This editing technique is guaranteed to instantly make you the best comedian in the world

It's based on clickbait. Do you see what I did there?

I am always very excited to share this technique with people. It's a simple way to enhance and edit your stand-up material.

First I'll give a detailed explanation of the exercise, and a more concise summary will be at the end.

When I am teaching my beginners class I always encourage free-form writing. I have lots of writing exercises that encourage quantity over quality, with the mantra “writing is winning”. I believe free-form writing encourages authentic comedy, as opposed to “joke writing” which often encourages hack material from fledgling stand-ups.

Winner

Although as the student show closes in, we do need to think about editing down people’s clutch of mad notes. I’m never concerned because this editing exercise can help turn freeform writing into actual stand-up.

This is unedited material from my student Jake.

I really like going to crossfit… ok …I like the open showers after crossfit, its cheaper and probably cleaner than going to a sex club. Obviously I don’t have sex there. At my local cross fit box we have very abusive trainers. I keep accidentally booking classes with a lady called Anne-Sophie, she’s a cross between a dyoga mum and a chav. She constantly berates me for not focusing on exercises “JAKE YOU ARENT FOCUSING ON EXERCISE”:. She really delights in being mean to members. I have found myself in a Stockholm syndrome situation; I’ve learnt not answer back to her anymore. I have accepted that it’s an important part of my muscle growth journey.

Give each section of your material a clickbait heading

The headings should be so juicy that if your set was presented as only the headings, people would want to click through to hear the whole bit. The heading should summarise what the funny/interesting part is of the joke. This is th same as the Improv term “game” which I talk more about in this article:

Lessons stand-ups can learn from improvisers #1: Game

The headings can be any length, and they don’t have to be in the classic Buzzfeed style (and you won’t believe number 10!). Anything that isn't related to the heading should be moved to another heading, unless it's a deliberate tangent.

Wow, a lot of penis in the news today

If you can't think of a good heading, then maybe the material is… shit? Don't feel bad about that, what are the chances that everything you write is gold? But don't throw it right in the bin, this exercise could help you find a much better angle. Keep asking yourself, what am I trying to say here?

Let’s have a go giving Jake’s material an evocative heading. The first thing that strikes me is this is 2 bits of material. Lets focus on one at at time. Brainstorm as many headlines as you can.

Crossfit is cheaper than a sex-club

The best part about cross-fit is when it’s over and you get to perve at everyone in the shower room.

I only like to exercise if I get to look at strange peen after.

I was about ready to throw this bit in the trash compactor, but that last heading gave me a chuckle. Just writing these headlines has given me some ideas.