A punchline problem is really a setup problem

On Billy Wilder, identifying the problem area, and how standup is like screenwriting.

“If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.”
-Billy Wilder

It’s often true with jokes too: If you have a problem with the punchline, the real problem is in the setup.

If a joke isn’t hitting, it might be because the setup is too confusing, too long, or out of alignment in some other way. Before you give up on it, figure out if there’s a way to make the start of the joke clearer, tighter, and/or more effective some other way.

Other tips from Billy Wilder that apply to standup too:

• The audience is fickle.

• Grab 'em by the throat and never let 'em go.

• A tip from Lubitsch: Let the audience add up two plus two. They'll love you forever.