Go on stage with a mindset of silliness
Tom Segura: "It might sound silly, but I believe the best thing a comic can do is simply talk a lot."
I keep posting stuff (see above) from David Perell, “The Writing Guy,” here on Funny How because he’s got a sharp mind for writing, loves comedy, and asks good questions.
His latest comedy-focused interview is with Tom Segura: “How to Tell Jokes.”
It might sound silly, but I believe the best thing a comic can do is simply talk a lot. You’ll naturally say more funny things if you’re talking more. It’s a version of trying things out. You obviously try material on stage, but even off stage, you have certain friends you just bounce ideas off of. The more you do that, the more you develop a skill over time.
You’ll recognize when you’re in conversation and you say something that just has legs—something with potential. That becomes the biggest muscle of all: recognizing, “Oh, that’s something,” versus just casually shooting the shit. Sometimes, something just clicks, and you develop the skill to know, “That’s a thing.”
…
My friend, Jeff Tate, a great comic, advised, “Just do them all. Write down all your thoughts, even the dumb ones, and take the dumb ones on stage. Just say them all.” I realized that was the best advice: don’t try to filter through, thinking, “That’s not good enough.”
It’s a good convo. You can watch the video here (or there’s a transcript too).
Below is a quickie ChatGPT summary of 10 takeaways for comedians but it’s worth consuming the whole thing.
Talk more.
“The best thing a comic can do is simply talk a lot.”
A young comedian’s instinct is often to sit alone and “write jokes.” Segura’s point is that comedy usually comes from interaction. Conversation creates material. The more you talk, the more premises, reactions, rhythms, and observations you uncover.
Learn to recognize what’s funny.
“You develop the skill to know, ‘That’s a thing.’”
Comedy is pattern recognition. Great comics train themselves to notice strange behavior, awkward moments, contradictions, and tiny details other people ignore.
Have opinions.
“What isn’t funny is lacking an opinion.”
A weak comedic voice usually comes from neutrality. Funny people care too much about something. They’re annoyed, obsessed, judgmental, confused, fascinated. Strong perspective creates tension, and tension creates comedy.
Pay attention to ordinary interactions.
“Those little interactions have always been something I’ve reported.”
Some of the best material comes from completely mundane experiences: ordering coffee, talking to strangers, hearing somebody say something bizarre in passing. The key is noticing what everyone else filters out.
Say the thing everyone recognizes but nobody says aloud.
“We’ve all experienced this, but that person was the first one to actually say it.”
That’s the core of observational comedy. The audience laughs because they instantly recognize the truth of it — and because they can’t believe someone finally verbalized it.
Don’t kill ideas too early.
“Just do them all. Write down all your thoughts.”
Young comics often try to sound polished immediately. Segura’s advice is the opposite: generate volume first. Most ideas won’t work, but filtering too early prevents you from discovering the few that do.
Jokes evolve on stage.
“Something magical happens when you get on stage.”
Material changes in front of an audience. A line that seemed weak suddenly works. A clever idea dies instantly. Stand-up isn’t just writing — it’s live experimentation.
Surprise is the engine of comedy.
“The best feeling of a joke is always the element of surprise.”
The laugh comes from the turn. The audience thinks they know where you’re going, and then you redirect them somewhere unexpected.
Reps matter more than inspiration.
“There’s no substitute for performing numerous sets.”
Segura talks about doing “200 to 250 performances” to shape an hour. Great stand-up is usually built through repetition, refinement, bombing, adjustment, and repetition again.
Don’t fear silence.
“Good, seasoned performers are not afraid of silence.”
New comics rush. Experienced comics understand that pauses create tension, emphasis, rhythm, and confidence. Silence can actually increase the laugh when used correctly.
Bonus:
“The best mindset for me to go on stage with is silliness.”
That may be the most important line in the whole interview. The best comedians often look relaxed and playful because they are. Audiences can feel when someone is trying too hard versus genuinely having fun.
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