Joke Telling Made Easy

Even at an early age, I wanted to be a comedian. I tried telling jokes from joke books, but I wasn't very successful. So I studied comedians at my local comedy club. Eventually, I got the hang of it.
The first thing to do is to make sure you know the joke cold. Read it over many times. There's nothing worse than someone who begins a joke, then forgets the punch line.
The next step is to make the joke sound conversational. Instead of saying, "A guy goes into a bar," say, "I was with my friend, Harry, the other day, and we went into this tavern on Bleeker street. Harry ordered a beer...etc."
It's important to relax when you tell a joke. This is often easier said than done. I would take a few deep breaths before you're going to tell the joke. Also, visualize your audience laughing hysterically. That often helps.
Engage your audience by making eye contact with them, be they one person or a crowd. When it's time to do the punch line, make sure you "punch it up." By that I mean, say it with power and confidence. Hand gestures also help.
The first few times you perform the joke, you may mess it up due to nerves. Be prepared for that. I recommend having a saver or two. Savers are phrases that you can use to get laughs even if the joke itself doesn't get any. For example, you might say, "My wife told me that joke would never work. I should listen to her more often." If you want to kid someone whose there, you might say, "That's the last time I buy a joke from Angela."
After telling the joke two or three times, you'll know just how to do it for maximum laughter. Have fun!

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Learn Comedy Writing

I learned how to write comedy by watching TV and then copying down the jokes in a notebook. The next day I would perform the jokes at school. Eventually, I was able to write for many comedians.
Generally, the jokes that comedians use are of the one-liner type. That is, they are very short. They consist of two parts--the straight line and the punch line. The straight line is the unfunny part of the joke. It is often called, "the setup," because it sets up the joke. The punch line is the funny part that follows. For example, take the following simple joke,
"I have everything Tom Cruise has--except money, talent and looks."
The straight line is, "I have everything Tom Cruise has" and the punch line is, "except money, talent and looks."
Notice how neither one of these parts of the joke is funny by itself. They are only funny when they're together. When we're creating jokes we start with the straight line, then go through our mind until we have something funny that could follow it.
For example, in the earlier stages of this joke, we might have come up with the following punch lines.
I have everything Tom Cruise has--but I gave it away.
I have everything Tom Cruise has--I bought it at a garage sale.
I have everything Tom Cruise has--but he wants it back.
We then would pick out the one that we think is the funniest. I believe it to be the original joke. You, however, may have a different idea.
When you're learning how to write jokes, it's important to read as many of them as possible. So I recommend going to the library and taking out joke books.
The next step is to find a comedian to write for. There are two steps I follow to do this. One, is to look on the internet for people wanting writers. Two, is to go to any comedy club and talk to a performer who you think you could write for.
Good luck with your new hobby!

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