Comedy writing, like all writing needs structure and a sense of style to be engaging. The success of most stand-up comedy, even when improvised, seems to rely on content that is animated and packaged as parody. Most comedy sets involve a linear, albeit sometimes, less well-defined beginning, middle and end, complete with characters, themes, and at times a deliberate moral message and/or social comment.

Comedians are at their core master storytellers. Stand-up comedians’ impressive command of language, which is often charged further by a high-octane atmosphere sees the emergence of countless guises , as they flit in and out of clever wordplay and caricatures. Aside from accompanying actions and expressions, words are all comedians have to fill a stage. So getting their structure and meaning spot on is essential, if they want to build up a jovial atmosphere from scratch. If it’s done well, comedians have the power to spark a whole audience’s imagination from the offset, guiding them on a journey of their own making, as they conjure up seamless scenes from thin air, all the time sweetened by their capacity to use comedIc language like a set of magic tricks. The appeal of the feel-good-factor is enough to cram lofty arenas with hundreds of eyes and ears, all pinned to one solitary man or woman standing in an expanse of stage.

Write it like it Is

To write with any truth, comedians by their nature have to be tuned into the subtle and not so subtle behaviours of others. They then have to recognise the potential for humour, even in the darkest of circumstances. Socially, politically and culturally aware individuals seem to make up the bulk of comedians, as they examine and offer up scenarios in a way an audience can appreciate. An inquiring mind, partnered with emotional intelligence and a wealth of real experiences help to build a strong sense of self , which can be translated into material that’s delivered with confidence and charisma.

All sorts of writing styles exist on the comedy circuit. From one-liners that pack a punch, to tall tales that gather momentum. Whether you prefer your humour black, blue, as slapstick, deadpan, observational or satire, or a mixture from a few genres, all comedic writing requires focus and talent.

The origin of comedy also influences its outcome. U.S comedy is often quite different form British comedy, which is divided further by region; northern humor can be very different to southern humour in England, with different cultural references and stereotypes. Just as humour is universal, it can also be very specific, while not everyone will understand or even like every gag, loyal fans will declare it comedy gold.

Don’t laugh, I’m a writer

Writing observational comedy borrows from the same skill-set of a novelist acquiring ideas from daily life. The humdrum of everyday life can be redefined and presented as polished gems to rapturous laughter. Comedians are credited with being naturally funny but sometimes it’s easy to forget that they actually sat down and wrote the material we applaud. Their catchy show titles demonstrate their way with words, as they pay homage to the content or an exaggerated onstage persona. Some include Alan Carr‘s ‘Spexy Beast’, Eddie Izzard‘s ‘Definite Article’, Peter Kay‘s ‘The Tour that didn’t Tour’ and Billy Connoly‘s ‘A Change is as Good as Arrest’. Comedy writing is often overlooked when it comes to awards, losing out to more grittier, artier works; however the ability to generate laughs is a specialised skill that is painstakingly perfected behind the scenes.

Just for laughs:

Here are a few examples of some of my favourite British comedians , all with different approaches:

Michael McIntyre‘s themed, quick delivery is addressed to a specifically Scottish audience, McIntyre’s energised style uses the theme of Scottish pride in a chain of anecdotes that finish on laugh out loud crescendo that neatly ties up all of his statements, helped along by his impersonation of a stereotypical confrontational Scot.

Sketch show comedian Paul Whitehouse appears to present a tragic character, a wealthy barrister who can always be found in an alcohol fueled haze, who although incoherent is harmlessly merry, making for a hilarious caricature. Spoken mostly in mumbles and mummers lies a thread of a story, where laughs come from unexpected moments of clarity that standout as hilarious nuggets, while we wait for the definitive end line; “I’m afraid I was very, very drunk”, directed straight to the camera.

Glaswegian comedian Kevin Bridges on “A Fair Representation of Glasgow”: With a few home truths Bridges enjoys using stereotypes to break down the rose-tinted presentations put forward by generic advertising campaigns to instead deliver a grimmer picture from a more realistic standpoint.

Comedian Chris Rock provides insight into his comedy writing methods saying, “I don’t write jokes first. I write down topics. I think of what I want to talk about, and then I write the jokes–they don’t write me…And even if you don’t think it’s funny, you won’t think it’s boring. You might disagree, but you’ll listen. And maybe even laugh as you disagree” He also reveals how he compares his role to journalism, taking others stories as inspiration and then broadcasting them for effect, “I look at myself as a reporter. If you can report on anything that has to do with pop culture, then why can’t I make jokes about it? Yes, it hurts. But I figure that laughter sometimes starts from pain. You might wince, but then I know that I’m doing my job”.

Laughing at something often softens its negative traits that are otherwise so apparent in the cold light of day. Comedy turns sadness on its head, a frown into a smile and dark into light. After all isn’t it said that laughter is the best medicine? 😀