Q&A for How to Get Started in Standup Comedy

Yes, as long as the venue is all ages, like a cafe or a family restaurant.

Do you necessarily need a live mentor? I would listen to some comedians' autobiographies. Some good ones are Sarah Silverman's Bedwetter, Tina Fey's Bossypants, or Amy Poehler's Yes, Please. Or you can try to find your own favorite comedian's autobiography. You can also try finding some discussion forums or blogs for comedians online and learn from people's experiences that way. If you know of some local comedian, you could try to contact or approach them and ask if they'd be willing to help you.

Bank the jokes you have in your head, and if you can't remember them, write them down. When something happens that relates, the connection between the two will create a natural joke, and you can expand on a story with your wit.

You can search on Google. In most cases it will use your location to find them.

You can't always eliminate it, but you can embrace it and use the heightened sense of awareness it brings to your advantage. It might help to perform in front of friends or family first.

Use your shyness as part of act. Embrace it. Also, the more practice you get standing in front of people performing, the better you'll get and the less nervousness will inhibit you, so get out in front of your friends and family regularly.

Carry a notebook with you everywhere you go. Each time you do a joke, write down the joke along with whatever context is needed to explain it. Then when preforming the joke, say something like, "I was with my friends the other day, when suddenly, [explain what happened], and I said..." Remember that it might take some time and work to get the joke exactly right, and you're certainly allowed to make up or change details to make the joke funnier.

It may be hard. You don't necessarily have to start a business, you could just start a Friday evening show with your friends. Try renting out a bar/club for the night. If your comedy night is consistently successful, then you can start thinking about expanding it into a business.

I would look for books by famous comedians, like Jerry Seinfield or David Chapelle.

Possibly, if you gear your routine and show toward a recorded atmosphere instead of a live one. This of course is based on you being alone during your recording.

No, you can be funny at any age. In terms of working in nightclubs, etc., you'll need to be over 18 for many such venues but other places should be fine for 16 and up, and you can be a comedian at school at any age. And in case you're asking from the other end of age, you can be a comedian into your 90s and beyond if you've still got a great sense of humor.

Try to. If you really can't, then ask your parents or friends for help. Or you can just Google some funny jokes. I find that the best comedians are those that can tell funny stories well, instead of just making jokes.

You can use the principles of comedy on just about any subject matter. Study comics like Brian Regan, Preacher Lawson and Jim Gaffigan to see how they've developed hours of clean material.

Yes. Laughter is caused by the release of anxiety. Different venues will have different standards and expectations, but every joke relies on calling upon and then relieving some discomfort.

When you’re with your friends and tell a joke, do they laugh? Just follow the steps and though it may take some time coming up with something funny, eventually you will make a set. Open mics and performing in front of family will tell you pretty quickly whether your jokes are funny or not. And remember, you won’t be good at stand up right away, you have to practice (a lot!).