Authors have a phrase, Killing Your Darlings, in relation to editing. It means going back and removing your favorite scenes, settings, sentences, characters or plot twists. It might even be the thing that inspired the story. These elements seemed perfect when you wrote them on the page because sometimes, “this really happened in real life!” but many times they doesn’t make for a good book.

Comedians need to do the same thing with jokes.

Sometimes a beginner comic gets a big laugh on a joke. The advice is to build a 5-minute set, so that comic continues to use that joke over and over. Jokes can stay in an act for years (“You don’t say, Durham!”). And most of us comics aren’t pumping out specials and starting over with a new hour every few years, so these trusty bits fester into “classics.” Eventually, you have to say goodbye to even your best jokes.

The closer I used for the first 5 years of my career…the one that got the biggest laughs and loudest response in my entire set…was holding me back, and I was too blind to realize it until a peer/mentor finally told me how stupid it was and that it didn’t fit the rest of my act.

Trust that as time goes by you become a better joke writer and your voice becomes stronger. Even if your new bits aren’t polished to perfection, you have to kill your darlings and replace them. Otherwise, your act and your stage presence becomes stale (and comedy can even get boring).

This week I’ve replaced quite a few “darlings” in my setlist and they aren’t all going to do as well as the older stuff. However, my supporters and the club will appreciate the change and growth. My best shows are when I’m not in auto-pilot, and as someone who’s been doing stand-up for 25 years, trust me, I’m often in auto-pilot. Having to think about the bit I’m doing will help the performance.

So how do you know which bits to kill? Ask the other comics who’ve seen you at dozens of open mics. Ask the club manager (if he or she watches regularly). Ask a headliner. If they’re honest, they’ll tell you what to nix for good.

Be sure you’re getting the right kind of laughs instead of cheap, stage-prop laughter. Years later you’ll look back and cringe at what you used to think was your best joke. Seriously though, kill it now.

For more advice on how to make money and advance in the comedy business, check out my book Don’t Wear Shorts on Stage.