Sketch Comedy Writing
Page 8
TIPS
Write down your crap ideas. Say to yourself, “I’m going to write this sketch even if it’s crap.” Especially if it’s crap. The best scenes I have ever seen came from when I told a writer to go home and write a crap scene. It appears that you can spin crap into gold. - Scotty Watson
Write scenes and jokes for other people. You can hear the other members of your troupe’s voices better than you can hear your own. I know a comedy troupe is in good shape when they are writing scenes for each other and not just for themselves. - Scotty Watson
The difference between working and screwing around with your friends is writing it down. When you are at the bar and you make everybody laugh, while they are laughing, write that shit down! The best writers carry a notepad. - Scotty Watson
Carry notepad. Don’t do it on your phone. There’s something about the discipline of carrying that notepad that distinguishes you from a wannabe and makes you a real writer. - Scotty Watson
Writers should respect actors. Actors should respect writers. And everyone should respect rehearsal hall. - Scotty Watson
Write a lot, even the stupid stuff. ESPECIALLY the stupid stuff. Stupid is funny. - Michael Coyne
Get something you wrote filmed or staged right away and learn the process of getting it from page to stage. Have your first meltdown over your words not being honored, mourn when your sketch gets cut and broken and after it goes up do it all over again. As you do it more, you’ll find you care more when you care less. - Michael Coyne
Always have a writing device handy. If something happens and you think ‘wow, this is a sketch’, writhe that sketch the moment you think that. - Michael Coyne
Keep a notepad with you at all times. Don’t rely on your cell, batteries can die, data can get lost. Have a pen and a paper with you so when you are on the elevator and you have that great thought you don’t lose it. If you think you will remember to write down when you get home…you won’t. - Frank Logan
Write every day. Take a block of time and write. Ideas, stream of consciousness stuff, scenarios, a journal. Get in the habit of writing. You will see what happens when you pick up some momentum. - Frank Logan
Don’t worry about if it’s “good” just write. You can always trim it or change it later. Don’t censor yourself, get it all on paper, then you will have something to work with, something to shape and mold. - Frank Logan
“Writers should never treat actors like puppets. They should watch what the actors are bringing to the table and incorporate it into the scene as much as they can. Writers can really help themselves by thinking through their message and sharing it with the production team before we start working on the sketch. Actors should respect the writer’s message. When you bring things to the table and make suggestions, they should only be things that service the writer’s message. Make suggestions, and be gracious if the writer or the director don’t take them. But make those suggestions! Everyone should respect the rehearsal hall. It must be a safe place to experiment and try things even if they fail. Especially if they fail.” - Scotty Watson
“Joe is a stream-of-consciousness writer, plus satire is so powerfully message-oriented. But there is a pretty specific writing process: What makes you angry in the world? How can that be exaggerated to comic effect? What is the message of the scene and what do you want people to be thinking at the end?” - Joe DiNozzi and Darien DeMaria
Take a simple premise and push, push, push it to find something ridiculous about it. Could be anything… taking a car in for repair. Mechanic is missing a finger. How did he lose it? Is it still rattling around in someone’s car? What happened when the owner found it? Just keep pushing until you find the funny. - David Drake
Find a time of day that works for you to write and then WRITE. For me my brain is always more creative first thing in the morning (maybe because I’m still in a half-dream state). This worked well for me when i was traveling with my troupe because the others guys would sleep. I’d get up and get my coffee and write. You have to get into the habit of it and make it like a job. Write when you don’t want to write. That’s the only way you’ll hone your skills. - David Drake
Wigs make everything funnier. - David Drake
CONCLUSION
What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.
There’s a woman in her 80s that wants to learn to play the piano and is considering taking lessons. She says to her friend, “This is silly. Do you know how old I’ll be by the time I am able to play?”
The friend considers and replies, “You’ll be the same age either way, the only difference will be that you’ll know how to play the piano.”
A month can go by, 6 months can go by, even a year can go by before you know it. If there’s something you want in life what will you do NOW to achieve it. Start writing. Don’t wait for the opportunity. Make your opportunity.
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BIOS
Scotty Watson is an alum of The Second City Canadian National Touring Company, a founding member of Comedy on Wry, the in-house Director and Advisor at Improvisation News & IN Studios and The Head of New York Faculty for Artistic New Directions. He has written and staged hundreds of sketches for The Second City and IN Studios.
David Drake - Growing up in South Florida and a fan of all types of comedy, Dave and his friends started making comedy videos with with a borrowed camcorder in high school. When he got to college and the student television station had an SNL-like comedy show, he knew he had found his calling. From there he started a comedy group that toured the US for four years.
Liz Parish trained at IN Studios, was a member of the IN Team for 2 years, served as Director and Head Writer for several shows as well as Artistic Director.
Joe DiNozzi and Darien DeMaria are the directors and writers of A Sketch of New York - the Manhattan-based sketch comedy show - as well as assistant improv directors at the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, NY. They are also actors, writers, voice actors, and stage combatants, and Joe is also a stage combat choreographer.
Michael Coyne performed with the IN Team for 3 years and served as Head Writer and Director for multiple shows.
Israel Savage is a best-selling author, trainer and speaker. He has a BA in Film and MA in Psychology. He was first introduced to sketch writing at Gotham City Improv, then went on to train at multiple places in NYC before founding IN Studios. He’s produced hundreds of sketches on NYC stages.
Frank Logan, award winning actor, writer, and improviser, studied acting for 3 years at the renowned Weist-Barron Studios. He trained at IN Studios and performed as a member of the IN Team for 2 years, often teaching sketch writing.
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