How To: Become a Stand-up Comedian

Sure you’re funny. Everybody says so. But there’s a big difference between making people laugh until they pee and actually making a living as a stand-up comedian.

Good jokes aren’t enough. To have a successful career in stand-up comedy, you have to be tenacious and persistent, sometimes for years, before you start getting the right breaks.

Jay Davis, from HBO’s Tourgasm show, says on the HBO Web site, “You don’t even realize you’re growing, but I think it takes 10 years to become a comedian. It’s something you have to do consistently, and it takes so many times on stage. But after 10 years on stage, that’s when you graduate. That’s when you can say you’re a professional comedian.”

Here are some tips to get you started.

Learn from others

Writers have a saying – if you want to write, you have to read. The same is true for stand-up comedy. If you want to perform, you have to watch the performances of other comedians.

The idea isn’t to copy them. You need your own style and your own presence on stage. But you can watch other stand-up comedians to learn what they do wrong and what they do right.

Choose the comedians who have a style similar to yours, the ones you admire. See how they reconnect with the audience after a joke bombs. Watch how they handle hecklers. Try to pick up on the rhythm of their delivery.

A good place to start is Comedy Central. The network regularly airs “Comedy Central Presents” stand-up specials. Check out “Stand-up Nation with Greg Giraldo” on Friday nights to see comics who are still on their way up. And go to Netflix or your local video store to rent DVDs of some of your favorite stand-up comics.

Do your homework