The Way You Tell It

I love watching stand-up comedians. They're usually funny and they're a great source to learn from. One thing I've noticed that most comedians do is tell a funny scenario, then act it out. I was watching Steve Byrnes do a bit where he says that he doesn't like to talk about his feelings. "Whenever somebody asks me how I'm feeling, I just turn into a robot." Then he proceeds to act out that scene, where first his girlfriend asks him how he feels, and then he replies in a robotic voice "It was nice to see you. I must be going."

When Steve set up the situation, saying that he turned into a robot, that got laughs. When he acted it out, he got more laughs. It's a pretty common technique, but it can backfire. If the set-up isn't that funny, acting it out only makes it worse. If the comedian doesn't have a good stage premise, either by being too lethargic or too loud, that doesn't do the joke justice.

I think it is amazing, though, that a comedian can be funny despite his jokes. You can turn a boring joke into a laugh riot if you give it the right energy and act it out. Sometimes it isn't the joke you tell so much as it is the way you tell it. But I don't know how well that works with non-visual writing.

If you aren't writing for a comedian, a TV show, a movie, a comic strip, or anything else with an audio or visual component, then your words have to tell everything all by themselves. That isn't always easy. You have fewer options for making an impact on your audience. With no other ways to distract an audience, you usually have to rely on having a good story. Of course, the way you tell your story still matters, even if all you have is silent words on a page. All of the levels of writing go into making your story effective.

The most important aspect to consider is telling a story that fits your medium. Robin Williams is funny as heck, but he needs to be listened to. Jim Carrey is funny, but he needs to be seen. If you are writing words on a page, then make sure what you are trying to describe can be told with words on a page.