Introduction

Over the years, I can’t even begin to count how many times I have heard this single statement:

“I don’t have any problems making friends and family laugh without even thinking about it. But when it comes to stand-up comedy, now that’s hard.”

The reason people say this is because they simply are unaware that the comedy mechanics that cause laughter to occur in everyday conversations are exactly the same as the comedy mechanics used to generate laughter in stand-up comedy.

So let’s take a look at how comedy mechanics work the same in both casual conversations and stand-up comedy.

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Comedy Mechanics

In a discussion among friends or when delivering stand-up comedy material for the stage, here are the characteristics of the comedy mechanics in action:

1. Most of your laughter generation power will be the result of how you express what you want to say, as opposed to the literal words and sentences that you use as identified in the previous lesson.

2. Spoken word punchlines tend to be less than 10 words long and won’t usually “read” funny as transcribed on paper.

As a matter of fact, many spoken word punchlines by themselves won’t make much sense at all when they are “read” without the set-up context and the associated expressive traits used to convey the punchlines.

3. Most spoken punchlines will use a specific sentence structure where a key word or key word phrase is at the end of a line or sentence, amplifying the element of surprise.

4. Not all punchlines are words. Laughter can be the result of a facial expression, body posturing or even a particular sound or noise.

5. You natural timing and speaking rhythm are the same.

Only the more extended (and more deliberate) pauses for laughter can be a bit longer in stand-up comedy due to the increased audience size (and the subsequent longer laughter generated by the larger audience dynamic).

6. The audience understands, can visualize and relate to the information, references, observations, experiences, opinions, etc. being expressed, allowing them to react to the associated sense of humor reactions delivered.

Here is what I need you to know now if you want to move rapidly when it comes to delivering and developing headline level stand-up comedy material for the stage:

It will be the exact same attributes that make you a funny person in everyday conversations that will make you funny on the stand-up comedy stage.

Comedy mechanics are exactly the same in any environment.

Are there any differences between laughter generation in a casual conversation and stand-up comedy?

Yes there are — but those differences lie primarily in the audience and participation dynamics, not the comedy mechanics you will use to generate laughter.

Let me explain this in simple terms…

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Comedy Mechanics In Action

Let’s assume for a moment that you are in a conversation with 5 of your friends. Anyone of those friends can provide the topic information (commonly referred to as the set-up) that you will react to using your sense of humor (punchlines) that can cause others to laugh.

Depending upon the topic being discussed, you may be afforded the opportunity to speak unabated for a period of time without interruption, providing both the information about that particular topic, along with your sense of humor reactions as you talk (punchlines).

Laughter generated during a casual conversation among friends happens spontaneously, without premeditation (usually) even though…

When you do get the opportunity to monopolize a conversation, you immediately draw from past experiences, observations, opinions, concepts, ideas, etc.

As a matter of fact…

Many times you will have shared the information you have during other conversations before, essentially telling the same “story” over and over again when appropriate and mentally tweaking those same experiences, ideas, concepts, observations, opinions, etc. to make what you want to say tighter and funnier each time you get to share what you have to say with friends.

What I have just described to you is stand-up comedy, with these exceptions:

• In stand-up comedy, you don’t have to wait for your turn to talk. You are afforded that opportunity the second you pick up the microphone and start talking.
• In stand-up comedy, it is you who will provide all the topic information, which will be set-up lines and punchlines.
• In stand-up comedy, what you have to say and express to an audience is premeditated and professionally rehearsed, giving the appearance of spontaneity.

But the comedy mechanics that you will use to get big laughs on the stand-up comedy stage will be exactly the same as those used to generate laughs during a casual conversation.

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Why This Matters

One of the biggest mental barriers a comedian can have is to falsely assume that generating laughter in a casual conversation is vastly different than generating laughter on the stand-up comedy stage.

Why?

Because as long as a comedian believes that, they will be dependent upon “writing” — merely reciting “fabricated” words and sentences “written” on paper, instead of structuring what it is they want to say and express to an audience using their already developed comedy talent and the comedy mechanics that have already been proven to work for them.

I’ve said right from the beginning:

There is a HUGE difference between “writing” and “writing down” and structuring what you want to say to get the laughter intensity and frequency that you need to slay an audience with laughter.

If you are dependent upon “writing” alone like most comedians…

I can guarantee that you will be leaving most of your real comedy talent at home when you try to deliver your stand-up comedy material.

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Wrap Up

If you have real comedy talent and you want to progress quickly as a comedian…

You MUST be able to understand what it is that makes you funny in the first place in order to tap into your comedy talent, right from the beginning.

It will be the exact same comedy mechanics that allow you to generate laughs in a casual conversation that will allow you to generate big laughs on the stand-up comedy stage.

So here’s what I want you do now:

Instead of visualizing stand-up comedy as some sort of larger-than-life performance that requires “special” skills in order to make a group of strangers laugh…

I want you to visualize stand-up comedy as simply your turn to talk while in the middle of a conversation with friends.

Keep this in mind:

Right now, you have all the comedy talent that you are ever going to have.

The key for you now is to learn and hone the skill of being able to identify and structure what it is you want to say and express to an audience — in a way that capitalizes on your comedy talent right from the beginning…

The exact same comedy mechanics and talent that you use to cause others to laugh in everyday life.

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