Coming up with new material is one of the most important jobs for an aspiring comedian. Without good material, you’ll have nothing to perform on stage, leaving you gigless. Even worse, you could think you have good material, only to fall flat when on stage. Creating good fresh material is just as important as delivering the punchline or pacing the joke. If the material isn’t good then nothing you do will make it funny. So how can successful comedians like Josh Denny continually come up with innovative new material? Here are the top tips for coming up with fresh stand-up comedy ideas.
Look for Inspiration
One of the best tips for coming up with new stand-up material is to look for inspiration in all aspects of your life. You should try to be as in-tune with your surroundings as you can, always being on the lookout for the next piece of material. You never know when something completely hilarious and unexpected happens, something that can be turned into material. Stay on the lookout for inspiration, and you’ll find yourself with lots of stories that you can use to make material.
Use Your Experiences
The vast majority of jokes from successful comedians stem from their own experiences or the experiences of those around them. Successful comedians are able to take these experiences and turn them into entire stories that are laced with hilarious jokes. Being able to take your own experiences and turn them into something funny can be difficult. Not only do you need to recognize the potential in a story, but you also have to successfully translate that story into something that can be used on stage. If you can master this technique, you’ll be able to create new comedy material much easier.
Write Every Day
If you want to truly be good at coming up with and writing new material then you’re going to need to practice every day. Even if you have hilarious content and jokes, if it’s not written or presented in the right way then it can still fall flat. If you don’t hone your writing skills every day, then your skills will become rusty. When you do think of something good, when it comes time to write it down and construct your joke, you’ll be out of practice. Practice coming up with new jokes and routines every day, so that when you have some gold material, you can quickly turn it into a hilarious bit.
Mirror Successful Comedians
One of the best ways to come up with fresh stand-up material is to mirror comedians that are already successful. While you certainly shouldn’t copy or plagiarize other comedians, learning from them is extremely beneficial. Analyze how they set up their jokes, structure their show, and deliver their punchlines. You can then take your favorite parts of a successful comedian’s show and implement them into your own routines. These comedians are successful for a reason, and recognizing what makes them successful and emulating it can get you in the same place.