5 Easy Ways To Make Your Story Funnier

If you’re a storyteller and you want to make your story unforgettable, make it funny. Laughter is one of the best ways to connect with your audience. Unfortunately, some storytellers don't think they are funny and are afraid to even try, but it’s easier than you think.

Once you follow these five easy ways to punch up your story, you will start getting the laughs you deserve, and hopefully you will be hooked. Good luck!

1. Give character(s) descriptive names
   In my one-person show, “World's Greatest Dad(?),” I describe the priest who was presiding over my dad's funeral: "He was big guy with a giant green robe. He looked like a Muppet.” From that point on I call him "Father Muppet" and that always gets a huge laugh. Another example: "The guy at the counter looked like Bernie Sanders’ older brother."
   
2. Be specific
   Sometimes the easiest way to punch up your piece is to be more specific. So take a few minutes to look over your story and see where you are being too vague. For example, saying, “I drove my car to the prom,” is ok, but what is more interesting is, “I drove my Mom’s Chrysler Minivan to the prom.” Sometimes you can get laugh by being over descriptive, instead of saying, “I ate a bowl of cereal,” you could say, “I ate a whole stale box of Lucky Charms and the marshmallows were as hard as rocks, so it wasn't magically delicious.”
   
3. Use metaphors
   Stand-up comedians use this technique all the time. Finding a place to use comedic metaphors can add laughs instantly. For example, in my first one-man show, “I’m 27 and I Still Live At Home and Sell Office Supplies,” I said: “The whole point of the Santa Claus suit was to retain heat. It was like what tin foil is to the baked potato.”
   
4. Revel a truth about yourself
   Revealing a truth about yourself, especially if it is self-deprecating, is not only a great way to connect to the audience, but it's also an opportunity to get a laugh. Here are some I have used over the years in different performances:
   • I grew up Catholic, though everyone thinks I’m Jewish.
   • I don't like Christmas, because I don't like to give.
   • Like my Facebook page. It really helps with my low self-esteem.
   
5. Add an inner dialogue or an aside
   One of the easiest things to do to make your piece funnier is to add an aside or some inner dialogue. In “World’s Greatest Dad(?),” when my dad is dying and I ask him how I can help prepare for his death, he says, “I want you to speak at my funeral and I want you to make people laugh.” Then I go into an interior monologue: “I wanted to say, ‘Dad, I have an agent for that.’ But instead, I said, ‘I would be honored.’” By adding a little aside, I’m able to squeeze in a little laugh in a very dark section of the story. In fact, when done right, serious moments are filled with tension, which can lead to a laugh.
   
   Want to get more personalized feedback on how to make your story funnier? Don’t miss Jimmy’s Finding the Funny Storytelling Workshop on Jan. 25!