Writing Comedy

Years back, I made a study of cinematic screenplays.  I dissected one in particular, because it made me laugh throughout and it had a good storyline.  I scrutinized Beverly Hills Cop from start to finish.  On average, it has a laugh line — literally, a laugh-out-loud line — every 2-1/2 minutes.  Some gags are funnier than others.  As an owner of an older car, one line that often creeps into my pea-brain is “Be careful parking it.  All this shit happened the last time I parked here.”

I have outlined and re-outlined my newest work in progress, Ballpark!  Today, I just made lists.  I listed the plot points to decide if I needed to revise what is already written.  It helped me realize one whole scene that fails to further the plot, and a few others that can be handled differently for better effect.  If you happened to drive by the Starbucks this afternoon, and saw the guy in the Rockies’ cap laughing although nobody else was around, that was me.  I created a list of gags that I want to include in Ballpark!  My goal was to get to 40 in order to reach that smile quotient of one laugh every 2-1/2 minutes.  I jotted 41 in my planner.  I’ve learned to trust my instincts that if I think it’s funny, the audience will, too.

The next step will be to create the context for the humor.  Most humor is derived from sadness, or tension.  In this case, there is more tension in the form of a romantic breakup, bad bosses, bad employees, bad dates and bad luck.  If I create the correct framework for my gags, my screenplay will provide many of those clever laugh-out-loud situations that you find in your favorite comedy films.

So, send me a comment with your favorite film comedies, and why you love them!

 

On Dad’s 90th Birthday

My dad would have been 90 today. He passed away at 57. Far too young, some might say. But who are we to know that?

I learned many things from my Dad. The top five:

1. White lies are okay. Especially if it involves telling a nun that your sons both have dentist appointments, and yes, it does coincide with opening day of the baseball season, and no, I definitely don’t think they’ll be out of the dentist chair in time to come back to school this afternoon. No, I didn’t realize that my sons have had dentist appointments on Opening Day the past three years. Coincidence, I guess.
2. A smile or a wink, or both, can mean more than a whole bunch of words.
3. Sometimes it’s better to run away than to fight. Other times, it’s better to fight than to run away. True wisdom lies in knowing the difference.
4. Johnny Bench is the greatest catcher in baseball history. The Yankees’ Bill Dickey is second best.
5. Don’t ever give up on another human being. They might change and surprise you. Or you might recognize change in yourself and understand them in a different light.

Bonus pointer: Some of his last words to me were “God will provide.”

He has. He does. He will. I miss you, Dad.  If you’re in heaven, enjoy the cake.  If not, then don’t waste your time trying to blow out the candles.