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How to Write Funny Characters
The Definitive Guide to Writing Comedic Characters
From one of the world’s most celebrated humor writers, this easy-to-follow, step-by-step book lays out a clear system for producing living, breathing comedy characters that audiences will fall in love with. You’ll learn...
• The 40 comedy character archetypes that get laughs automatically—you don’t even have to write jokes!
• How to generate endless funny character ideas
• The 10 secrets to making your characters strikingly unique.
• The 8 common mistakes that will make your audience lose interest in your character.
• How to write funny dialogue that sparkles with originality.
• Funny dialogue prompts and how to write banter that leaps off the page.
• The number one tip for writing funny character descriptions that will pull readers in.
• And many more tips, tricks, and techniques!
From one of the world’s most celebrated humor writers, this easy-to-follow, step-by-step book lays out a clear system for producing living, breathing comedy characters that audiences will fall in love with. You’ll learn...
• The 40 comedy character archetypes that get laughs automatically—you don’t even have to write jokes!
• How to generate endless funny character ideas
• The 10 secrets to making your characters strikingly unique.
• The 8 common mistakes that will make your audience lose interest in your character.
• How to write funny dialogue that sparkles with originality.
• Funny dialogue prompts and how to write banter that leaps off the page.
• The number one tip for writing funny character descriptions that will pull readers in.
• And many more tips, tricks, and techniques!
- GenresWritingNonfictionHumor
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2021
135 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Scott Dikkers
36 books80 followersScott Dikkers is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “How to Write Funny.” He's also the founder of TheOnion.com and The AV Club.
Scott sends out a daily tip on Substack:
https://scottdikkers.substack.com/
Be sure to follow him on BookBub for insiders deals on his books!
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/scott...
Scott sends out a daily tip on Substack:
https://scottdikkers.substack.com/
Be sure to follow him on BookBub for insiders deals on his books!
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/scott...
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 30, 2023
I heard the author on a podcast talking about writing funny characters so I gave his book a look.
It's a short guide that describes how to infuse humor into either a comedic or more serious novels through the use of humorous character archetypes. The descriptions of the characters are straightforward and provide familiar examples.
When you are reading my as-of-yet-unwritten book one day and you are cracking up, you will appreciate the value of Dikkers's book.
*wink
It's a short guide that describes how to infuse humor into either a comedic or more serious novels through the use of humorous character archetypes. The descriptions of the characters are straightforward and provide familiar examples.
When you are reading my as-of-yet-unwritten book one day and you are cracking up, you will appreciate the value of Dikkers's book.
*wink
March 2, 2021
Scott did it again with How to Write Funny Characters
Scott’s books have been a key part of my comedy writing education and I was excited to see this one coming out. There is a great breakdown of different characters and how you can incorporate them in your writing. There are references to the other How to Write Funny Books so you probably want to read the first one before reading this but it can stand alone.
If you are looking to add characters to your comedy or other writing this book is a must read.
Scott’s books have been a key part of my comedy writing education and I was excited to see this one coming out. There is a great breakdown of different characters and how you can incorporate them in your writing. There are references to the other How to Write Funny Books so you probably want to read the first one before reading this but it can stand alone.
If you are looking to add characters to your comedy or other writing this book is a must read.
March 8, 2021
A while back I heard Scott discuss a breakdown of comedy in film. He kept referring to a list of character archetypes. The breakdown of these archetypes were fantastic, when asked where this character itemization could be found, he pointed out that the analysis was his own and not a publicly available source. Until now.
Scott has now made this information available in this book. It is a great resource that provides an in-depth understanding of all the different character types in comedy. Thanks Scott for making this extensive reference guide on characters in comedy.
Scott has now made this information available in this book. It is a great resource that provides an in-depth understanding of all the different character types in comedy. Thanks Scott for making this extensive reference guide on characters in comedy.
March 11, 2022
Writing is hard. Writing comedy is even harder. With Scott Dikkers' latest in his How to Write Funny series, he explores 40 comedy archetypes and by giving specific examples in pop culture, explains not only what makes these archetypes funny to the average reader, but how to use them to craft better dialogue and plots. It's well worth the price of admission. Now I can refer to this if I'm ever in doubt with where I should take characters in my own writing next. It's now given me an edge in punching up dialogue in my own fiction. And c'mon. It'll only take a few hours to read. But that doesn't mean you won't keep coming back to the well again and again for the knowledge therein. Give it a shot!
