Stand Up Comedy: All Comedians Start at Open Mic Night!

If you think you got what it takes to be a successful comedian, then you must take the rough and bumpy road that every other comedian starts off at. You must start at open-mic nights! Here are 10 tips to help guide you through this scary path!

1: Scout the joint first. If you have found a place where you would like to perform open-mic, then go check it out as a spectator so you can get a feel of the type of crowd that is in attendance. Some crowds at open-mic are very crowded and get into the show. Some other open-mic nights may only have 5 or 6 people in the audience who are just there to have drinks after work. You must know what type of atmosphere you are coming into. It will make things easier to prepare for . . . and you won't be caught off-guard.

2: Prepare at least 8 minutes of material. Several open-mic nights only want you on there for 5 minutes maximum, so 8 minutes may sound excessive. Keep in mind, though, some of your material may not pan out. Sometimes, a story goes bad quickly, in which case you have to cut that story off and revert to other material, hence, you need to have more than 5 minutes. If all of your stuff DOES pan out, then that's all good, too . . . if you're doing that good, then they will probably be more than happy to have you stay up there an extra couple of minutes.

3: Practice! Ideally, you should rehearse your act in front of your mirror. It may look good on paper, but you will not know for sure until you say it loud. And if it doesn't sound good when you say it out loud to YOURSELF, then it sure as heck won't sound good to the audience. Also keep in mind to have a timer when you rehearse so you can see how long your act is taking you.

4: Don't invite your friends! Your friends will be mad at you for not inviting them, but the only way to truly gauge how well you did is to perform in front of strangers. If you perform in front of your friends, then they will probably laugh at everything just to be nice and supportive. You don't want that, though. If you're joke sucks, then you need to know! Once you've honed your skills and material, then feel free to invite them, but to start with, keep them out of it.

5: Don't be afraid to bomb. Majority of newbies at open mic nights bomb on stage. Don't feel bad if you are one of them. You must use this valuable experience as a learning tool. You will quickly find out what other people think is funny. If you're afraid to bomb, then don't even bother showing up. I'm not saying you should go with the attitude that you're going to bomb . . . I'm just saying that if it does happen, then don't take it personally. It happens to the best of them . . . especially during their FIRST TIME ON STAGE!

6: Be quick to the punch! It is very important to remember that this is not the big comedy night on a Friday or Saturday night. You are at open-mic night, which is typically on a weeknight like Tuesday or Wednesday! This is really not a big deal to most people that are watching you. They actually may just be there to enjoy drinks - not watch a comedy show. They might care less about what is on stage, thus, they can lose interest in you very quickly. When you get up there, don't tell them how it's "great to be here" and don't ask them how they are doing! Your time on stage can be very limited, so don't waste it with that nonsense. If you start right off by throwing your big punches, then you have more time for material, and you will have less time to lose the audience.

7: Don't be dirty. You won't impress anybody if you start throwing f-bombs every other word while on stage. Cussing will get you nowhere. True, there are comedians that cuss a lot, but you got to earn that right before you do that. When Chris Rock and Dennis Leary swear on stage, it goes along with their show. When YOU swear on stage, it just looks like a sorry attempt for attention. Be patient with the potty language . . . your time will come, too.

8: Don't get drunk! Some people say that they would only get on stage if they were drunk or at least had a couple drinks in them first. It's a noble idea, but it won't help you one bit. If you're staggering on stage or slurring your words, then you will make things even tougher than they already are. Plus, the owners of the club will remember your drunken behavior and may not even allow you to perform open-mic night again. Stay sober. Stay away from the drinks until your performance is over.

9: Don't be afraid to use your best stuff. There are several people who say "I don't want to use my best stuff on open-mic night. I want to save my best stuff for a PAID gig, not a free one!" Well, listen, if you just use your "OK" material, then you may never get invited to do a paid gig! Use the best stuff you have. You'll soon find out that your best stuff is usually just OK . . . and that your "OK" material is really garbage, so the only chance you'll have at success at open mic night is to give the audience your best.

10: Be patient. It takes a while before you will get offered to do paying gigs, but if you continue to show up every week and perform new jokes and material, and build confidence on stage, then you may eventually have a chance.

Best of luck, my friends! I hope to see you on Comedy Central soon!