Finding the Funny in a Script
So far with this blog I’ve focused mostly on
writing jokesfor comedy routines or perhaps to put into a speech. Today’s post is a little different however, as I’m interviewing my good friend Nancy Beverly who is a playwright. Nancy and I have been hiking together a couple times a month for years, and during these hikes we usually end up having a “meeting” to update each other on our projects and give each other inspiration and ideas. I think her insights will inspire you to use humor in a script you’re working on or one that you’ve been dying to write. Enjoy!
About Nancy Beverly
Nancy Beverly’s rollicking stage comedy COMMUNITY (where everything that can go wrong at a community theatre play… does) just made the finals of a national play contest. Pray that she gets into the finals and reaps a full production out of it. Her drama HANDCRAFTED HEALING is up for a workshop production through her writers group Fierce Backbone and the webseries THE CALAMITIES OF JANE that she co-wrote has been filmed and will launch on-line in 2015. She’s also putting together her first full-length feature film, SHELBY’S VACATION. It was either that or build a rocketship blind-folded. She took on the more challenging project.
Where do you look for comedic inspiration?
Strangely enough, I don’t. I look for situations and characters that grab me. Because I’m a playwright and a screenwriter, I’m not writing jokes per se. I’m writing human beings who are trying to muddle through life as best they can. I used to work on sitcoms and saw writers who could only focus on funny lines, and those “jokes” felt forced. Better to work on the character’s needs and the conflicts they encounter – and out of their hair-brained schemes and desperation… comes humor.
How do you know something is funny before you use it or sell it?
The beauty of live theatre is you can hear it first before it’s written in stone. I go to a writers’ group called Fierce Backbone every Monday night in Hollywood. The writers bring anywhere from 15 pages to a full-length play, and we have excellent actors up on stage giving it their all. You’ll know instantly if something is working.
In a script, what elements make a character funny?
Their own flaws, misunderstandings, desires, and as I said before, desperation. And then the audience identifies and empathizes with them and their foibles… creating a magical synergy.
Many people think they have a funny script inside them. . . what advice would you give them to get started writing it?
Join a writers / actors group. Bring in your material regularly and listen to how the audience responds during the reading and then take note of the feedback given to you afterwards.
Why do you like writing comedy?
I love to laugh and I love hearing other people laugh at my work – you feel this amazing connection of humanity when it happens. We’re all in this crazy ship together!
What is your best comedy writing tip?
Don’t force things. Stay true to who the character is. An audience loves the truth. They won’t laugh if they feel you forcing jokes down their collective throat.
King of Comedy
There are some people you meet in your life
who make a huge impact on the direction you take; you can’t imagine what would’ve happened if your paths had not crossed. For me that person is my comedian buddy Frank King. We met through mutual friends and connected immediately, which has led to collaborating on projects and helping each other out in our careers. This week I’ve invited Frank to give his take on comedy writing. . .here you go!
Frank’s Bio
Frank King was a writer for The Tonight Show and Jay Leno for over two decades. He also wrote, off and on, for Joan Rivers and Dennis Miller. He was featured on CNN’s Business Unusual, Showtime’s Comedy on the Road, and An Evening at the Improv. He’s an award winning, syndicated humor columnist and radio talk show personality, who was also a Quarter-Finalist on the Original Star Search with Ed McMahon…he lost to a puppet…yes, a puppet. And he just did his first TED Talk. Frank can be reached at www.FrankKingSpeaking.com or 858.405.5653.
Jan: Where do you look for comedic inspiration?
Frank: My comic inspiration comes from everyday life. My sister says that I see the world, “a bubble off plumb.” It’s just the way my mind works. I can’t turn it off. I’m on a Delta flight, we’re taxiing out to the runway, for takeoff, and the flight attendant (referring to iPads, and iPhones, but didn’t mention either), says, “Due to new FAA regulations governing taxi and takeoff, if you have small equipment, you can continue playing with it,” at which point I’m bent over double laughing, with my seatmates staring at me like I’ve lost my mind, and before I can say, “Let’s review,” she continues, “If you have large equipment, you have to shove that under the seat in front of you.” At which point I drop to my knees on the floor…
Jan: How do you know something is funny before you sell it or use it?