March 8, 2021
If you have already read and enjoyed Scott Dikkers How to Write Funny, and Funnier and Funniest books, you can stop reading this review and go buy How to Write Funny Characters now. Much as I loved those three, I think the Characters book is the most accessible, easiest to create with, very hands on, the best. Chapter Four, The 40 Comedy Character Archetypes is where I will be spending most of my time. The various archetypes (not stereotypes) are fully fleshed out and then a list of familiar examples is given to solidify each concept. You could benefit from only reading Chapter 4, but reading the whole book first, so you know how to utilize and mix and blend would be the best approach. Chapters 8 and 10 are invaluable, and the rest are helpful, too. If you haven’t read the other three, after reading Funny Characters, you’ll want to experience those earlier books, too.
September 9, 2024
This book was even better than I expected. I thought it would be merely a compendium of archetypeș—helpful as a reference. And about half of it is that, but the other half is a helpful discussion of how to use the archetypes.
My one criticism is that Dikkers doesn't organize the 40 archetypes. Many of them are related and could be grouped together so highlight both their similarities and their differences. For example, the Bumbling Authority could be grouped with The Toadie and The Bureaucrat, or The Naif could be grouped with The Fish Out of Water and The Dummy. I found the distinctions the author drew between those archetypes as useful, while at the same the full list of 40 is a little overwhelming. Grouping related archetypes together could make it easier to remember and understand.
Dikkers also has some great advice in the chapters after the archetype descriptions. The chapter on dialogue has radically improved my drafting process.
My one criticism is that Dikkers doesn't organize the 40 archetypes. Many of them are related and could be grouped together so highlight both their similarities and their differences. For example, the Bumbling Authority could be grouped with The Toadie and The Bureaucrat, or The Naif could be grouped with The Fish Out of Water and The Dummy. I found the distinctions the author drew between those archetypes as useful, while at the same the full list of 40 is a little overwhelming. Grouping related archetypes together could make it easier to remember and understand.
Dikkers also has some great advice in the chapters after the archetype descriptions. The chapter on dialogue has radically improved my drafting process.
March 8, 2021
A joke is short-lived, no matter how great it is. A good character is forever. So, if you want to make people laugh, this is a great place to start.
This is the first book to cover so much ground on who makes us laugh since Theophrastus wrote "Characters" over 2400 years—and Theophrastus was a botanist! What did he know about comedy? Scott Dikkers co-created The Onion! If anyone has thought about what makes us laugh and how to get other people to learn the skill, it's Scott.
The book is incredibly easy to read, and gives clear examples so we can go see how things work in the real world. It should be a tool in everybody's writing arsenal.
This is the first book to cover so much ground on who makes us laugh since Theophrastus wrote "Characters" over 2400 years—and Theophrastus was a botanist! What did he know about comedy? Scott Dikkers co-created The Onion! If anyone has thought about what makes us laugh and how to get other people to learn the skill, it's Scott.
The book is incredibly easy to read, and gives clear examples so we can go see how things work in the real world. It should be a tool in everybody's writing arsenal.
August 6, 2022
essential
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is essential and readily accessible for streamlining your creative writing endeavors.
I've learnt to ensure that your character never gets a break, and that bad things happen to them so frequently that it's humorous. By matching the "Archetype" of a character who only knows how to handle problems with their fists with other attributes like kindness, meekness, or a tiny size, one can make this "Archetype" fresh in comedy. Second, the Archetype of the Leader is found in both comedic and dramatic works, and it is given the same treatment in both. They are the one with the most commanding presence and the natural charm that compels others to follow them and do what they say. I'm partial to things that have to do with the book I'm writing right now. Anyhow, "The Damsel" is a character that is defenseless and needs to be saved by a more powerful character, therefore I was reminded of this fact as well. How to deal with the stereotypical "Damsel in Distress" is also covered by this book's author. This is a book that I will return to over and over again. Time to inject some life into my characters by making them funny at times.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is essential and readily accessible for streamlining your creative writing endeavors.
