When I started comedy, I listened to people who knew more than I did. This is my summary of that collective wisdom from an email that I wrote on 9/7/2022. Almost a year ago as I post this.

Regardless of who advises what, as long as it works for you and makes you laugh, do it. See if it gets laughs.

What should you write about?

• Things that you are obsessed with
• Things that bother you
• Difficult things that you’re facing
• Family, relationships, kids, pets, school, work, your childhood … 
• Yourself.  Tell us about yourself
• And maybe turn the joke on yourself 

The butt of the joke is always me.

You know I opened for Jim Gaffigan, right? He’s so good. What I got from him, and from Louis CK (they are so different, but share this trait) – the butt of the joke is always me. If I’m making fun of someone else, I’m always making fun of my limited understanding of someone else. It’s always self-deprecation, never being mean. – Brian Bromberg

Seinfeld: No Mean Jokes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmkDvWvnjc4

So I’d add to Jerry (who is right, of course) that his joke could have worked well: “You know how I know that call isn’t important? Because they’re calling me. How am important? What advice are you hoping to get from me? That if we see the movie at four we might also be able to fit in dinner?” Turning the joke on yourself always works. – Brian Bromberg

Sets

• Gladys Simon says to work on getting a 5 minute set on one topic.   (That is hard to do and might take years)
• 5 minutes on stage will be 3-4 minutes on the page or read-through.
• The best sets have a beginning, middle, end, and callback.
• Every joke works as a story. (That does not mean that every story is a joke)

Writing and Performing

• Get into the story quickly 
• Take out unnecessary words. (Cut, Cut, Cut)
• Open and Close Strong
• Never open or close with a new bit. (New bits go in the middle)
• Audience test your jokes.  
• Underline punchlines 
• Don’t step on a laugh
• Standup is more like a dinner party conversation than a script

Standup is more like a dinner party conversation than a script.  You don’t memorize your best stories word-for-word. You know them and tell them. And because it’s a conversation, you can react to interruptions or whatever or unexpected things. – Josh Hyman

Good Habits and Practices

• Write down your idea when you think go it.  Email yourself
• Write down your sets
• Underline your punchlines
• Make it shorter – cut, cut, cut
• Practice
• Record yourself
• Watch your performance. Focus on where the laughs came – Cut extra words. 
• Make a setlist for a performance – know what your jokes are and the order to tell them