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Writing jokes is, of course, the most important part of a comedian’s job. Whether a comedy writer or an onstage performer, writing your jokes down is essential. Today, we’ll be learning the process and steps of writing a joke. While every joke writing approach may differ between comedians there are still basic steps that each comedian would need to follow in order to be a good comedian.

1- Research your subject: A joke is much like a school book report, you may get a C- for effort at best and that’s not what you should be going for in a world that is filled with countless others going for A+. Fully researching your subject enables you to get rid of misconceptions you already had regarding the subject at hand as well as find more materials to add to your act. The best jokes are those with thick layers, a generalized joke will limit your act and deprive you of a much bigger laugh.

2- Setting up the premise: This one is covered in the previous #comedyschool post, a setup is where the conversation between you and your audience begins. Having a clear setup is a vital part in writing jokes as it enables your audience to understand what you’re talking about. You don’t want your audience to be oblivious to what you’re saying. While taking too much time setting up the premise may bore your audience, it’s still very important that you take as much time needed to have a clear premise so the audience remains interested in what you have to say.

3- Have a unique perspective: You’re not the first comedian the audience have seen. There are many posts, videos and comedy articles online and the last thing you want to be is just another comedian with the same perspective as all the others. Repetition is rarely (if not never) a comedian’s friend, you need to have something new to add at all times. A unique perspective isn’t just for where you stand regarding a certain subject/event but also with the very subjects you choose to talk about. A unique subject would set you ahead of your peers.

4- Killer punchline: Think of a joke like a magic trick, the punchline is your reveal. If the magician’s box is opened and you find the attractive blonde still in there, no one will be impressed. Punchlines is where you kick things to the next level and a good punchline is one with a little twist. The punchline should provide a new twist to the conversation, adding a new piece to the puzzle that is unknown before. A punchline is where you either make or break a joke. In order for a joke to be successful you need to stick the landing and that could only happen with a fitting punchline. Here are some examples of the types of punchlines you can use:

A) The old switcheroo: Much like a math problem (Which is what inspired the term) you can get a much better result by switching around the data. It creates an unexpected turn that would take everything the audience knows to a humorous turn.
An example: It was so heartbreaking when Liam left one-direction, I need to know one thing though: which one was he again?

B) A pun: You can’t even say punchline without a pun. A pun is of course a play-on words that sound similar to each other yet have different meaning.
@DieBitch provides us with an example: Cough up dough for your knead.

C) Misdirection: A misdirection is where the punchline takes a completely different turn from what you expect the joke to be about. It’s all about going against the expectations a comedian has set up earlier. It is also a shock comedian’s favorite tool, here’s an example: I just witnessed my brother blowing off his head with a gun. Now my day is ruined because I have blood stains all over my favorite T-shirt.

That’s it for today, remember to upvote, comment and resteem. Don’t forget to follow @comedyschool. Also #comedyschool got their newest addition, @walkingkeys. After starting a comedy club nine years ago, Walking Keys has been performing, booking and managing comedy for most of the last decade. He has performed with Orlando Jones, Faizon Love, Dustin Diamond, Mark Curry and created his first 45 minute comedy special in 2015. Check out his account for comedy posts and tips for stand up comedians, also check out his exercise here

Stay tuned for next lesson: Tricks to help you improve your comedy
Check #ComedySchool's previous post

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