Comedy Writing Self-Taught: The Professional Skill-Building Course in Writing Stand-Up, Sketch, and Situation Comedy

by Gene Perret

Comedy writing is an acquired skill. No one is born a comedy writer. The desire may be there from an early age, but the techniques must be learned, developed, and honed. Fortunately, the best teachers are readily available. They are the comics of the past and present, the television shows you see daily, both current versions and reruns. They provide your Ph.D. course in humor 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 comedy writing techniques by observing, analyzing, and replicating those who have already mastered the skills. This book not only guides you in selecting the appropriate mentors for your writing and helps you decide what to look for in your studies, it also offers drills and exercises that will develop your creativity. A companion volume, "Comedy Writing Self-Taught Workbook," provides even more exercises and writing workouts. Whether you're writing stand-up routines, TV sketches, or sitcoms, this book clues you in to the fastest, most convenient way to teach yourself the skills you'll need. You'll do the watching, studying, and learning. You'll do the work -- and it will require work -- but you'll also reap the generous rewards, and have fun while teaching yourself to write comedy.

Genres: Humor, Comedy, Writing

175 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've loved Perret's work in the past, but this almost seems lazy. I can sum up everything he says in this book in two short sentences. 1. Study the greats. 2. Buy his workbook and do those exercises.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is aimed at comedy writers of jokes, gags, sketches and sit-coms, the self-taught approach Perret describes is applicable to so many other fields.

Gene Perret is a veteran comedy writer having worked for Phylis Diller and for Bob Hope for thirty years. His training approach is to have you adopt a comedian as a mentor and to study that mentor in depth. Try to write for that comedian and, if you can get that comedian to perform some of your work, so much the better - tricky if your mentor is Bob Hope, though.

A good book, lots of ideas and lots of anecdotes from a lifetime in comedy.

[Josue Pariz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Li uma tradução livre, ótimo livro! Mesmo levando em conta a época que foi escrito seus conceitos podem ser aplicados como se fossem escritos hoje. Ótimo livro para quem que se aprofundar na parte estratégica de criação de roteiros de humor, desde standup comedy até histórias em quadrinhos.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent course for success---in any endeavor!

This book provides solid advice, examples, and exercises to succeed in comedy--or anything else. The details for non-comedic endeavors will differ, but the general principles will not.