Comedy Writing Self-Taught

Author: Gene Perret
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781610352208
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
No one is born a comedy writer. No matter how much innate talent you have, you need to learn, develop, and hone comedy writing techniques to make it as a professional comedy writer. Fortunately, the best teachers are as close as your TV set. By studying the great comedians of the past and present, in current shows, reruns, and DVD collections, you can give yourself a Ph.D. training in comedy writing. In Comedy Writing Self-Taught, Gene Perret, a three-time Emmy Award winner and former head writer for Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller, teaches you how to teach yourself the essential principles of writing stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, and sitcom scripts-all by observing, analyzing, and recreating the work of master comedians and comedy writers. Entirely designed for self-study at home, Comedy Writing Self-Taught shows you how to select the right "comedy mentor" for your personal style of comedy, how to analyze your mentor's techniques, and how to use your mentor's principles in your own original comedy writing. Numerous drills and exercises help you develop your comedy writing creativity, and there are even more exercises and writing workouts in the companion volume Comedy Writing Self-Taught Workbook. You'll do the work-and it will require work-but in return you'll get a master class in professional comedy writing, and you'll have fun doing it. Book jacket.

Comedy Writing Self-Taught Workbook

Author: Gene Perret
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781610352406
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
"Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice, practice, practice." That's more than a joke; it's solid advice. Consider world-class performers in any field -- golf, figure skating, music, whatever. One thing you can safely say about each is that they achieved their level of skill through practice. To excel in any endeavor, you must work on and perfect your technique. Comedy writing is no exception. In this book, Emmy-winning TV writer and producer Gene Perret and professional writer Linda Perret have compiled a collection of over 100 comedy writing workouts that will challenge your joke writing skills and develop your sketch and sitcom writing abilities. This book suggests that talent is earned through observation, study, analysis, and repetition. The authors also encourage you to analyze your writing, discover where improvement is required, and create your own skill-creating exercises. The work can be demanding, but that's what it takes to become a success in any field, including comedy writing. If you study "Comedy Writing Self-Taught Workbook" -- with or without the companion volume, "Comedy Writing Self-Taught" -- when your break comes, you'll be ready.

The Everything Guide to Comedy Writing

Author: Mike Bent
Publisher: Everything
ISBN: 1605501689
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Book Description
A guy walks into a bar... With this guide, aspiring comics will learn to navigate the complex world of comedy writing. Discover how to tap into your natural sense of humor through real-life examples and hands-on skill-building exercises. Learn the best ways to come up with ideas and write comedy that gets laughs--every time! Mike Bent, an accomplished stand-up comedian and teacher, provides the inside scoop on techniques to jump-start your comedy writing career, including how to: Develop comic characters for sketches and scenes Create and polish a standup routine Write for TV and movies Use the web to advance your comedy career Everyone loves a comedian. But breaking into this tough field is no laughing matter. After sharpening your comedy-writing skills with this practical (and funny!) guide, you'll feel comfortable adding humor to everyday situations and may even take a chance on your dream job in show business!

Comedy Writing Self-Taught

Author: Gene Perret
Publisher: Linden Publishing
ISBN: 1610352602
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 230

Book Description
In “Comedy Writing Self-Taught,” Perret (a legendary comedy writing teacher as well as a famous TV comedy writer and producer) teaches aspiring comedy writers how they can teach themselves the essential principles of comedy writing through comedy analysis and writing exercises. Covering the essential principles of writing stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, and TV situation comedy, “Comedy Writing Self-Taught” is professional level training from a master who has spent decades at the very top of the entertainment industry. Expressly designed for home self-study, “Comedy Writing Self-Taught” teaches that the most effective way to learn is to create comedy yourself. Perret teaches how to analyze the work of professional comedians to learn the principles of comedy and presents a full set of writing exercises to hone one’s skills. A companion workbook provides even more comedy writing exercises, giving readers the equivalent of a master class in comedy.

Kate McKinnon

Author: C. R. McKay
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1508188688
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 112

Book Description
Kate McKinnon shot to fame for her outrageous humor, spot-on impressions, and politically relevant satire. As the first openly gay female member of Saturday Night Live, McKinnon has become an icon of LGBT+ comedians on television and the big screen. McKinnon's childhood sparked her love of making people laugh, which led to her performance in several sketch shows, movies, and her biggest role yet on Saturday Night Live. Readers will be captivated as they learn about the many voices of Kate McKinnon as she makes comedy history, one laugh at a time.

