Comedy Writing Secrets: The Best-Selling Guide to Writing Funny and Getting Paid for It
Highlights
Chapter 14: That’s a Wrap
Humor styles change with each generation, and while formulas rarely vary, standard subject matter, formats, fads, and characterizations are constantly being challenged. New ideas are the lifeblood of comedy, as they are of most businesses. And most new ideas take at least several years to germinate.
Chapter 14: That’s a Wrap
In addition to luck and perseverance, your success as a humor writer depends on four things:
Watching. Look for the absurdities of life. Notice the physical actions that bring a smile to people’s lips.
Reading. If you read something funny, make a note of it. Notice the construction. Keep adding to your joke file.
Listening. Try to remember how people phrase things; what Mel Brooks calls “the rhythm of human speech.” Things that look good on paper don’t always perform well. We don’t speak in full sentences, we often skip words, and we usually use contractions.
Speaking. Do your own stand-up. Don’t hesitate to deliver your own material in a meeting, at private parties, or to dinner guests. You’ll notice how audiences differ, how your performance differs, and how important it is to have the right material for the right audience.