I've learnt to ensure that your character never gets a break, and that bad things happen to them so frequently that it's humorous. By matching the "Archetype" of a character who only knows how to handle problems with their fists with other attributes like kindness, meekness, or a tiny size, one can make this "Archetype" fresh in comedy. Second, the Archetype of the Leader is found in both comedic and dramatic works, and it is given the same treatment in both. They are the one with the most commanding presence and the natural charm that compels others to follow them and do what they say. I'm partial to things that have to do with the book I'm writing right now. Anyhow, "The Damsel" is a character that is defenseless and needs to be saved by a more powerful character, therefore I was reminded of this fact as well. How to deal with the stereotypical "Damsel in Distress" is also covered by this book's author. This is a book that I will return to over and over again. Time to inject some life into my characters by making them funny at times.
March 15, 2021
Superb and concise advice on comedy writing (though it encompasses dramatic writing as well and the role comedy characters play in both). Scott has formalised the writing process Mark Twain once described as "creating a bunch of characters and little them run amok", and demonstrates with compelling examples the 40 types of archetype you can use as the basis for a funny character.
The lessons are lot more involved than this (he covers adding traits and multiple archetypes to a character and good writing tips on how to build up any piece of writing as well, for instance).
This book would be an excellent companion piece to another book on story structure (e.g. Save The Cat). Highly recommended.
The lessons are lot more involved than this (he covers adding traits and multiple archetypes to a character and good writing tips on how to build up any piece of writing as well, for instance).
This book would be an excellent companion piece to another book on story structure (e.g. Save The Cat). Highly recommended.
March 23, 2021
Really nice layout of 40 different archetypal characters. Some of the examples of the character types were a bit old and I didn't know them.
I also needed a little bit more info on how to use the characters. I'm taking the author's How to Write Funny class and exactly how to use characters didn't click until one of my classmates explained it to me. I wasn't being precise enough in setting up the expectations for my characters and I was sometimes lacking precision in what actions my characters took. They weren't behaving true to their character traits.
What would've made this a 5-star book for me are some examples of how to take a character joke or sketch idea that is close, but not quite right and then show how to fix it.
I also needed a little bit more info on how to use the characters. I'm taking the author's How to Write Funny class and exactly how to use characters didn't click until one of my classmates explained it to me. I wasn't being precise enough in setting up the expectations for my characters and I was sometimes lacking precision in what actions my characters took. They weren't behaving true to their character traits.
What would've made this a 5-star book for me are some examples of how to take a character joke or sketch idea that is close, but not quite right and then show how to fix it.
September 24, 2021
I picked this book up to help add characters to my arsenal for improv class. I was pleasantly surprised by Dikker’s descriptions and examples of characters I struggle to portray such as the jerk - the jerk is funny for being a jerk NOT trying to be funny by saying funny things or seeking redemption. Overall, from my novice perspective, this was a very helpful book to analyze comedic characters.
January 16, 2022
I wish I’d read this earlier
As a new writer, I didn’t know how to make a character funny other than have him/her say something funny. After reading this book I will use some of the tips I learned in this book to create funnier characters…like giving them traits they act upon that will get a laugh from my reader. So glad I found this book.
As a new writer, I didn’t know how to make a character funny other than have him/her say something funny. After reading this book I will use some of the tips I learned in this book to create funnier characters…like giving them traits they act upon that will get a laugh from my reader. So glad I found this book.
July 14, 2022
As I sit here writing this quick note, I see that this is not the final of his how to write funny series. Scott has one titled how to write funniest. He's got so much to share on the topic. So practical and insightful. I particularly enjoyed this one. He's got me rethinking my comic strip characters. Thanks Scott. Okay.. on to Funniest. Big fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2023
Wonderful resource
I have a character in my books who is intended for minor comic relief and he fell flat. There are numerous different comic characters listed with a blueprint for making them effective and examples of how they are used in movies and what character fits that type. My personal favorite is the trickster.
I have a character in my books who is intended for minor comic relief and he fell flat. There are numerous different comic characters listed with a blueprint for making them effective and examples of how they are used in movies and what character fits that type. My personal favorite is the trickster.
August 23, 2021
Characters source
The book has highlighted some of the way of coming up with archer type comedy characters. Following this guide will lead to characters your audience will fall for.
The book has highlighted some of the way of coming up with archer type comedy characters. Following this guide will lead to characters your audience will fall for.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews