Ask HN: How can I learn to be funny?
14 comments
"Dying is easy. Comedy is difficult."
"If you don't have a sense of humor, don't try to be funny."
If you just want to be good at conversation and social stuff, get a copy of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influen...
It's cheesy but it works.
That said, if you are really after being funny, then know that the essense of comedy is timing. Being funny is more like dancing than acting, say. Good news is it's a skill and unless you're hopeless you can practice and learn it. Get yourself a copy of Ol' Asimov's "Treasury of Humor" and just tell people jokes and practice your timing and delivery. Good luck! It's wonderful to make people laugh!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov%27s_Treasury_of_H...
"If you don't have a sense of humor, don't try to be funny."
If you just want to be good at conversation and social stuff, get a copy of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influen...
It's cheesy but it works.
That said, if you are really after being funny, then know that the essense of comedy is timing. Being funny is more like dancing than acting, say. Good news is it's a skill and unless you're hopeless you can practice and learn it. Get yourself a copy of Ol' Asimov's "Treasury of Humor" and just tell people jokes and practice your timing and delivery. Good luck! It's wonderful to make people laugh!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov%27s_Treasury_of_H...
Thanks for the reading suggestions. I had Asimov's sci-fi stuff in my reading list, and learning he's got comedy writing will definitely make me get acquainted with his work now even more quickly.
0. Have more conversations with more groups of people.
1. Notice the things that make you laugh or you find witty in conversations. Keep a journal if necessary.
2. Steal liberally.* If the comments are highly situational, think of ways to generalize, or imagine similar situations where you could use similar material.*
3. Focus on people's reactions when you tell those stolen jokes.
4. Once you can get a reaction with tested material, branch out to variations and introduce your own material. (Don't stick with joke theft forever, just use it as a transition, so you can isolate other things to work on.)
* (2) probably requires multiple distinct social groups. Even in the same group, you can get away with this with a little hat tip, like, "It's like that time when John said X..." Or if you build from that into storytelling--everyone likes hearing stories about times they said or did interesting things--so you'll have a sympathetic audience while you practice some timing and rhythm.
1. Notice the things that make you laugh or you find witty in conversations. Keep a journal if necessary.
2. Steal liberally.* If the comments are highly situational, think of ways to generalize, or imagine similar situations where you could use similar material.*
3. Focus on people's reactions when you tell those stolen jokes.
4. Once you can get a reaction with tested material, branch out to variations and introduce your own material. (Don't stick with joke theft forever, just use it as a transition, so you can isolate other things to work on.)
* (2) probably requires multiple distinct social groups. Even in the same group, you can get away with this with a little hat tip, like, "It's like that time when John said X..." Or if you build from that into storytelling--everyone likes hearing stories about times they said or did interesting things--so you'll have a sympathetic audience while you practice some timing and rhythm.
Thanks for your suggestions. I find the journal idea pretty awesome. I'm very methodic when setting my mind to learn something new.
Hang out with people that are funnier than you... If you don't know any people that are funnier than you, then go to comedy clubs on amateur nights. If you go on a night when a professional comedian is performing, while he might be funny, chances are you won't be able to meet him or hang out with him afterwards. On amateur nights, you should be able to meet everyone afterwards. Find the funny amateurs, meet them, ask to hang out with them, and their humor will eventually rub off on you... You could try Improv classes too, as suggested by another poster.
This seems like a good plan too. It has helped me to become a better musician just by playing music with good musicians. I would call it learning by osmosis.
I did a course in script writing for film and TV. There was a considerable amount of work on how to structure for comedy. The best part of the course was that homework was to watch TV, comedy shows in particular and de-construct them.
The key to being funny is to be aware, notice things and see the unexpected, etc. The funniest material is adapted from real-life events with a sprinkling of whimsy added. Telling jokes is very much about engagement and timing.
The key to being funny is to be aware, notice things and see the unexpected, etc. The funniest material is adapted from real-life events with a sprinkling of whimsy added. Telling jokes is very much about engagement and timing.
> The best part of the course was that homework was to watch TV, comedy shows in particular and de-construct them.
This sound very intersting. Could you share an example of such work?
This sound very intersting. Could you share an example of such work?
are there improv classes in your city?
I'm pretty sure there are. I hadn't considered that option. Have you tried it?
[deleted]
You could try and enrol into clown college. It worked well for Steveo the star of Jackass.
Any books, thoughts, blog posts, ideas, videos, etc, are welcome.
Hopefully language agnostic since I'm a native spanish speaker.
What has worked for you?