10 Commandments of Humor Part 4

by Bill Stainton

7. Thou shalt not be wed to thy humor
Here’s something I drill into my comedy writing and comedian clients: jokes are expendable!!! Don’t fall so in love with your material (humorous or otherwise, for that matter) that you’re unwilling to let go of it if it’s not working. I know of one comedian who has been using the same joke for the past ten years, and I’ve never heard it get a laugh! When I asked him about it, he said, “I love that joke, and one of these days the audience is going to realize how brilliant it is!” I wish I had his kind of optimism! Here’s the pattern I use: Once I develop a new piece of material—a story, let’s say—I’ll try it out with a few friends. I’ll pay particular attention to the reaction the story gets. Then, I’ll go home and revise the story based on the response. Then I’ll try the revised version with some different friends. If the response is positive, I’ll try the story out in front of an audience. If it still works, it’s in (although I’ll keep honing it). If, on the other hand, it’s not getting positive response after two or three revisions, I’ll trash it! Hey, I can always come up with another story!

8. Thou shalt not steal
I wish I could write that this one goes without saying, but some people seem to think that once a story is told on the platform, it becomes public domain. Let’s be absolutely clear on this. A speaker’s personal story belongs to that speaker, and nobody else! I don’t care if their story would be perfect in your presentation. Come up with your own story! Believe me, it will be better. It will be better because it’s yours, and because you’ll tell it in a way that nobody else on the planet possibly can, because it didn’t happen to anybody else on the planet! If you’re using somebody else’s story, then sooner or later, somebody’s going to recognize it. And whether they call you on it or not, you’ll lose credibility in that person’s eyes. And they’ll tell other people. Is that really the kind of reputation you want? Wouldn’t you rather have the reputation of somebody who has a range of personal stories that are unique, well crafted, and perfectly suited to your own unique message? The choice is yours.