Stephen Colbert

Author: Rebecca Aldridge
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1499462611
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Book Description
All eyes will be on Stephen Colbert as he takes over David Letterman’s late night talk show. Colbert rose to fame in the outrageous Strangers with Candy and as a fake newsman on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. But the funnyman has endured his share of tragedy. His father and two brothers were killed in an airplane crash when Colbert was young. A smart but aimless kid, Colbert was bullied in school and didn’t see the point of studying. Eventually, he found drama and improv comedy. Learn about the life of this fascinating comedian whose depths America has yet to mine.

How To Write Comedy

Author: Tony Kirwood
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 1845285611
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Book Description
First you have to come out with a flow of ideas and decide which ones will work. Then you must give them a tight structure, and then write crisp dialogue which builds in constant laughs. This practical but inspirational book guides new and more experienced writers step by step through the process of each comedy genre. It gives space for your creativity to shine as you gradually build your skills. Beginning with sketches, the basic building blocks of comedy, you’ll find how you can quickly create great premises, and then structure them into two-minute slices of hilarity. The same techniques will help you write a string of jokes and one-liners. · A practical guide to comedy as you write it, from creating mindmaps from which to glean your new material, to techniques of structure, characterisation and dialogue which work. · Covers the distinct techniques and mindsets needed by each genre in turn, in the usual progression of a writer’s career - from jokes and sketches to sitcoms. You’ll also learn how to find outlets for your work, from submitting to the BBC to staging your own show or filming comedy for the internet.

Comedy Writing Secrets

Author: Mark Shatz
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1599639610
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Book Description
The Must-Have Guide to Humor Writing Bring on the funny! With Comedy Writing Secrets 3rd Edition, you can discover the secrets of humor writing that will keep your readers rolling in their seats. Learn the basics of joke construction, as well as in-depth comedy-writing techniques that you can apply to a variety of print and online markets. If your aim is to make 'em laugh--and make a career in comedy writing--then look no further. In this completely revised and refreshed edition, you'll discover: • Hundreds of updated one-liners, anecdotes, and bits from top comedians like Louis C.K., Conan O’Brien, Tina Fey, Amy Schumer, Rodney Dangerfield, Jon Stewart, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, George Carlin, Zach Galifianakis, Stephen Colbert, Erma Bombeck, and more. • Exclusive tips for injecting humor into articles, speeches, advertisements, greeting cards, and more. • New instruction on writing for online markets and social media. • Advice on brainstorming and editing to beat writer's block and generate new material. • Exercises and expanded instructions for exaggeration, reverses, word play and more to practice and refine your writing skills. For more than twenty years, Comedy Writing Secrets has helped humor writers of all skill levels write and sell their work. With Comedy Writing Secrets 3rd Edition, you'll be laugh-out-loud funny and leave readers wanting more.

Chris Rock

Author: Jeanne Nagle
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 149946262X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Book Description
In the 1990s, comedy was changed forever as a young funnyman known as Chris Rock caught the eye of comedy veteran Eddie Murphy. Readers will learn how Rock rocked his way to fame with stand-up comedy routines including witty and matter-of-fact discussions of hot-button subjects such as race relations and politics. This detailed book covers the many facets of Rock’s career, including his work as a writer, actor, producer, and more. Readers will enjoy this overview of Rock’s life, including a discussion of his stand-up methodology.

Comedy Writing 4 Life

Author: John Vorhaus
Publisher: Bafflegab Books
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 89

Book Description
Like all of John Vorhaus's books on writing (The Comic Toolbox, Creativity Rules; that list goes on), Comedy Writing 4 Life makes the creative process easy, fun and accessible to absolutely everyone. Whether you're into stand-up, sketch or improv, situation comedies or comic screenplays, cartoons, video, blogging, whatever, you're going to find so much value in this slim volume that your head will literally explode. Literally. Pieces of it will be found for miles around. You'll learn the fundamental secret of comedy (no secret; comedy is cruelty), how to use filters to create comic characters, simple storytelling shortcuts, and just tons more. With pithy advice like, "Fail big!" and plenty of entertaining exercises that you can do as you go, CW4L presents a simple, effective guide to success in comedy writing and beyond. If you're serious about being frivolous, this little book will change your comedy writing for life.