I've been helping some non-comedians make stand-up sets recently. Here are some random notes that came up. They are probably good advice to anyone doing a stand-up set:
- Show us how you feel about it
- Are you telling us the punchline before you then explain it?
- Can you make that bigger?
- We've all heard a joke shaped like that, can you find another angle on it?
- If that really happened, what would it be like?
- Make a more detailed comparison between this subject and the other one
- Choose the words more carefully to avoid appearing to punch down
- You've drawn us a big picture there - what else would fit those details? Compare it to that.
- Why are you taking the time to tell us this bit?
- What's the narrative arc? Can you bring it together?
- Why don't you wrap it up by referring back to that previous joke?
- That's a pregnant phrase - try coming up with several punchlines for it and choosing your favourite.
- There's a bit of a song that goes like that phrase
- Just take a moment to reflect on what you just said and give us a reality check
- Very technical, why don't you make a joke around how the technical term is "something vulgar"
- That might be funny if you accuse someone in the audience of thinking it
There may be wisdom lurking in the above. Maybe not.