You've written some good JOKES.
You've meticulously struggled over using just the right words.
You've practiced your ACT OUT and have it down, painting the picture of the JOKE you just said.
You've performed them once or twice at an OPEN MIC NIGHT or other event.
They've done well and have gotten some pretty good laughs.
So the obvious thing to do with this SET is...
Throw it away and start over?
Sound crazy? It is!
Yet that is what your tendency is.
You rationalize: "Everyone has already seen this so I have to do something new."
Apple hit a home run with the iPhone, right? To follow up with their fans, they didn't throw out their design and start from the very beginning. Instead, they refined it! They made it better!
You should do the same with your SET.
How do you make it better?
By listening and/or watching your performance back and answering these questions:
Was the response from the AUDIENCE for each JOKE what you expected? If no, why not? Maybe you stumbled on the line. Maybe your body movement was not consistent to what you were saying. Maybe you thought you were going to get a big hearty laugh after your line but instead you got a chuckle.
Tinkering with your SET to make it the very best is what Masters at the top of their game do.
After you have it the very best (getting the laughs you want/expect), it is time to share it with the world.
Don't fall into the trap of getting bored with your own MATERIAL.
Remember the tag line from NBC during the summer months?
"If you haven't seen it before, it's new to you!"
Most of the AUDIENCE in any given room has not seen your SET. You may have a good size FAN BASE but it is not the whole room. You need to add those folks to your FAN BASE. Give them the good stuff!
I have never had an iPhone. Simply putting something new out just because it is new would not capture me as a FAN. However, since they've refined it (and made it better!), I will be buying one. They are adding me as a FAN.
And that's the point!
