🧠 Funny Isn’t Enough: Why Laughter Alone Doesn’t Make a Story Stick

The Hidden Trap for Natural Storytellers

Ever told a story that had everyone laughing…
but no one remembered it the next day?

That’s the trap most natural storytellers fall into.

At What’s Your Story Slam — Singapore’s live storytelling show where everyday people share true stories onstage — we love a good laugh.

But here’s what most people get wrong about funny stories:
They stop at the laugh.

The audience laughs with you — but forgets you five minutes later.
Because funny isn’t the same as memorable.

The Anatomy of a Forgettable Story

A forgettable story makes the audience laugh at the situation, not feel the storyteller.

One storyteller once shared a hilarious story about showing up for a Pilates class and accidentally auditioning for a film.
It was full of confusion, bold improvisation, and perfect comic timing.

But after she told it, she asked me,

Here’s why:
She never changed.
She started lost and ended lost.
It was funny — but flat.

The Counterintuitive Truth About Funny Stories

Every unforgettable story has one thing in common: transformation.

The best storytellers don’t just make us laugh.
They let us witness a shift — a new perspective, a moment of truth, a flash of realization.

These are the stories people still talk about years later:

• Abtin faints at the placenta — but ends seeing himself as a father.

• Shailaja thinks she’s allergic to MSG — but ends discovering she’s pregnant.

• Ravi curses Mumbai — but ends finding home in it.

The humor hooks us.
The humanity keeps us.

The Formula for Memorability

💡 Humor + Insight = Story that Sticks

Why This Works

Psychologically, laughter is a release, not a resolution.
It bonds the room but doesn’t move the heart.

Insight, on the other hand, is what turns laughter into meaning.
It’s what makes people stop and think:

That’s why the best stories don’t end on the laugh.
They end on the line that lands.

The WYSS Rule of Thumb

Anecdotes entertain.
Stories sustain.

So next time you’re tempted to end on a punchline, try this instead:
Deliver your funniest moment — then land the line that means something.

Something like:

That’s when laughter turns into connection.

Your Turn: The Memorability Check

Before your next story, ask yourself:

• What was this really about for me? (Not what happened — what changed.)

• What did this moment reveal about who I was then vs. who I am now?

• What truth might make someone in the audience nod and say, “That’s me”?

The best storytellers do both — they make you laugh and make you care.

Next Week

Why “funny” can’t save a flat ending — and how to land your story with emotional punch, not just comic timing.

Question for you:
What’s a story that makes people laugh — but could say something deeper if you let it?

Upcoming Workshops & Shows

🪶 Seed to Stage (Nov 8–9) — Craft and perform your story in 2 days
🔥 Grace Under Fire (Nov 15) — Build executive presence through improv
🎤 Thank You for the Mess (Nov 19) — Live at What’s Your Story Slam (Early bird prices EXTENDED!)

Know someone who tells great stories?
Forward this. Great storytellers don’t keep good stories to themselves.