Tips for getting started as a stand-up comedian

Regardless if you have a world of life experience or are just starting out in the world, and you have decided to try your hand at "stand-up comedy", there are some very basic things you should be aware of.

Assuming you have thought this venture through to some extent then the first piece of advice we have for you is get started now, don't procrastinate. It is like anything else in life that presents a challenge, we are always tempted to put if off until tomorrow, well don;t put it off, do it now !

Stand-up comedy is not unlike other forms of entertainment in that it can take years of hard work and frustrations to attain any semblance of success. It is important to stay focused and remember that the longest journey starts with a single step.

This article is not intended to be a detailed in depth guide to instant success but just a fundamental outline of the basic steps it will take for the aspiring comedian to use and refer to in their initial phase of their comedy career.

It has been said that to the average person nothing is more frightening than speaking in front of a room full of strangers. I have actually had people tell me they would rather jump out of an airplane than have to get up in front of a crowd of people and speak.

Well, this is exactly what you will have to overcome if you want to become a successful stand-up comedian.

Keep in mind before you even start that just like any other form of entertainment most aspiring comedians fail before they achieve any real success.

So if you are not dedicated and focused on a career in stand up comedy you should not waste your time and money. Find another career and save yourself lots of heartaches and financial ruin.

Assuming you can conquer your fears of public speaking then we will move along to one of the most important aspects of stand-up comedy and that is writing and creating your own original material or bits.

I say original material because it is an absolutely no-no to use or steal material from some other comic. If you should fall into that arena you may as well quit now.

Plagiarism is never good and will not be tolerated or accepted in the world of stand-up. Some people get away with it for awhile but it will ultimately lead to a dead end.

CREATE ORIGINAL MATERIAL

So, if you have a talent for writing and a good sense of humor then you need to start immediately writing. Keep a note pad with you at all times as you never know when you will encounter something that will inspire you.

After you have created about 3-5 minutes of original material you will need to start practicing your presentation.

At first if you like you can practice your delivery in front of a mirror at home and then later on use your friends and relatives as a captive audience to further hone your skills.

Please keep in mind that nothing will ever take the place of practice, this will remain constant throughout a comedy career. Practice will lead you to a level of comfort and this will give you the courage to make your way to an "open mic" nite and this will eventually lead to "stage time"

Remember, regardless of the level of success you may attain you can never have too much "stage time.!

Therefore is critical to your development as a comic and your goal to be a professional comedian to take every single opportunity you have to perform.

The old adage that "practice makes perfect" certainly holds true with stand-up comedy.!

Always remember, practice, practice, practice !

An important technique is to study other successful comedians and learn from their stage presence and voice inflection and body language.

We are not suggesting that you copy another comedians style but just to observe and use the parts that may fit your personality and style..

This can be an inexpensive and valuable way to start to learn your craft.

Once you have created a few minutes of good original material and you have practiced your presentation to the point that you feel comfortable enough to perform in public your next step is to find a venue.

WHERE TO START PERFORMING



There are plenty of places to perform and you will find that any number of places offer what is referred to as "open mic nite"

If you live in a large metropolitan location such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta or Houston you should have no problem in finding plenty of venues to start your comedy career.

The best way to research for venues for "open Mic Nite" is to "Google" the geographic area your are interested in (ie) "open mic nite,atlanta,ga", or "comedy clubs,new york city" .

Using this technique will speed the process up for you regardless of the area of the country you may be in.

This allows the amateur comedian the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience but keep in mind these venues typically do not pay anything.

That is, you will be performing for free.This is actually a trade off,as it will allow you to perfect your craft without having to pay a professional tutor.

PERFORMING......NOW OR NEVER??

As your comfort level rises you should start to set your goals to become a professional. By now you should have a small network of connections within the industry that can help your progress to the next level, that of a paid comedy professional.

On a given night and typically you will get 3-5 minutes to perform.

A word of advice here, regardless of how much time you are given be sure not to go over the allotted time. They tend to frown on amateurs that go over their time as this eats into the next acts time.