Frank: I find out if something is funny before I do it in a show, or sell it, by running it by unsuspecting civilians in everyday interactions. Occasionally, if I’m confident enough in the bit, I’ll do it in my show, without a road test. I’ve got a bit on the Waffle House that I wrote on the drive from the airport to the comedy club, and opened my show with it, and it killed, and I’m still doing it, to this day. It’s one of my most popular with Southern audiences. Just this morning, on the way to a networking meeting, I wrote a joke to tell with my introduction. I ran it by a couple of people (unsuspecting) on the way into the meeting, and they laughed. It was, “Hey, sorry I missed a couple of meetings. I was in Syria, embedded with Seal Team 6, and Brian Williams, and Bill O’Reilly.” It killed.
Jan: What advice would you give to a non-comedian who wants to spruce up their speech or office memo with a bit of humor?
Frank: If you’re looking to spruce up a speech or interoffice memo, I’d hire a pro. I can’t tell you how many executives I’ve saved from themselves, by vetoing a joke they thought was funny and appropriate. Telling the right joke will not make a hero, but telling the wrong one can be…career limiting, at best.
Jan: What is your best comedy writing tip?
Frank: My best comedy writing tip is always shoot up, never joke down. Comedians speak truth to power on behalf of the powerless. It’s been that way since the middle ages, and the time of the court jester.
Jan: Why do you like writing comedy?
Frank: I like writing comedy because it is a expression of what I am, a comedian. I can’t help but write it. Often it just pops into my head, unbidden. I was driving down the street the other day, and there was a homeless guy coming toward me, and he was carrying an huge electronic keyboard. My first thought, without trying to write a joke about the situation, was, “You’re homeless, with no vehicle, if you want to play an instrument, why that big old electronic keyboard? Why not the flute.”
Thanks for reading!
Jan
www.TheWorkLady.com — Jan’s main website with video clips and info on Jan
www.ComedyEmcee.com – Jan’s emcee website – have her emcee your next event so that it rocks!
An Interview with a Late Night TV Writer
Okay you all have heard my writing tips
for years, so it’s time to get a different perspective. I’ve got a lot of friends who write for a living – TV writers, comedians, playwrights etc – and so I’ll be posting some interviews with them to hear what they have to say about comedy writing.
I’m kicking off this first interview with Peter Charkalis.
Peter and I have known each other for about 20 years, and he’s a great guy and a fantastic writer. We met doing open mics in comedy clubs back in Virginia, and then we both gravitated to Los Angeles. Starting out at the same time, we’ve seen each other’s worst jokes. . and we still thought each other was funny. Peter even helped me “collect money” from a guy who was threatening not to pay me for a gig. . but that’s another story.
Enjoy Peter’s thoughts on comedy writing!
BIO
Peter Charkalis is a former staff writer for
Arsenio Hall and the Late Late Show with Craigs Kilborn and Ferguson. He also provided material for Jay Leno, David Letterman and George Lopez. And when Peter is not writing for professional speakers and entertainers, he enjoys moonlit strolls on the beach with his metal detector. peterachar@aol.com
Where do you look for comedic inspiration?
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Menchies. Any place where there’s a president or yogurt. Since I write a lot of topical material, I scour the New York Post, New York Daily News, and websites Newser and Fark. I look to things that happen in my personal life — like serving on a jury or falling out of tree.
How do you know something is funny before you sell it or use it?
Sometimes you don’t. That’s why it takes years for comedians to hone their acts. They’re constantly trying new material. It’s a numbers game. From a writing standpoint, the more you write, the better the odds something funny will come out. I shoot for writing a set-up that is true and conversational; not forced. The better the set-up, the easier, the more organic the punch-line. The best punchlines are short and mostly true except for one word, reference or tweak. I also ask,”Is this easy to say? Is this in the client’s voice? Will this particular audience I’m writing for get the joke?”
What advice would you give to a non-comedian who wants to spruce up their speech or office memo with a bit of humor?
Make sure its appropriate. Don’t tie in sex or politics or anything that could be controversial. You risk alienating parts or all of your audience. Use in-house terms. Be aware of trends and catch phrases that you can tie in — binge-watching, selfies, etc. Look for connections from pop culture, your personal life and the actual speaking environment. The more familiar (insert movie title here), the more personal (insert airport horror story here) the more relevant to the speaking environment (insert joke about the polar bear on stage) the better you will connect with your audience.
What is your best comedy writing tip?
Don’t write punchlines. At first. Trying to think of a joke off the top of your head can be daunting and defeating. Make lists of people, places, things, events that relate to your topic. Write statements about your topic. Ask questions about your topic. Who else can I put in here? What does this sound like? LOOK FOR CONNECTIONS FIRST. The more information you have, the easier to write
Why do you like writing comedy?
Making people laugh is the ultimate connection. It’s very fulfilling to know I have the ability to do that. I did it once on October 21,1997. Been tough ever since.
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