Just a few days ago, I was watching a standup comedy show and I couldn’t stop laughing for a long time. It made me wonder what was so exceptionally funny with the show. While the standup comedian was mostly cracking one-liner jokes, his strength laid in the real life comic stories that he narrated and enacted. He narrated many funny stories about his family, friends, people on the street, and even his neighbor’s dog! If real life stories sound funny in comedy shows, they sound even funnier when written, especially if they’re written with a sense of humor.
Taking a cue from this, I would like to remind you that comedy writing is not an easy task. It demands an amazing sense of humor, and the ability to write concisely to make your readers laugh. Wondering where you can find such funny stories? You don’t need to go overseas and sit around all day to find funny characters and humorous situations. If you write about personal incidents, which you have found funny, others are bound to find it hilarious as well! Some people may help you to find humor in your real life.
Family
Okay, now not everybody has a family like the Fockers. Nevertheless, yes, funny incidents tend to happen a lot at family gatherings. Maybe you could derive some inspiration from a funny incident that took place at the breakfast table yesterday and write a brilliantly humorous story. Remember, readers are only human. They find humor in something they can relate to and not in something extraordinary. It is when people see and relate to what you have written as something that has happened to them or might happen to them, do they actually enjoy reading more of your material. Therefore, as an author I try writing about family events, obviously I do change names otherwise that is going to be another funny situation to remember!
Kids
Yes, sure, they could have been added to the family section, but the funny things that some babies do, makes me put them into a class of their own. Simple things like a kid trying to walk and toppling from the corner of the bed can be quite funny to read if described accurately. Moreover, this is just the beginning. As kids grow up, they do immensely funny stuff. They end up saying funnier one-liners, which may have embarrassed you then, but can now provide inspiration for you to write something excessively funny. All this can be included by you in your writing.
Friends
This section is best described with an example of the famous sitcom, Friends. I need not remind you that you are always in a good mood when friends are around. There are always some great lines flying all over the place when friends get together. Never a dull moment with your group, is there? Why not use those anecdotes in your writing and make your writing material more enjoyable.
Strangers
Some of the best comedy stories come up when you write about people you do not even know. People often do the funniest things when they think they are not being watched. So watch for those kinds of moments intensely and bring it out in your writing.
Here’s a fun video of Jimmy Carr dealing with hecklers. Just something to make you think after reading the post.