Teach Yourself Stand-Up Comedy (Teach Yourself: Arts & Crafts) [Paperback]

Logan Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 2008 | Series: Teach Yourself: Arts & Crafts

Don't get heckled! Take charge of the stage and make 'em laugh every time!

Teach Yourself Stand-Up Comedy gives you advice on everything from securing an agent and scheduling gigs to dealing with props and hecklers. It is perfect for amateurs just starting in the business.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The author's love for his job shines through...it has inspired me to pencil a date in my diary for my own return to stand-up after a ten-year hiatus." -- www.channel4.com/4laughs 20071109 "With advice from several comics and tips on how the business end of comedy works, anyone who reads it will feel empowered, full of confidence that they can take to the stage." -- www.chortle.co.uk 20071031 "Stand-up is such a visual and oral medium, how could you possibly gain anything other than very basic advice from a self-help book? Logan Murray has succeeded. The highly experienced stand-up and comedy course tutor, has written a very useful guide to starting out as a Stand-up comedian." -- LaughRiot.co.uk 20071108 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Logan Murray is a comedian and ‘Edi’-nominated director whose ‘Stand Up and Deliver’ courses have taught the art of comedy to over 700 participants, many of whom have gone on to win awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071545115
• ISBN-13: 978-0071545112
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,739,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, fast and gimmick-free. The stand-up guide you've been waiting for., April 22, 2009

By 

Ryan W. (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself Stand-Up Comedy (Teach Yourself: Arts & Crafts) (Paperback)

The majority of stand-up comedy guides are like the bad stand-up comics who write them: repetitive, self-conscious, and vague. Not so with Logan Murray, who quickly and clearly explains the structure of effective jokes and how to link a series of them into a workable routine. The bulk of this book (about 120 pages of it) is devoted solely to joke writing and idea-generating exercises. The remaining sections cover performance advice, comedy history, and the business side. Read the entirety of this book and skim one of Judy Carter's books for additional information on structure and you should be able to write an act.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of practical advice and creativity exercises..., December 14, 2010

By 

Sally Holloway, Author: Joke Writing (Serious... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself be a Great Stand Up (Paperback)

Logan Murray loves stand-up comedy, he loves the whole concept of it, he's made his living at it for over 20 years and he loves teaching it. All this comes across in this inspiring book. It's packed with advice for the new comic that is a complete guide to becoming a stand-up. It has loads of impro exercises that are particularly good for groups but there's quite a few writing exercises you can do on your own. These really get your creative juices flowing. I teach comedy myself in the UK and this is the book my student's like best.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on the Nuts and Bolts of Comedy, June 18, 2010

By 

Smart "Smart" (CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teach Yourself Stand-Up Comedy (Teach Yourself: Arts & Crafts) (Paperback)

This is a great book. Don't judge it by the cover photo.

Written by a working comic in London, it's understandable to Americans. The principles hold true even if I haven't heard of all the British comics.

He explains how jokes work. His key insight is the punchline comes as an afterthought.

Logan has lots of exercises for generating jokes. It's also good as therapy. Turning positives to negatives and vice versa.

I'm rereading it for the 3rd time. I learn something each time.