Telling funny short stories is an art in itself; just ask stand-up comedians who tell the same jokes over and over again and yet still elicit the loudest laughs from their audience each and every time. Indeed, it’s the delivery of the story from beginning to end that makes it hilarious, the building of anticipation until the climax, and the timing of the punch line that makes it a side-splitting tale.

You may think that only those with natural comedic ability can tell funny news stories, jokes and punch lines like a pro. Well, we must say that even great comedians like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope have to practice their skills in telling funny short stories to small audiences before making it big in television and in theatres. Indeed, practice is the key to making your audience laugh over and over again.

Here are a few tips from the pros that you can use to hone your own comedic talents. Keep in mind that you must learn to be flexible in telling funny jokes and short stories since each situation and each audience demands a different approach.

• Get your audience’s attention first instead of competing with other distractions. We suggest changing your voice to suit the characters in your story as well as using hand gestures and facial cues to do so. Your main aim is to let your audience visualize the story as it happens, which is all-too-true with funny news stories where you act as the anchor man and story subjects at the same time.

• Tell your funny short stories according to the mood of your audience. For example, if your audience is relaxed, say, sitting down while enjoying coffee, then your story can be told in a leisurely way. But if your audience is on the move, say, moving through a busy lobby, tell your story in a faster way.

• Change the story to suit your audience. Yes, it can be the same story but told in a different manner, with different characters, or with different endings. This is how great comedians can elicit laughter out of old jokes – by revising old stories to fit the present audience.

Of course, you must tell funny short stories with a straight face until the punch line and then laugh with your audience. Remember that the story is the funny thing here, not you per se.