Tag Archives: humorous effect

The Truth About Set-up Lines And Punchlines Training Module One: Intro And Lesson Links Introduction Another one of the core aspects of “conventional” joke writing seems to focus on understanding the terms “set-up” and “punchline”. I fully intend to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that without the proper context and application, merely knowing what set-ups and punchlines are from a “conventional” perspective has little or no value when it comes to developing stand-up comedy material that will actually work for you on stage. Let’s take a close look at two different “conventional” definitions for set-up lines and punchlines — one from a typical “stand-up comedy tips” blog and the other from an established and published stand-up comedy “guru”. Conventional Definitions For Set-up Lines And Punchlines Here is the first set of definitions of set-up and punchline you can find all over the internet: Set-up: The foundation of a joke. Punchline: The climactic phrase or statement of a joke, producing a sudden humorous effect. Here is another set of definitions of set-up and punchline that I found on the website of an established and published stand-up comedy “guru”: Set-up: The first part of a joke that contains a target assumption to misdirect the audience into accepting a bogus 1st story. Punchline: The second part of a joke that contains a reinterpretation that creates a 2nd story that shatters the setup’s target assumption. Note: There is another stand-up Continue reading The Truth About Set-up Lines And Punchlines→