It’s a genre which can reap rich dividends, but comedy is arguably the hardest one to get right. Writing comedy may, on the surface seem straightforward – think of a story, be silly, the end. It is quite the opposite however. Good comedy writing is well-crafted and often has a deeper meaning than that initial laugh generates.
Whatever type of story you are writing, you need to have a good understanding of your subject matter. This is particularly true for comedy writing as an in-depth understanding of the subject can allow you to challenge conventions or clichés and poke a bit of fun at some sacred cows. Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams may be primarily associated with fantasy and sci-fi writing, but both were skilful comedy writers, garnering great laughs due to their deep knowledge of their particular genres.
A story must be structured too, and characters well drawn as often the comedy can be found in how characters react to certain situations which is only possible if the reader is familiar with their personality.
Another good top to writing rich comedy is to think of the punchline first and work backwards from there. You’ll have a good idea of the hilarious fate you want to befall your characters, but how they get there can be just as amusing, with the pay-off being a fitting crescendo to a serious of funny happenings.
Great comedy also has an element of truth about it and many satirical works go down rather well due to the fact that they humorously expose some form of injustice or corruption through ridicule.
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