Some things to think about before diving in

Stand up comedy is at its basics; someone stands up and complains and tells stories about their life, but the catch is that you have to be able to make random people laugh or else it's just a crazy person (the comedian)  yelling at strangers about things that nobody cares about. The start of any bit or routine is with writing. The comedians who do stand up don't just go up and rant and leave. They write down everything and rehearse it religiously until they can just recite it on the spot. With writing a comedy bit, its like writing a book. You have to write a rough draft and keep polishing it until what you have is what you have in your head exactly. Another way writing a stand up routine is like writing a book is that there are things to keep in mind while writing; some of them being writing for an audience, different types of comedy and, different ways to preform comedy. Audience is the least important thing to think about. In the immortal words of Bill Cosby "I don't know the key to success, but I know the key to failure is trying to please everybody". Don't worry about what you say, write all the things down you find funny, not somebody else finds funny. This might seem like a horrid idea, but the people who will find you funny will come. There are several different types of stand up according to Joe Eagan; when writing, think of which you wanna preform. Remember if you think of a new way to preform, do it, because Stand up is an art form and a way to express your ideas.

One-liner stand-up — Often one or up to a few sentences that stand alone as being funny, and are usually not connected, subject-wise, to the rest of a comedian’s act. ("Stand-up Comedy")

Niche/Pioneering stand-up — Some comedians have gained fame by creating their own niches on stage by doing things differently - like miming to music, introducing musical instruments, using puppets, or showing a slideshow with pictures as they speak etc. Doing things differently, rather than traditional stand-up (microphone and talking), can change the whole context of the material and how it is delivered, and it can be hilarious and groundbreaking stuff.("Stand-up Comedy")

Rant stand-up — Usually a long series of rants, mini stories, one-liners, or observations - often about today’s world and society, which a comedian puts together in one long rant.Their tone is usually of a negative and/or sarcastic nature about things that irritate them. ("Stand-up Comedy")

Think about which one fits your comedic styling and start to think about things you find funny and write them down.





Citations:
Eagan, Joe. "Stand-up Comedy - Canadian Funny-man Joe Eagan." Standup Comedy. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

First Post!

This is my blog, in fact it is my first post. Despite what you might read, or might find in this blog, it is a blog about stand up comedy. Stand up comedy has an ebb and flow to it. The way the jokes are said, how they are said, the way the punch line is delivered. All of that is irreverent if it was never funny in the first place. So like any form of writing, it has a process that makes it easier to, well, write. This blog is devoted to me deepening my understanding of the writing process, to write my material on and to share my experiences as I preform my material. I picked stand up comedy because it's something I have always wanted to do but never just got out and done. I have been a fan of stand-up comedy since I was very young and I want to turn my love for stand up and making people laugh into something tangible. If I got paid to make people laugh, I would have my dream job. So I'm going to record my process and my findings. Hopeful this will help someone, that someone being me, with refining and making the process easier with a outline. Of course with the artistic part that comes with it, someones whole routine could be them walking up to the stage, grabbing the microphone and saying "get a refund" and leave. This is more for the standards and basics of writing stand-up.