I'm not funny?

bl1y · 2014-08-01T15:51:32+00:00

Ignore all the advice on how to be funny. Odds are you've got a deeper issue at work.

When you tell a story are you even interesting? I've run into several guys in the community who drone on without any awareness of how other people feel. Their stories get boring not because they aren't funny, but because it's a fifteen minute dissertation on details no one gives a fuck about.

Learn to pay as much attention to the other people as you're paying to your own words. This is called calibration.

XenElement · 2014-08-01T08:36:12+00:00

Watch some standup comedy. Copy the style of comedians you enjoy, practice their jokes, note delivery and speed, emphasis, etc. treat it like an acting exercise, emulate a successful story teller until it is ingrained enough to feel natural, where you can use it for your own stories. Note: careful actually using jokes other than just for practice - people sometimes recognize them and make sure the ones you are emulating actually match your sense of humor or it will feel weird.

starfoxisdown · 2014-08-01T14:43:32+00:00

Story telling is a skill, and the nice thing about skills is that they can be learned. Join a Toastmaster's and/or take some improv lessons. Listen to some stories at the Moth. Read up on the structure of a good story, when to omit extraneous details, and when to elaborate on narrative details.

Then practice. When I give an important speech I practice in front of a mirror, or talk to my dog. When I was single, I joined a small group of pickup guys where we would take turns telling short stories and critiquing one another. A lot of good storytelling is just about being comfortable, which only comes with practice.

jonesandbrown · 2014-08-01T06:06:32+00:00

I tell dumb stories too. Idk why, but I guess I just can't formulate a story. I've gotten the old "do you tell that one at parties" line half a hundred times. In my opinion though, none of that really matters. I'm currently seeing a girl I've been telling my stupid stories to for years, and any time I notice I'm telling a dumb sorry I call myself out. She doesn't care, and just finds it cute. As for others, try just getting out the essentials when you think you're story adds to the convention. And in a date type scene, when in doubt, ask about her. That never fails.

Edit: sorry about wall text, on my phone

themanbat · 2014-08-01T11:41:06+00:00

Tell me a story now.

DaygameCoach · 2014-08-01T12:50:04+00:00

There are many books on comedy wrting including http://www.amazon.com/Comedy-Writing-Secrets-Best-Selling-Edition/dp/1582973571/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406897234&sr=8-1&keywords=comedy+writing and http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Funny-Step---Step-ebook/dp/B00K9PI7AQ/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1406897250&sr=8-10&keywords=comedy+writing. They might help.

Which comedians do you personally think are funny? Which sitcoms? Which RomComs?

-Cuisine, www.daygamer.net

joshsway · 2014-08-01T13:26:01+00:00

The secret to humor is the unexpected ... why do you think your stories are funny? If they don't have a significant 'element of surprise' then they are probably not funny.

Trenks · 2014-08-01T22:16:39+00:00

Not everyone is funny. If you aren't and try to be it usually is a bad thing. Take an improv class if you can and then ask for some honest feedback from the instructor.

One thing I'd do is record yourself telling some stories or jokes or whatever with your phone. It's different actually seeing yourself tell a joke. If you're not even making yourself laugh you won't make anyone else laugh.

And always remember, the secret to comedy is..................................TIMING!

2014-08-02T01:16:15+00:00

If a girl likes you she'll laugh at pretty much everything.

Setsa · 2014-08-02T01:47:23+00:00

It sounds like you are getting too fixated on receiving some sort of reward for sharing a story, whether it be laughter or some other emotional response. Think about the things you tell people and ponder why you feel the need to tell people what you do. Chances are, if you feel like sharing information about what you did or saw something occurred that is important to you. Sometimes that isn't always something that is important for everyone but captivating people is never easy.

Title	I'm not funny?
Author	onlyvarius
Upvotes	13
Comments	11
Date	August 1, 2014 3:07 AM UTC (11 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/seduction
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/seduction/comments/2cawk1/im_not_funny/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/seduction/im-not-funny.1374439 https://theredarchive.com/post/1374439

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