that comes to your mind. Sole, shoelaces, stinky, bowling 3. Apply misdirection. Using your LIST BUILD, apply a joke writing technique. Add a surprising experience for the audience in the least amount of words possible. Don t worry about writing a funny line as much as thinking about how you can present your topic in an unexpected way. This becomes your punch line. 4. Edit for clarity. Review all you have and write clear set-up and punch line. Cut all unnecessary words. Read it again to see if you can say it better. Get it as clear as possible. Do you have a punch word? Put the funniest word or concept at the end. 5. Take it to a stage. Perform it. Low, clear, louder voice pitch tends to work better on your misdirection line. Punch your punch word. Use your voice to aide in the misdirection experience. Pause after the joke to allow time for laughter. 6. Refine. Repeat. Refine. Repeat. Refine.
Part 3: Get Writing Techniques and Tools The 10 Easiest Jokes to Write 10 Forms of Misdirection The Joke Format An Example 1. The Rule of Three Share two real examples. Make your third example exaggerated, obscure, or unexpected. The bigger your contrast in 1, 2 versus 3-- the bigger your laugh. This is the most basic joke writing structure. Learn from it as it uses misdirection in an easy to understand way. It naturally leads your audience to think one way and allows you to surprise them with another. "There are only three things women need: food, water, and compliments." Chris Rock We learn a lot of lesson in life. Have integrity. Say thank you. Don t try to haggle at fundraiser yard sale. K.E. Tip use it in your introduction: Try it. Write an example. Fitness trainer Fred has: written a book, earned the presidential award, and 2. Extreme Optimism Show the audience why a problem or negative situation really is a good thing. People expect you to be upset by hard situations. Surprise them by being not just okay, but wildly okay with shortfalls and setbacks. This is a great technique for self-deprecating humor, showing the audience you belong on stage, and sharing confidence. Show people you are ok with your problems. Pick a specific struggle/flaw/ negativity you have and LIST BUILD out all the ways in really is positive. 3. Word UP Jokes: a)puns: Assigning a new meaning to a word. Puns are great for comedy writing brain power and warm up but the crowd doesn t always love the pun. b) Word Play: The smart or clever version of a pun. c) Connecting Words: Repeating the same word/phrase putting the twist on the same phrase in your punch line. I had the biggest girl feet in my senior class. Everyone should be so lucky. It makes you a better swimmer. You can always find your shoe size in the clearance racks. My balance is incredible. -K.E. Our basement flooded. We now have that indoor swimming pool we ve always wanted. K.E. I don t care. I ll start my own group. Rejection from society is what created X-Men! -Liz Lemon from 30Rock Pun/Word play: I asked my neighbor when she was due she said she was due for an apology. Connecting Word joke examples: Ellen DeGeneres Thanksgiving monologue. Wal-Mart is opening at 6 Best buy is opening at 5 My pants start opening at 4. (bonus this-- joke also uses rule of 3) Lord Voldemort is more popular than political candidates. He-Who-Must-Not Be-Named has more fans than He-Who s-name-i-can t-remember. Jimmy Fallon Monologue
4. Create an Assumption Writing a set-up that purposely leads your audience to think about something different than your punch line. This is one of your most solid forms of misdirection. If used correctly you should be able to predict laughter. These jokes are easiest to write if you work in reverse. If you know the end concept you want people to laugh about, you can then list build out ways people may think of that topic differently and use those different ideas to lead them on in your set-up. Create set-ups that boldly mislead what you are really want to say 5. Discredit Yourself Your set up will be a big bold absolute. Your punch line will discredit it. You will tell the audience one thing then do the opposite like, I m not going to point her out, but she s sitting in the front row. Note: Don t mistake the technique with sarcasm. Sarcasm is not a technique. Providing a surprise contradicting answer is. I recently had the big talk with my son. You know that talk about Star Wars. -K.E. I am thankful for laughter except for when milk comes out my nose. Woody Allen I got some new underwear the other day well new to me. -Emo Philips Goldfish are a great pet for kids If you want to teach them about death. Joe Machi I don t want you to think I m a germophobe. I m not at all. I m just terrified of germs. Jim Gaffigan I love baseball. At least, that s what I told myself when we were dating. K.E. You should never self-sooth with cookies. I actually recommend ice cream. K.E. Try it: Never unless you are. 6. Dictionary Refresh Jokes of re-definition