This addendum page is made available to provide amplifying information on specific articles on this blog.
You may not be aware of this but…
The article that you land on based on your search query can reveal some interesting information about how you think about the process of producing a stand-up comedy routine that works to get noteworthy laughs when you take it to the stage.
Available article addendums are provided below…
Addendum #1: Finding Comedy Topics
Addendum To Article: Is There Such A Thing As The Best Comedy Topics? If So, How Do I Find Them?
This article is consistently among the top 10 most viewed articles on this blog.
Accessing this article from a search engine search may be indicative of the following about the individual conducting the search…
Assessment: The individual seeking “the best comedy topics” is under the impression that some sort of “generic comedy topic list” is available for comedians to choose from in order to select the best topics to talk about on stage for the best possible laughter impact.
Indications: While there is no way to pinpoint where such a notion comes from, there are several important relevant observations that can be made:
1. Individuals who are looking for a best stand-up comedy topic list may be making that assumption based on the fact that most comedians mostly talk about the same sorts of things on stage — issues, observations, experiences, opinions, etc.
Comedians tend to talk about the same sort of things because that is what a general audience of strangers will most likely be able to understand, visualize, relate to and react to with laughter.
In other words, an audience must know what is being talked about in order to “get” the funny aspect about it being conveyed by the comedian.
2. A stand-up comedy topic list can be fairly quickly compiled by simply watching YouTube videos of the most popular stand-up comedians.
Professionally speaking, I believe this to be a colossal time waster.
The best comedy topics that ANY comedian can compile are the ones that include observations, ideas, experiences, conversations, etc. that allow that comedian to easily use their own unique sense of humor and comedy talent to express what they want to say to an audience.
Conclusion: There is no special list of the best stand-up comedy topics. The best stand-up comedy topics are already in the possession of the comedian.
The most important thing a comedian should know about stand-up comedy topics is that they need to have two mandatory attributes:
1. Comedy topics need to activate the comedian’s “funny bone” so to speak (no different than what happens in casual conversation when an individual’s sense of humor is triggered and laughter happens as a result).
2. Comedy topics need to be easily recognized, visualized or otherwise related to for laughter to happen.
Note: This is NOT a process of “writing” — this is a process of talking and expression. Any sort of “comedy topic list” should be developed from the inside out, not from the outside in.
Your comedy topic list should be unique to you, your sense of humor, points of view, perspectives and the way you express those to others.
Producing a list of comedy topics that includes things that you want to share with an audience is not difficult at all.
But it should be known that this is just one first step when it comes to the process of structuring, refining, honing and packaging your own unique sense of humor and comedy talent for the stage.
You are probably not aware that anytime you or the people associate with cause laughter to happen, a stand-up comedy method was applied specific to the person who delivered the punchline that got the laugh.
And if you aren’t aware of that, then you are probably not aware that you can actually harvest mounds of bulk ready-to-edit comedy material and ideas from conversations you have with everyday and laughter happens.
This also means that you are most likely unaware that conversations that generate laughter are actually spontaneous stand-up comedy performances happening in a dialogue format instead of a monologue format.
If you want to know why I can say that, check out this free Special Report.
Return To The Article: Is There Such A Thing As The Best Comedy Topics? If So, How Do I Find Them?
End Addendum #1: Finding Comedy Topics
Addendum #2: First Steps
Addendum To Article: Your First 3 Steps To Success As A New Comedian
Assessment: This article is provided with the assumption that an individual has already done the research to determine if there are places for new comedians to perform in their local area (ie: comedy open mic nights) or if they can promote shows for stage time.
Put bluntly – stand-up comedy is a live performing art which requires a live audience to deliver stand-up comedy material to (referred to as getting stage time) in order to gauge laughter response and to hone, refine or otherwise adjust comedy material based on audience response in order to “tighten” that material to the maximum extent possible.
This equates to generating an average of 4-6+ laughs per minute (or more accurately an average of 18+ seconds of laughter per minute) for each performing minute.
There are three primary ways an individual can get stage time to workout/hone their comedy material:
1. Comedy open mic nights. Depending on where an individual lives, these can be plentiful or require a substantial drive just to get to one.
2. Teaching a live class or course. Many people are unaware that the mechanisms for generating laughter are exactly the same regardless of the environment. What is different are the stage/presentation aspects.
Suffice it to say that stand-up comedy material can be stealthily worked out in most classroom environments.
3. Independent show promotion. New comedians can also promote shows for stage time. Unfortunately most new comedians who attempt this overlook the fact that a real show that generates real audience laughs must be provided in order to promote shows for stage time for any extended period of time.
The bottom line is this:
Without some means to perform, test or otherwise work out your stand-up comedy material for a live, in-person audience (not a social media audience which is individual viewer driven) regardless of how small they may be, you are dead in the water as comedian.
Subsequently, the information provided in the article for which this addendum is provided becomes irrelevant.
Return To The Article: Your First 3 Steps To Success As A New Comedian
End Addendum #2: First Steps
Addendum #3: About Writing Comedy
Addendum To:
Important: If you are under the impression that “writing” the way you have been taught to produce written material designed to be read by an individual reader is no different than verbal communication and completely interchangeable…
The information provided on this blog about “writing” stand-up comedy material will not be of value to you and most likely be a colossal waste of time – you’ll be much better served looking into getting your hand on any of the popular books on “writing” stand-up comedy material (#ad).
While the stand-up comedy material that you want to deliver to an audience SHOULD be written down in order to structure, edit, refine, tighten, rearrange, etc. – that approach is COMPLETELY different than attempting to deliver stand-up comedy material that has been “written” for an individual reader without any consideration for all the other communication attributes (ie: body language) that give verbal communication its true laughter generation power.
I fully realize that most people who want to take a shot at stand-up comedy are wanting or expecting to “write” stand-up comedy material like it’s a book report or short story and simply can’t deviate from that approach.
How an individual wishes to tackle the production of the stand-up comedy they want to deliver to an audience is 100% their call – not mine.
I am simply providing this addendum as a time saver so that your time is not expended on the information offered on this blog that may not meet your expectations about “writing” stand-up comedy material that will actually work on stage to get the laughs you want.
Return To The Article That Brought You To This Addendum
End Addendum #3: About Writing Comedy