Comedy writing is FUN.

I'm not very good at telling jokes, but I've learned a few principles/mind-sets of comedic thinking which really helps me write comedy.

All these comedic principles can be found in Chapter 8 "The Art of FunnyY from Billy Mernit's "Writing the Romantic Comedy" (of which every writer should have copy -- GREAT Chrismass gift; hint-hint)

A. The Reversal Principle
(1) Adults Become Children
(2) Sophistication turns to Sillyness
(3) Humans become Mechanical
(4) Urban goes Wild
(5) Feminine becomes Masculine
(7) Private Matters become Public
B. Be Serious
C. Make Your Characters Hurt
D. Set-up jokes using the Threes Principle
E. Topper Lines. "I'll have what she's having" line from the fake orgasm in a deli scene from "When Harry Met Sally." Comedy breakdown: private matter becomes public, comedic set-peice ends with a classic topper line.

* When I think of the Reversal Princible my mind drifts to that scene in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" where right after Andy (Steve Carell) and David (Paul Rudd) have a sit-down conversation in coffee shop which conclued with Andy stating he doesn't want to think about sex anymore, and David even backs him saying "sex should be the furthest thing from your mind." THEN on his walk home Andy is bombarded with sexualy latent magazines, runs from a provocative banner on buss, then when he think's he's safe in the park two dogs are gettin' after it. This has Threes humor, Private Matters become Public, and Make Em Hurt all rolled into one, BUT I think the success of this comedic set-piece hinges on the reversal set-up with the conclusion Andy and David came to. Conceptually brilliant comedy. I love it. Just brilliant.

Billy Mernit's a prety brilliant too. Concise information, easy to understand. Another great comedy how-to book is "Comedy Writing Secrets: How to Think Funny, Write Funny, Act Funny and Get Paid for It" by Melvin Helitzer. Thats got over 280 pages and goes more in-depth than Billy's book.

Hope that helps, Paul.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

One thing I might add is the importance of mixing in physical hummor. I think it's dangerous to simply really on cerebrial or one-liner jokes in a comedy movie. A movie is not a stand-up act. People respond to different things. I think comedy movies work best with a mixture of physical and cerebral humor.

Ah, nothing as profound to add as E.C. Henry's comment. (I'll have to look into that book, don't think I'm familiar with it. And I am into the romcom/ character-driven type of humor.)

But I just wanted to say, Oh to write a line/ scene like "There's no crying in baseball." A mini-iconic bit of pop culture. A phrase oft-referenced. (Well, and I guess that Hanks fella helped to sell it a bit too.)

From the people I've studied I find that the best comedy is what's not funny to the character.
Tom Hanks wasn't telling a joke. The story is just funny in its relevance to the story.

I love sight gags too. Like a mother who "karates" spies while wearing bunny slippers and a robe or henchmen who get into fight while on a stake out - from one of my scripts.

Sarcasm is also a good technique, which was the last line mentioned from Parenthood.

It's impossible to say how I come up with jokes. They just seem to appear. I guess though it's the opposite of serious.

Like if a person is carrying packages they should not only trip but do a balancing act where they knock things down but hold on to the packages.

Wow, I just watched that and remembered the coup de gras. A penis with a little hat.

I'm glad, E.C., that you are able to glean joy from writing comedy because my experience is that all of my scripts (all of which are comedic in nature, much to my chagrin) come from pretty dark places in my psyche.

I feel to write comedy effectively (at least the type of comedies that I write and, by proxy, enjoy), you need to be (or have been at some time) a real son of a bitch. There are such things as "feel good" comedies. I don't write those. I'm pretty much out to expose and destroy my fellow man for every failing and weakness and stupidity I see as well as working through my own faults and stupid choices and lame things I've ever done across this lifetime of mine...

For me, comedy is ANYTHING but nice. Even when it seems "harmless" (the Marx Brothers, perhaps, or Mel Brooks), there are some deep undercurrents of bile and resentment and fear and loathing... all the stuff that makes this big delightful world go 'round, right?

Look, I'd do anything to write happy-crappy stuff that packs 'em in for miles around and puts a swing in everyone's step and a song in their hearts...

Unfortunately, I'm just not wired that way.

Blame my mother?

Thanks, Scott - great post, with nice examples from the Ganz-Mandel canon...

@ amyp3: Thanks for the love, and do check-out Billy Mernit's book, it'll really help you get deeper into the genre. :-)

@ Jeff: I think it was Mel Brooks who said comedy and tragedy are the two sides of the same coin. It's all about your mind-set and how you approach things. Comedic concepts can be learned and applied in: your mind, and on the page. I think you would well served by reading a few comedy how-to books, Jeff. Then morph that learning into your core persona.