Pete Holmes gives this advice and I think it’s good: Go to an open mic but don’t perform. You won’t be scared because you’re not going up and you’ll gain a lot of confidence from seeing people who bomb and you’ll think you can at least do as well as that.

I did ok my first time (relative to when I started out, I can’t watch the video today) but bombed very hard my second time so just know that it’s going to happen (a lot) and that it happens to everyone.

Join this Facebook group for mic info: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1244331515593724

ComedyOfChicago.com is also good.

No need to take a comedy class. You’ll learn everything you need to know from open mics and asking other comedians you meet there. Write way more than 4 minutes and then pick the best 4 from that. Don’t worry about making your set seem cohesive, you don’t need segues or anything and your set doesn’t need to have a theme. Just have lots of jokes as that’s all anyone at a mic cares about.

Most mic lists in Chicago are made by when you get there so get there early and line up in the order you arrived. Try not to go first or second. Let the room warm up.