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.