How To Start Writing A Comedy Script
A comedy script is very different from other types of stories we’ve discussed so far. It goes without saying that a comedic story will feature lots of humor, but what makes it unique is that the joke in each scene needs to advance the plot.
In ordinary novels or scripts, there are sometimes scenes that feel more like extended jokes than parts of the story. This can work for some writers, but it isn’t necessarily our approach.
We believe that every moment in a novel must contribute to advancing the storyline, so leaving out moments that don’t really lead anywhere is not our style. In films, however, this is how most people write comedy, which may be why you’re already writing funny things.
If you want to keep going, though, then try thinking about your narrative as having two components: an event component and a motivation component. The event component is what happens, and the motivation component is why the character experiences the event.
When both those elements feel weak, it can be hard to create interesting scenes that involve only events that have been seen before and characters who are merely acting because they should.
Develop your writing style
Sticking with us as our general rule, if you can’t laugh at yourself or your situation then it is hard to make people around you laugh. Your humor will come from within so work on being funny all the time!
If you ever feel that you are too self-deprecating or not celebrating enough success, try looking into what makes you happy and brainstorm ways to add those things into your life and script.
For example, instead of saying how much your job sucks, say something like “My boss needs me to do _________, but I have this thing I need to get done today. It has been my goal for the past week and I really need to focus on it so I cannot handle extra tasks right now. Hopefully next month we will have this finished!”
The way to become famous is not by trying to be like someone else but by being unique and understanding who you is.
Jot down your humor ideas
A funny situation or event can be anything from watching TV, reading books, talking with friends, or even going through your own life experiences. If you are constantly thinking of ways to make people laugh, then it is time to start writing!
Writing a comedy script is all about telling an interesting story that includes at least three different stories within one continuous narrative. Yours will include setting up a joke, the punchline, and a transition back to the next scene.
Your first draft should be no longer than two pages due to the ease in editing a short piece of fiction. The rest of the process builds upon this initial structure.
Start by picking an area of your life that makes you feel uncomfortable or stressed out and write a brief synopsis of a comedic scenario related to that. Then, add some more detail and create a storyline. Continue doing this until you have enough material to fill a full screenplay.
Create a writing team
Now that you have your story, character, and setting, it’s time to write your script! The first step in doing this is creating a writing team.
A good writer will help you out for a few hours every week by reading through their own work and giving feedback. They can also take notes while they read yours so as not to influence what they write negatively if they feel compelled to put some effort into improving theirs.
That writer I mentioned earlier? Their very next suggestion is to find people who share your passion for writing and are willing to give you feedback on your work. This could be anyone from friends to professors to casual writers online you look up to.
By having these resources, you will hopefully get better over time! And of course, you should always be grateful for any advice given, even if you don’t agree with it.
Start a blog
Starting your writing career is like starting any other business or profession - you have to do it first before people will trust you. The easiest way to start developing that trust is by having an active online presence, which includes a website, blogs, YouTube videos, and/or social media sites.
By creating this online footprint, your potential audience can watch your work, read your articles, see examples of your writing, and get a sense of who you are as a writer. It also gives them the opportunity to contact you if they want to buy your services or ask questions about writing.
Your online persona can make a big difference in how well you're accepted as a professional writer. By being familiar with the basics of writing and the craft of comedy writing, however, you'll be prepared for anything.
This article will help you begin that process by giving you some basic tips on how to write a funny sentence.
Read blogs and books on comedy
Starting writing is always tricky, but it’s even more difficult when you don’t know what you are trying to write about! If you can’t find any inspiration, try experimenting with different styles or genres until something clicks for you.
Writing a joke isn’t quite the same as writing anything else. No matter how funny you may think your jokes are, nobody except for yourself will agree! Therefore, writing a joke takes a lot longer than just writing an ordinary sentence.
It also requires you to be very familiar with the structure of a joke, which makes it harder to start writing due to that initial struggle.
Luckily, we have some helpful tips for you in this article! So, stay tuned and read up. We hope you enjoy reading these tips as much as we did putting them together.
Practice writing based on humor stories
Starting your script with a funny story can be tricky. You do not want it to seem too jokey or self-referential, however.
The best way to start writing comedy is by practicing making people laugh. Write short stories that use strong characters and situations infused with lots of laughter.
These stories should be familiar to you. You may have read some of them before or even made them in class or for assignments!
You can take these stories and make light of them or add new layers to them, but at their core they must really tickle our funny bones.
Start a YouTube channel
Starting your writing career is like starting any other new business or profession- you got in that thing going, now what? If you’re already working, add some words to something or start creating online content to share your writing with the world!
There are many ways to begin writing as a writer. You can write short stories or novels, or you can focus on creative nonfiction (or narrative journalism) or even humorous fiction.
Your first step towards becoming an author is to create your own unique space on the internet to showcase your work. This could be done through a website, a podcast, a YouTube channel, etc. - it really does not matter, as long as you have access to the internet and you're comfortable using it.
The most important part of this is having a way for people to contact you. A website is perfect for this, but if you do not feel confident in your web design skills then you can always use free websites to test out your settings before buying yours.
Join a comedy group
As mentioned earlier, writing for comedy is very different from writing for other genres. There are many ways to get into writing for comics. One of the easiest ways to begin writing jokes is to join a comedy group or start your own.
Comedy groups come in all shapes and sizes. Some are open to anyone who wants to write, while others invite you as an audience member to watch someone else’s set.
Some are structured like classes where people contribute their material and everyone gets credit for it. This can be tricky because people may not know how each other’s scripts work, but it also creates some great opportunities when someone finds a good joke they want to use, you get credited for it!
And yes, this will definitely give you the inspiration to write your own stuff. People always admire what writers do so well so why not try to imitate that?
The best way to find a comedy group or individual writer is through social media. You can search sites like Comedyspace, Funnyordie, or Chortle to name a few to see if there are any open positions.