
5 tips to be funny while telling a story
You are in a group, and suddenly there's pin-drop silence. You think of it as an opportunity to be a star. So you start telling a story. "You know what, guys…".
Ten of them turn towards you as you start your story to listen to the fun anecdote you are narrating. Everyone is attached and wants to know more. With every word you spill out, their eyes sparkle as shiny as they can get.
As you drop the punchline: "Then he said, "No, we don't provide free stay in the zoo." Everyone started to laugh; the dud atmosphere was spun to a laugh riot. You feel the adrenaline rush in your body.
But suddenly a voice pops in the scene: "Wake up… Wake up Arjun… It's late for your school".
Ahh!! Man… that was the dream everyone wants to be true—the Validation, the pause when you speak, and then the applause. Every storyteller craves this bit.
We all love stories. We all have a story that we want to narrate to the world. But we fear -
It might be boring.
No one would relate to it.
They wouldn't enjoy it.
And the overthinking goes on. But what if I tell you five tips to be funny while telling a story. Would you dare to say to yours?
Did I hear a low yes… say it out loud… YES.
Here we go, then.
- Master timing: when telling stories and adding humor to them at the same time is not easy. You have to give the audience proper context. Create twists throughout the stories and then position them in between your stories. Make sure you master the timing of the punchline.
- Embrace the impossible: Comedy and jokes are a work of exaggeration. Stretch reality a bit in your story. "I'm so hungry; I could eat a horse." This common phrase emphasizes a point by making an extreme, unrealistic statement. Humour often utilizes absurd, unbelievable scenarios.
- Focus on relatable themes: Not everyone can relate to your stories if they are not relatable to them. Keep characters and stories according to the audience's culture. It is easy to add fun when you tell them stories related to their knowledge and culture.
- Build up: When adding humor to stories, you have to build up the story. It requires context, and you have to add small details. This will paint a vivid picture in your audience's imagination and vision. This is the path where the audience can be a part of your story.
- Delivery is mattered most: Delivery should always be the funniest part. This is why your introduction is so important—it should set up a humorous situation: add punch lines to end the stories, Give your audience time to react, and then go ahead.
Alright, let's gather our wits for a second.
You could start by constructing your stories to tell next time. Think of weird things you have experienced in your life.
Think about events that went against the grain. Then try tо fit them into tо the structure we discussed: Set-uр pattern, Fоreshаdоwing up Characters and Twist. Laughter is guaranteed.