After you have performed a few times at each venue you should have developed some repore with the venue management and be more comfortable with the protocol.

Your goal at this point is to get in front of a live audience as much as possible and you should start to develop a "venue route" each week and get on stage as many days during the week as possible. As you attain more experience your level of professionalism should start to increase .

Please keep in mind that it takes several years for the average comic to attain any real level of success and financial rewards as this is a real tough profession.

So if you are into self abuse and ridicule with a fetish for making a fool of yourself then by all means just "go for it". Keep in mind that it does take a lot of nerve to get up in front of a live audience never knowing how they are going to react to your comedy on any given night.!

Stand up comedy will bring you into the real world real quick , some nights will go ok but others can be a real nightmare.

Be aware that no matter how talented you may think your are you are going to have an off night sometimes and I can guarantee you getting booed will happen to you sooner or later.

No worry though, as you progress you will learn how to handle any heckler.

In your endeaver to become a stand up comedian you should expect lots of failures and frustrations that come with the territory.

If your are to be successful you will have to have a thick skin and a super desire to achieve success.

After you have located some potential venues you will need to contact the Booker or talent agent for each venue to get booked for "open mic nite". They will generally assign you a time slot.

If you are one of those people who likes to whine and complain a lot and thinks the world owes you a living , you should just quit right now. Keep in mind there are thousands of people trying to do the same thing you are doing.

To be a success in this business you will need to be a focused hardworking individual. A little talent is always a added bonus.!

THE NEXT LEVEL, "WORKING THE ROAD"

Well now you say you have mastered speaking in front of potentially hostile crowds and your are ready to start "working the road".

This means you are eager to get on the road traveling from city to city and one venue after another.

Now the hard work really starts. You will by now have made a connection with some Booking agents and they have started booking you into comedy venues across the country.

You will find that one night you may be doing a VFW gig in Charleston, WVA, in front of a bunch of Military Veterans and the next night you are booked for a gig in Chattanooga, Tn at a "Biker Bar" in front of a group of construction workers and bikers.

So now you start to see just one of the problems you will incur as a road comic, that is, actually getting from one gig to another in time for your show.

Now comes the planning for travel time, wardrobe, expenses for gas, food and unexpected expenses.

Keep in mind if you are like most comedians just starting out you will have no money at all and probably will be traveling in a 10 year old Honda or worse.

As a "opening act" just starting out, you will find that the "perks" will be few and far between (if any).

If you are lucky on occasion you may find a venue that will supply you a room for the night and maybe a free hamburger or sandwich. Don't count on it, I would suggest you pack a few peanut butter or bologna sandwiches just in case.

Also don't be looking for any expense account or gas reimbursement, it won't happen at this level.

Another thing you will encounter as you start your road comic career is "loneliness". You typically will be alone unless you are one of the lucky few who are able to hook up with a "feature" or headliner" to travel with.

After your show you will either go back to your room alone or sleep in your car.

Now for some good news.........

If by now you have come to the decision that you have chosen the right career path and you find that you litterly love being a stand-up comedian and you live for being "on-stage".

Then there is a decent chance that if you continue to focus and persevere you will eventually achieve some level of success,both financial and in your personal life.

The names of very successful comedians such as Jeff Foxworthy,Ron White , Larry the Cable Guy,Brian Regan are most likely familiar to you.

What you may not know is that they all started out just like you, dead broke, with very little support , very little material and no plan for their career with very little understanding of the dedication it takes to be a success itn the world of comedy.

Well as they say, "the rest is history". Because of their dedication, determination and talent they hit the road and paid paid their dues and became very famous and wealthy along the way.

So if you are independently minded and a free spirit and would rather make money having fun in front of a paying crowd rather than working in the back of some office somewhere hid alone in a small cubicle.......

it is obvious you have been bitten by the "Comedy Bug" and my advice to you is to "just go for it"

, A word of caution, Just remember the name of this article "If it was easy, everyone would do it"

l