Learn Stand-Up Comedy - What is a Punchline Really?
By Steve Roye

If you want to learn stand-up comedy, then you need to know what a punchline really is. Just knowing that the punchline is the funny part of a joke is not enough.

So let me redefine the term punchline:

A punchline is very simply a "reaction" using your sense of humor to that which is being talked about-whether you are talking about an experience, event, opinion or whatever is being presented.

Think of it this way. You are talking with a friend. That friend makes a statement. You "react" to that statement and your friend laughs.

You just delivered a punchline in a dialogue.

In the process of trying to learn stand-up comedy, one need only recognize that the only difference between delivering a punchline in a dialogue (talking with a friend) and

In a monologue, you are using your sense of humor to react to what just YOU are saying.

You should also be aware that a punchline need not be spoken-it can be a look, a facial expression or body language. All of these are "reactions" that can create laughter.

Here are some down and dirty guidelines for developing punchlines very quickly:

1. Make sure your stand-up comedy act is written out on paper or your word processor.

2. Verbalize your material out loud and try to "react" to each and every line of your act (include your natural body language and facial expressions as you do this).

3. Insert your "reactions" to your comedy material as they happen. While you won't be able to react to every single line in your act, you will be able to react to many lines in your act, giving you the ability to generate punchline very quickly.

Learn stand-up comedy fast tip #1: Start with topics, concepts and ideas that you can easily react to using your sense of humor. Start with life experiences, observations, and events that mean something to you personally.

This approach is well suited for comedians who are employing old school joke writing techniques, as well as those using the more powerful topic driven stand-up strategies.

Hint: You will need to "react" to your material (verbalize a punchline) at least 4 times per in order to be recognized as a comedian worthy of mention.

Learn stand-up comedy fast tip #2: Always verbalize your stand-up comedy material and react out loud to what you are saying and reacting to. Don't just verbalize your material in your head. You want to hear what you are saying, just like your audience will. This is the best and fastest way to determine which punchlines are keepers and which ones are not.

Steve Roye is a globally recognized expert in stand-up comedy material development and performance improvement. For more stand-up comedy techniques, tips and secrets, check out Steve's Learn Stand-up Comedy hub page at: http://hubpages.com/hub/learn-stand-up-comedy-fast

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