Stand Up Comedians - Basic Guide to Getting Started

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Ever wondered how stand up comedians get started in their unique career?  This how to guide will hopefully get you started on becoming a stand up comedian.  An obvious essential in becoming a stand up comedian is having a passion to make people laugh.  If you lack the necessary passion it will be tough to sustain the gumption to continue performing.  Great stand up comedians often times make their performing look effortless, but for the majority of professionals many hours writing and performing went into the show you are watching.  The work of  stand up comedians can be boiled down to three major phases; planning, performing and promoting.

            Planning is an essential aspect of the job of a stand up comedian.  When first starting out, the first thing you need to plan is where will be your first comedy performance.  Most major comedy clubs over an open mic night for stand up comedians. If there is no major comedy club in your area, check out local coffee shops or bars, these places often have open mics.  Besides planning where your first performance will be, the next logical step is planning what you will say.  A good goal for a first time comedian would be to write and memorize five minutes of material for your first show.  You may to want to avoid talent shows, or other venues where you would be performing in front of a large group of friends or colleagues.  The best environment for a first time performance would be at an open mic, to give you a chance to focus on being a stand up comedian and not worry about impressing your peers.  Plan to go up at several different open mics and take advantage of any performing opportunities you may come across.  

It will take time to realize what is working and what isn't when it comes to your performing.  Getting discouraged early on is a common problem, however if you have a real passion for comedy you will stick it out and continue going up as a stand up comedian.  If after giving it an honest shot you don’t believe stand up comedy is for you, well one more thing checked off your bucket list.  If you continue to enjoy the process of stand up comedy and the act of performing, get more aggressive in seeking out venues to perform.  Don’t be afraid to ask other higher up comedians if you can go on ahead of them or open up as you become more seasoned yourself.  The peaks and valleys never seem to leave the life of a performer, but it seems most stand up comedians find that the joy they find in the peaks is worth the trips into the valleys.  There is no soundproof advice when it comes to performing, people seem to develop their own unique style and the most important thing is to try and find your personal voice.  The best stand up comedians are the ones that have mastered their “voice”, meaning they’ve discovered the unique person or character that makes them funny on stage.

After you've become comfortable performing, promoting is the next logical step.  Social media and the Internet have been game changers when it comes to promoting yourself as a comedian.  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are all great ways to promote your comedy and show people what you’re made of as a comedian.  The particular venues of promoting seem to change frequently online, so do your best to keep up on the trends in comedy and entertainment.  A personal website seems to be a necessity in today’s world of stand up comedy.  Additionally many stand up comedians have gained added notoriety by creating content uniquely for the Internet by creating, comedy radio show, podcasts, blogs or filmed comedy skits online.

Doing free comedy is a part of the career that seemingly never ends.  Like everything in the entertainment world there is no exact path, and it’s up to each individual performer to find their unique way that works for them.  If comedy is truly a calling, you won’t end up relying on anyone’s particular advice just your own hard work and passion and self belief that you are a stand up comedian.