The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing

352 Pages·2004·5.88 MB·english

by  James Mendrinos

"[Jim is] a great comic and a great
student of comedy.... [He] came up
the hard way and is now sharing all
tJ&MPWj^
he has learned with you."
—Colin Quinn, host of
Comedy Central's Tough Crowd
with Colin Quinn
Comedy
W r i t i ng
• Expert advice on developing
your instincts and mining comic
gold from everyday life
• Professional exercises to help
you practice your craft and get
the laughs every time
• Insider tips on writing jokes,
cartoons, film scripts, sitcom
treatments, and more
James Mendrinos
Dear Reader,
I would imagine that shortly after man emerged from the primordial ooze,
he slipped and fell. Others nearby witnessed his tush hitting the ground
and burst into laughter. Noticing that laughter felt good, they then dedi
cated their miserable existence to creating comedy.
As man evolved, so did the need for laughter. We found that we could make
political points with comedy. We could educate through laughter. Most
important, we could use laughter simply to make each other feel good.
I've spent my life finding the nuances of comedy and studying its broad
strokes. Putting those nuances and broad strokes on these pages has brought
me back to the reason why I became a comedy writer—nothing is more sat
isfying than having people's faces light up with laughter because of something
I said or did.
This book demystifies the process of comedy writing. It is meant to inspire
your own creative impulse and help you bring that impulse to life. It covers
a wide spectrum of comedy writing so you and your sense of humor can
explore many genres.
I believe this book will help you reach your goal of writing better comedy—
or help you get started. I hope the learning process is fun for you. Above all,
I hope that after reading this book, you will write something that inspires
people to laugh.
Enjoy the road, and welcome to the comedy writers' fraternity!
James Mendrinos
Comedy Writing
by James Mendrinos
A
ALPHA
A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To my wife, Leigh ann, who inspires and amazes me every day. I couldnh do it without you,
nor would I want to.
Copyright © 200*1 by James Mendrinos
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the
publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although
every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsi
bility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of informa
tion contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
International Standard Book Number: 1-59257-231-6
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004103232
06 05 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the
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For example, a printing code of 04-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 2004.
Printed in the United States of America
Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and
informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and pub
lisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance
or advice, a competent professional should be consulted.
The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or other
wise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirecdy, of the use and application of any of the contents
of this book.
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Publisher: Marie Butler-Knight
Product Manager: Phil Kitchel
Senior Managing Editor: Jennifer Chisholm
Senior Acquisitions Editor: Renee Wilmeth
Development Editor: Christy Wagner
Senior Production Editor: Billy Fields
Copy Editor: Nancy Wagner
Illustrator: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover/Book Designer: Trina Wurst
Indexer: Heather McNeil
Layout/Proofreading: John Etchison, Rebecca Harmon
Contents at a Glance
Parti: Finding the Funny I
1 What's Funny? 3
Learn how to spot a sidesplitting idea at 40 paces.
2 You Are Funny 15
Contrary to popular belief you have a sense of humor and
can whip it out anytime you want—unless you're in mixed
company ...
3 Looking for the Funny 25
Find out where the laughs have been hiding for all this time.
4 Types of Comedy 3 3
Now that you've started writing "it," what the heck is "it"?
Part 2: Basic Comedy Construction ti
5 Building a Laugh 45
A pinch of this, a dash of that makes a recipe for laughter.
6 Comedy Writing Rules 59
Yes, there are rules you have to follow.
7 Know What You're Talking About 67
Here we have the premise in all its glory!
8 Exploring Your Point of View 77
Add you to your jokes.
9 Let's Twist Again 87
At last, we get to the funny part.
10 Congratulations! It's Funny 95
Put together all the pieces to create a funny puzzle.
Part 3: The Art of Comedy Writing 103
11 Long-Form Comedy 105
Move from FADE IN to "and they all lived happily ever
after..."
12 Comedy Is Life 119
Give your jokes a shot of reality.
13 It's All About the Words 129
