The #1 Rule of Improv Comedy and How it Works Wonders For Your Writing

Improv is like the jazz of comedy. It’s completely made up on the spot, and because of this, you’ll never see the same improv scene twice.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any rules.

Just like jazz, you need to know the rules so you can bend them to your will.

In Improv, the cardinal rule is “Yes, and.”

Sounds so simple, yet so powerful.

“Yes” means that you agree on whatever your partner is saying. They could make up the most absurd statement, like,

“Man, I wish I hadn’t eaten all those dragons…”

and you have to agree on its reality. In this two-person scene that’s happening on stage in that very moment, dragons are very real, and she ate way too much of them.

AND…

Because we’ve agreed that this reality is true (dragons are real and somehow a delicacy you can order too much of), it is now my turn to add to this reality and make it even more real (as absurd as it may be).

“Yes, you ate way too many of these dragons. And, I’m glad we got such a good table at this dragon restaurant. We’ve been…