The definitive guide to standup comedy

GOLD Editors Jan 21, 2026

Standup is one of the simplest art forms on paper and one of the hardest to do in real life: one person, one mic, your actual, deep, dark, squishy, personal thoughts, and a room full of strangers deciding—out loud—how they feel about them. No pressure!

This guide pulls together GOLD’s best standup resources into one clear path, whether you’re still wondering “Could I do this?”, gearing up for your first open mic, or figuring out how to get from mics to real shows and real momentum.

You’ll find tools for writing jokes, surviving bad sets, building confidence, creating your own opportunities, and navigating standup in a way that’s sustainable, inclusive, and actually fun. No myths, no bro-y nonsense—just practical advice from comedians who’ve been there–wherever it is you are.

If you’ve ever felt the itch to grab a mic, this is where you start.

Phase One: Should I do standup? (Yes. But let’s talk about it.)

For the curious, the scared, the “I’ve always thought about it” crowd.

• Top 10 reasons you should try standup comedy

  • Comedy can be scary! Whether it’s getting up in front of people or finding the right place to try something new–it’s hard to jump into this game. But, we  believe that EVERYONE should try standup comedy. Comedy skills are life skills. There’s no better place to try, no better crowd to cheer for you and catch you if you stumble, than GOLD. Don’t take our word for it–even though we are experts in our field.

• Would you be good at standup comedy?

  • If you’re reading this, you probably want to try standup comedy. To the point: the sooner you stop thinking about doing it and start doing it consistently, the sooner you’ll get good. I won’t even be offended if you stopped reading this article to head to an open mic, but if you’re still here, I’ve got a few other things to point out.

• 6 reasons why shy people are great at comedy

  • So many people say, “Oh, I would do comedy, but I’m too shy.” Sorry, but that excuse is made of NOPE. Comedians ARE shy. Why do you think they like to talk on stage, or wear giant funny mustaches? So they don’t have to talk TO PEOPLE.

• Five “Tight Fives” that inspired me to start writing standup

  • Sure, I was funny before this. But, sometimes you have to see people be great at something before you figure out that you want to be great too! That’s what these Tight Fives gave me.

• 10 Reasons You Should Take a Standup Class

  • One of the best decisions I ever made for myself was to take a comedy class. In 2014, after years of feeling a little lost, my desire to create something finally overcame my fear of drawing attention to myself.

Phase Two: Write the jokes

Where blank pages turn into punchlines.

• How to write standup comedy material

  • When I first started pursuing comedy, I was a complete newb. I had very little experience on stage, and even less experience in writing. And by less I mean zero. I eventually learned that writing solid material isn’t just about stringing silly phrases together for the sake of a laugh. It’s a musical flow; a comedic symphony of relatable experiences and observations bonded together through transitional phrases. And fortunately, it’s a lot easier than you might think.

• How to write a 5-minute comedy set (“tight five”)

  • My first time on a comedy stage, I just got on stage and started talking. THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

• The 5.5 essential types of jokes

  • How do you take an idea that sounds funny—dorky parents, stupid dress codes, the fall of Rome—and turn it into an actual joke? The first step is to learn, practice, and master the 6 essential types of jokes.

• Vital comedy writing exercises to get you started

  • Heard the one about how sitting still will kill you? The same is true of comedy. In comedy as in life, exercise is vital. Repetition, frequent workouts, even a little sweat: they will all keep your comedy healthy and your head in the game.

Phase Three: Get on stage (and survive it)

Your first mic, your worst crowd, and everything in between.

• How to survive your first open mic

  • My first open mic took place in a basement on a Saturday at 4:30 in the afternoon. To my utter disbelief, the comics in the room mustered mild chuckles, which to me, felt like George Carlin performing for an audience of 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. Before I knew it, my five minutes were up. The host took the stage after me announcing, “That was your first time? And you went straight into masturbation. Wow.” I was on cloud 9.

• The friendliest open mics in the world

  • Here’s the deal, folks. Sometimes open mics aren’t the best. But, when you finally find a great, welcoming open mic, it becomes like a little comedy home away from home. So, we’re compiling a list of open mics that are safe and friendly–specifically to women, non-binary and queer folks, people of color, and people of all ability statuses.

• How to perform in front of your worst audience as if it’s your best

  • They call you to the stage. You know you’ve done all the practice and prep you could have for this show, you get on the mic, start your set, and…it doesn’t go well. It’s not even your fault! At least, you’re pretty sure it’s not. You know you can kill, you know you’ve killed before; you’ve got tags on tags that normally have folks rolling in the aisles by now. For whatever reason, the vibe is way off tonight. Does this mean you’re a failure? Shoot, you still have fourteen of your fifteen minutes left, how are you supposed to survive this?

• How to bounce back after bombing: learn from comedians

  • At some point, early in your comedy journey, you will experience your first big honkin’ failure. This will stand apart from just “not being good yet,” and will instead be a true failure. Just like with heartbreak, your first will sting hardest because you don’t yet have the tools to deal with it.

Phase Four: Level up from mics to momentum

Turning “I do standup” into “people book me.”

• How to level up from mics to shows

  • As a stand-up comedy newcomer, it can sometimes feel like a gargantuan task to move from open mics to booked shows. There’s no linear path towards getting booked, but there are tangible steps you can take to move in that direction.

• Emcee like a Pro: How to slay your hosting gig

  • Over the years, I’ve had the chance to host all sorts of content, from interviews and panels, even my own web series. I’ve learned that hosting is more than just a job; it’s a skill that can seriously level up both your professional and personal life.

• How to make a standup comedy reel that will get you GIGS

  • You are a very great genius. Literally everyone says so. People are always like, “Ohmygod, Nikki/Kaitlin/Thor, you’re SO FUNNY.” You know in your little clown heart that it’s time to take the inevitable plunge. You must take your stand-up out of your dreams and open mics and out into the CLUBS.

• How to start your own indie standup show

  • Starting your own standup show is a great way to get more stage time, network with other comedians, and better understand the perspective of bookers. One of the perks of standup is that you can do it whenever/wherever/however you want, but there are certain factors that greatly improve a show’s chances of being remembered fondly.

Phase Five: Find your people (and your place in comedy)

Because comedy doesn’t happen in a vacuum—and it shouldn’t.

• A global roundup of comedy shows centering women

  • Screw waiting ’till shoulder season to travel, summer’s here! My favorite thing about traveling is the opportunity to do stand-up in a new city. It’s easy enough to Google “local comedy clubs” and “open mics in my area” and “sexy singles near me,” but I like to go one step further and search for all-women shows.

• Deep comedy in the deep South: Inclusive comedy spaces

  • When you hear “inclusive comedy” and “the deep South,” you’d think those ideas would be like oil and water. Well, here’s some uplifting news: inclusive comedy in the deep South can be like gravy and biscuits! Delicious, plentiful, and highly satisfying.

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