Grab your thesaurus and start flipping!
14 Going All the Way 137
Don h hold anything back—anything.
Part k The (raft of Comedy Writing R3
15 Learning to Let Go 145
Give your jokes a face-lift—its nip-and-tuck time.
16 Everything Old Is New Again 155
Like that curry you ate just before bed, ideas keep repeating.
17 Who's Going to Laugh at This? 163
If you don V know your audience, you probably don H have one.
18 Not All Jokes Work Everywhere 171
Better now or now? Find the right comedy fit.
19 Preparing to Be Professional 181
Think you're ready to hit the comedy circuit? Not yet, my
friend.
20 If It's Funny, It's Money 193
Get paid for your kind of comedy.
Part 5: Different Jokes for Different Folks 211
21 Comedy on the Page 213
If it is supposed to read funny, heres how you write it.
22 Sitcoms 229
Not ready for prime time? Heres the fast track to the networks.
23 Ensemble Comedy 249
Sometimes you have to write a village to create comedy.
24 Solo Comedy Professionals 269
This is comedy for the lone performer.
IS Add a Dash of Funny 277
Comedy is a spice; add a dash to your writing.
Appendixes
A Glossary 285
B Something to Do Every Day 291
C Where to Go for Help 307
D Annotated Taina Script 311
Index 319
Contents
Parti: Finding the Funny 1
1 What's Funny? 3
The Many Faces of Comedy 4
Comedy for the Page 5
Articles of Comedy 6
Humorous Fiction 6
Cartoons and Captions 7
Joke Book Jokes 8
Comedy for Ensemble Performers 8
Comedy on the Stage 9
Sketch Comedy 9
Comedy on the Big Screen 10
Sitcoms 10
Comedy Teams 11
Comedy for One 12
Stand-Up Comedy 12
Topical Comedy for TV and Radio 12
Humor for Speeches 13
Common Threads in All Comedy 13
2 You Are Funny 15
Why People Laugh 15
Laughter Is an Emotional Response 16
All Things Familiar 11
I Wish I Would Have Said That! 11
Extremes 18
Shocked Into Laughing 18
Just Plain Silly 19
Growing a Funny Bone 19
Write Down Everything 19
If You Express It, They Will Laugh 20
All Ideas Should Be Explored 21
Keeping Track of It All 21
Organizing Ideas 22
Ordering Ideas 22
vi The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing
What Makes You Laugh? 23
Learning to Express Your Funny Side 23
Exercise: Jump-Start Your Creativity with Nouns 23
3 Looking for the Funny 25
Inspiration vs. Perspiration IS
Come Up with a Concept 26
Train Your Writing Muscle 26
Hold Your Schedule Sacred 21
The Best Places to Find Comedy Ideas 28
Putting a Face on the Idea 28
Putting Yourself in Your Comedy 29
Comedy Is Just Around the Corner 29
Idea vs. Premise 29
Examine Each Situation for Comedy Potential 30
Whats Funny About This? 30
Exercise—the Comedy Expedition 31
k Types of Comedy 33
Humor Has Categories 34
The Four Types of Comedy 34
But Aren't They All Just Jokes? 34
Comedy-Type Terminology 35
Stand-Alone Jokes 35
How Many Writers Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb? 35
One-Liners 36
Insult Humor 31
Story Jokes 37
Monologues 31
Rants 38
Performance Art 38
Physical Jokes 39
Sight Gags 39
Falls, Trips, and Slips 39
Props 40
Character Jokes 40
Jokes About the Character 40
Comedy from the Character 41
Contents vii
Part 2: Basic Comedy Construction B
5 Building a Laugh 4S
The Universal Joke Formula 45
Premise: The Subject 47
Point of View: How You See It 49
Making a Match 50
POVfor Longer Comedy Pieces 51
The Twist: Getting to the Humor 51
Comparisons 52
Word Plays 53
Misdirections 54
Pop Culture References 55
Keeping the Comedy Visual 56
6 Comedy Writing Rules 59
Clarity Is Everything 59
Simple Jokes for All Kinds of Folks 60
More Better Language 60
Language, Fair or Foul? 61
Huh? 61
End on a Trigger 62
Go All the Way 62
Soul-Searching Comedy 63
It's All About Emotions 64
Stay on Topic 64
Make It Matter 65
7 Know What You're Talking About 67
The Premise 68
Lots of Funny Roads 68
The Back of Your Hand 68
One Is Okay 69
Don't Suck 10
Research Everything 71
The Subject Isn't the Subject 72
Funny Focus 72
Distracted Art Form 75
Identifying the Funny 13
Clarifying the Funny 13
viii The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing
Organizing All This Information 74
Be Sure You're Sure About the Joke 75
8 Exploring Your Point of View 77
POV Defines Comedic Voice 77
Comedic Voice for the Stage IS
Comedic Voice for the Page 18
Comedic Voice for the Purely Visual Joke IS
Basic Emotions 79
Emotions Come from Within 19
Changing Behavior SO
Emotional Triggers SO
Emotions Are Intense 80
Everyone Is Different Emotionally 81
Multiple Emotions 81
State of Being 82
Don't Suck, Part Two 82
Be Honest 83
Link the POV to the Premise 83
Make Your POV Active 83
"I Get It!" 84
Make It Uncommon 84
Give Yourself Some Wiggle Room 84
Be Sure It Fits 85
Try Something New 85
9 Let's Twist Again 87
Choosing the Right Twist 87
Putting In an Effort 88
Making an Effort 89
Surprise! 90
Misdirection Revisited 90
Exaggerated Reactions 90
Nothing but the Truth 91
Mix It Up 92
Clear Twists 92
Twists on Top of Twists 93
Toppers 93
Tags 93
Callbacks 94