Q&A for How to Write a Good Joke

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How can I come up with ideas for jokes?

Kendall Payne
Writer, Director, & Stand-up Comedian
Kendall Payne is a Writer, Director, and Stand-up Comedian based in Brooklyn, New York. Kendall specializes in directing, writing, and producing comedic short films. Her films have screened at Indie Short Fest, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, Channel 101 NY, and 8 Ball TV. She has also written and directed content for the Netflix is a Joke social channels and has written marketing scripts for Between Two Ferns: The Movie, Astronomy Club, Wine Country, Bash Brothers, Stand Up Specials and more. Kendall runs an IRL internet comedy show at Caveat called Extremely Online, and a comedy show for @ssholes called Sugarp!ss at Easy Lover. She studied at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and at New York University (NYU) Tisch in the TV Writing Certificate Program.

Kendall Payne

Writer, Director, & Stand-up Comedian

Expert Answer

I like to take very basic premises and then just find one element to emphasize, dramatize, or elevate. So, for example, people often freak out when you don't answer your phone or respond to text messages, right? So one skit I came up with was all about this person whose phone died, and their friends started overreacting by assuming that they'd died. The humor there comes from that one little amplification! You don't need to come up with something ground-breaking every single time. Often, it's just about those little touches or changes.

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Question

What does it mean if a joke gets tons of laugh one time, but not the other?

Kendall Payne
Writer, Director, & Stand-up Comedian
Kendall Payne is a Writer, Director, and Stand-up Comedian based in Brooklyn, New York. Kendall specializes in directing, writing, and producing comedic short films. Her films have screened at Indie Short Fest, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, Channel 101 NY, and 8 Ball TV. She has also written and directed content for the Netflix is a Joke social channels and has written marketing scripts for Between Two Ferns: The Movie, Astronomy Club, Wine Country, Bash Brothers, Stand Up Specials and more. Kendall runs an IRL internet comedy show at Caveat called Extremely Online, and a comedy show for @ssholes called Sugarp!ss at Easy Lover. She studied at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and at New York University (NYU) Tisch in the TV Writing Certificate Program.

Kendall Payne

Writer, Director, & Stand-up Comedian

Expert Answer

Was your delivery different? Often, the way you tell a joke is just as important as the content of your joke. It could also be that your audience was different. Everyone has a unique sense of humor and it's possible for a joke to play well with one crowd but not another.

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Question

Why do I always get writers block, but when I perform it's so easy?

Community Answer

Try performing to yourself or to an audience in your head while you're writing. You even get to choose any venue you like!

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Let's say I wanted to write a book, can I use a joke that I saw in another book, fan fiction, or website as my own?

Community Answer

No, jokes that you find in books or any other media cannot go unaccredited and you cannot claim them as your own without permission. This is because jokes can be interpreted as intellectual property, and if your book ever gets published, you'd most likely get sued. If you're writing something like a compilation/collection of jokes, simply ask for permission first and credit the joke's author.

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Can I look up some jokes online and make them my own?

Community Answer

No, not if your planning to do them on the comedy circuit and want to be taken seriously. Some old jokes may inspire you to write something of your own.

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Question

Are comics for introverts or extroverts?

Community Answer

Comics are for everyone; they're not just exclusive to one type of person. Senses of humor, however, vary greatly, as do interests.

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Question

Is it normal to have a tough time coming up with jokes?

Community Answer

Jokes can be tough to make, so yes it is normal to have a tough time coming up with them at first.

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I cannot make good jokes after thinking a lot. What should I do?

Community Answer

Try looking at situations a little differently to get a different perspective.

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Question

Can I become a comedian if I don't have a good sense of humor?

Community Answer

You can try, but part of being a good comedian is being able to recognize what will make other people laugh, so it would be hard to do that without having a good sense of humor.

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How can I come up with a funny joke on the spot?

Community Answer

Read the situation and look at it from a different perspective. Or, if you are listening to another person talk, think about the subject, think about a word that belongs in that subject, then try to find a word that sounds simair so that you can make up a punny joke on the spot.

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