Last updated on January 22nd, 2019 at 02:08 pm
Writing Jokes To Use As A Funny Keynote Speaker
Last week for all of you dreamers who want to be famous public speakers, I wrote, One Easy Formula for Hundreds of Jokes, where I shared with you an easy formula for writing jokes: the rule of threes. This week I’m sharing another one.
I call it The Element of Surprise. For obvious reasons.
All you do when writing this kind of joke is to make some sort of statement, and then think about what the audience assumes by that statement. The funny comes when you say what they didn’t assume or expect.
It’s why the cartoon above works. Take a look at the opening statement – my husband and I have a date night once a week. What do we assume? That you have a husband. That you are married. That you go on the date together.
Bingo. There’s your surprise.
I guess the hard part is coming up with the opening statement. You might have to try a few. But let’s just take normal statements without trying to be funny and think about assumptions we make.
• My husband and I just had our tenth wedding anniversary. We both agreed we would do it all over again.
We assume that you would want to do it all over again with each other. We assume you are married. We assume you are married to each other. We assume by “it” you mean marriage.
Sometimes you can go see where the funny would be, but you need to tweak that statement a bit to make it work. That’s okay too.
Whatever gets to the funny. . .
• My husband and I just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. We got each other what we always wanted. A divorce.
• My husband and I just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. We both agreed we would do it all over again. But this time with other people.
• My husband and I just took a cruise for our tenth wedding anniversary. He went to Jamaica, I went to Alaska.
• My husband and I just renewed our vows. The vow never to get married again.
Okay, you’re off! Happy joke writing! Share your funnies!
Kelly Swanson
You. Your Story. Share it!
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Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, motivational speaker, Huffington Post Contributor, and cast member of The Fashion Hero television show airing on Amazon Prime. She is also the author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale, The Land of If Only, The Story Formula, and The Affirmation Journal for Positive Thinking. She was a featured entertainer for Holland America Cruise Lines, keynote speaker for the International Toastmasters Convention, and has keynoted major conferences and corporate events from coast to coast. She just launched her one-woman show Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale in theaters, and it is being booked all over the country. In July of 2022, she was inducted into the National Speakers Association Speaker Hall of Fame.
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