Writing A Comedy Cary NC

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A guy walks into a bar. A chicken crosses the road. A rabbi, an imam and a nun go just about anywheretogether... and hilarity ensues. Or maybe it doesn't. Comedy or "what's funny" is an incredibly subjective thing. How do you learn to write comedy then? Are there really any "steps" you can take to write something funny?

Like any kind of writing, comedic writing takes practice to get right. And like any kind of writing, comedy writing is mastered by some people after just a little practice, while it takes others a lot of work to get even a giggle from the viewer or reader. That being said, anyone attempting to write comedy might want to begin by considering a few things. Whether you end up being funny or not - well, make yourself laugh. That's the most important thing.

1. Pick a kind of comedy. When you're going to write a comedic piece - an editorial, a sitcom script, a comedic short story - zero in on the kind of humor you want to use and stick with it. Clearly, there's a difference between Dennis Leary humor and Garrison Keillor humor. If you start a piece going nuts and cursing like Leary, and then somehow end up with the folksy, nostalgic "Lake Woebegone" stuff Keillor's famous for, you're going to have a mighty confused audience.
   
   What kinds of comedy might you choose from? There's slapstick like the Three Stooges' humor. There's parody like "The Colbert Report." There's dark humor like some of the Coen Brothers' movies. There's edgy humor like Leary's. There's family humor like you'd find in Disney films. There's dry, observational humor as in "Seinfeld." There are many possibilities out there to consider.
   
   So how do you choose? Well, think of what makes you laugh. If you don't make yourself laugh, you may not end up making anyone else laugh either. Think of what doesn't make you laugh; unless someone is paying you big bucks, you won't want to use that kind of humor. Think of the jokes you tend to make successfully; you may be able to identify your comedic strength. And think of the piece you want to write as well as your audience. If you want to write a kid's play, for example, political humor or observational humor about drinking beer will probably not work. On the other hand, if you want to write a comedic editorial for a local college paper, politics and beer might be the perfect combination. As another example, a script with a lot of physical comedy might be great for film, but not for radio.
   
   Whatever type of comedy you pick, be consistent within a piece. Think of how you feel when a great comedy suddenly gets dramatic. Well, if you switch from slapstick to dry and sophisticated humor, or vice versa, your audience may have that same feeling.
   
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Author: B. Danesco