Manuel is a passionate, driven, and techsavvy AV technician, 
You thought your hilarious joke would delight everyone at open mic night – but it didn’t even provoke laughter, leaving you feeling utterly embarrassed. What could you have done differently, in comedy writing?
One crucial step when creating your own material is to test it out with a friend. This way, you can determine whether your comedy writing is genuinely funny or only amusing due to a contextual element that you haven’t included in the joke. If you wrote about a humorous experience involving you or someone close to you, the funniest part might have been the facial expressions, which can be challenging to incorporate into the joke unless you act it out.
There could also be another factor that makes the joke funny, but it can’t be included for some reason. It might be related to the setting, lighting, or timing, which, for some reason, doesn’t come across well when telling the joke. You could try rewriting the joke to include this information, or you might not be able to convey it adequately. In either case, you need to scrutinize the joke closely to identify the missing element.
Friends can tell you if the joke you’ve written is genuinely funny or not. They might point out a flaw that you can fix, saving you from discarding the joke. Friends are usually honest and won’t try to spare your feelings; they’ll let you know if your joke falls flat. Besides, you can tell for yourself if they don’t laugh when it’s not funny.
On the other hand, your joke might be funny, but your friend could be in a bad mood. So, choose the right moment to test out your jokes. If something makes you laugh when you write it, chances are someone else will find it funny too. If your first friend doesn’t laugh, try it on a few others. People sometimes have different senses of humor, and what amuses one person might not affect another.
Testing a joke with your friend can save you from considerable embarrassment – like bombing during your performance – and ultimately help you on your journey to becoming a comedian.
Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME
Writing jokes is pretty hard, thanks for the insights. I do tend to test on friends, but written down is hard to convey. I sometimes video myself telling the joke to remember it, rather than just writing.