Replace the assumed definition of a word with a connecting truth. Use your list build. This works as misdirection because our mind will fill in the blank with the dictionary explanation of the word, when you surprise the audience with a connecting truth. What you call I call (truth) or as I like to call it (truth) which is another name for (truth) is a Latin phrase for (truth) Or, define a truth using an acronym CAT really means Crazy Animal Talking I ve been flying a lot lately. Or as I like to call it being stuck in pshc ward at 30,000 feet. Jimmy Shubert Kids love picnics. Or what I like to call eating uncomfortably on the ground while swatting flies away from your food. -Jim Gaffigan Try it: What you call (a specific term you speak about) I call (a connecting truth from your list build)
7. Yes, and (for in the moment) No, and (for added misdirection) An Improv comedy guideline is to accept a situation presented to you and add your creativity to it. This guideline is called, Yes, and These jokes use the creativity of another person. It happens on the spot with a comment someone makes, or if you are on stage by yourself you bring the actions of another person into the joke. This joke structure asks you to quit being so proper and correcting. Instead agree with false or wrong information and see how you can exaggerate it more. 8. Replace a Cliché Cliché s are a great comedy to because they a common phrases we could fill in the blank. To make them funny, Replace or reverse the sentences in life we can fill in the blank with. Reverse a cliché is about doing the opposite of what the phrase would normally do. Exp: You put the mint on the cleaning lady s pillow. 9. Alternate Use: Describe a situation and insert an extreme example of how an object could be used in an unexpected way. People always say to me I respond no/yes (agree with them and exaggerate) What? you eat carrots sticks for breakfast. Do you put syrup on them? Yes I drizzle them in syrup and wrap them in bacon. or No I actually prefer powdered sugar. Man cannot live on bread alone He must have peanut butter. -Bill Cosby With liberty and chicken salad for all. K.E. I am two with nature -Woody Allen Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason Jerry Seinfeld After looking at a bad haircut childhood picture Ryan Reynolds said, My dad cut our hair with a hammer. You can tell it s expensive because it s made of baby skin. You have to clean it with a kitten. -Jim Gaffigan 10. A Mixed Description Joke is like why. Mix two contrasting situations to list out what they have in common. Democracy is like a tambourine. Not everyone can be trusted with it. -John Oliver Having children is like living in a frat house - nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there's a lot of throwing up. Ray Ramono Karen Eddington works with families to IMPROV relationships. Ever since a failed attempt at humor, Karen has wanted to know what makes an audience laugh. For six years, every time Karen laughed she wrote down why. This helped her compile a list of over 20 joke/misdirection structures and create the LIST BUILD 7. She performs stand-up comedy based on the struggles of family life, she s the author of Understanding Self-Worth, and her greatest accomplishment is getting family of five in the car. You can learn more about her confidence and comedy programs on www.momcomedian.com. Karen@KarenEddington.com
What are your struggles, anxieties, disappointments, and frustrations? Topic Creation Just Get started! Comedy Writing Step 1: CHOOSE A PRIME TOPIC FREE WRITE- QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU START Explore a moment where you already got a laugh: Is there a moment in your speech where they already laugh that you could explore deeper? What topics do you wish you had a joke about? List some premise/set-up ideas: Think about a day in the life of your audience. What does your audience want to laugh about? Narrow it down. What ideas do you think have potential? Divide it out Get more specific. List a series of prime topics you can use to LIST BUILD OUT
List building is a comedian s most powerful creative skill. THE LIST BUILD 7 Your topic: 1.Basic List Build Name the connecting truths. What comes to your mind? Rapid fire list anything you think. 2. The Struggle and Emotion What is hard about this topic? Get to the struggle,disappointment, anger, crushed expectations,emotion. 3. Assumptions and Clichés Common phrase we could fill in the blank to. What do people assume about this topic? 4. Opposites and Extremes Look at extreme ends of the view. How can you exaggerate emotion or explore the other perspective? 5. Animate it What would it say if it had a voice? How would we quote your topic? 6. Mix it Describe it using a new scenario. Detail out what the mix situation actually looks like and does. 7. Make it personal How do you relate? What has happened to you? Make it unique by making it yours.