Expert: Tom - 10/7/2009

Question
Tom,

For performing standup (I have yet to get on stage), how should I write my jokes out?  Should I include every word?  Or just ideas and work (practice; won't take my notes on stage) from there?  Also, I've heard that 3 pages of material is about 5-6 minutes stage time.  Is that for jokes completely written out?

I hope this makes sense.  Thanks,

Evan

Answer
Evan --

Sure, this makes sense. I think it's great that you're thinking about these practical matters. I should preface my response by saying that I have not done material that's structured into separate jokes, but I think I can give you some reasonable ideas that at least won't steer you way wrong.

I think you should approach the development of your material in a systematic, careful way, just as you would a term paper. Even if you are going to sound "wild and crazy" on stage, I really think you'll be better off if you have a written plan that you can draft and revise as you prepare (because even "wild and crazy" benefits from good underlying structure).

As to the level of detail of this written plan, I think there's not going to be a single approach that works best for everyone. You mention a couple of reasonable approaches; I'd say to try one and see if it works (or try both and pick the best, if you're the really motivated type!). I myself settled on a kind of intermediate level of detail, not quite word-for-word, but sort of close.

The idea of 3 pages per 5-6 minutes sounds reasonable to me as a ballpark, but of course there are many variables that could affect this. You *must* know how long your stuff is going to take, so try it and time it. (And I think any writer can tell you that you'll need to write many times more draft material to end up with 3 pages you want to actually use, so get busy writing!)

Good luck and have fun.