Humour works very well for numerous writing genres. It works for fiction writing, blogging, writing for magazines, etc. Whichever genre that you work in as a writer, being able to write funny is a good skill. You can add some spices to your stories with humour without being a sitcom comedy writer or stand-up comedy writer. However, if you’re writing a plot for a comedy, it’s even more difficult.
Movie audiences tend to remember some scenes or dialogues in a movie for a long time because it was funny. So they don’t just laugh. They also remember. When writing a comedy screenplay, you need to have perfect premises featuring well-developed characters. Lastly, it would be best if you ended with a lesson while keeping your audience entertained.
Writing a comedy movie script is a difficult task to accomplish. A comedy often leads with Humour, and the goal is for the audience to laugh. However, an intricate story doesn’t have to be funny. A good premise for a comedy includes a humorous, amusing, or challenging situation involving someone who isn’t suited to handle the situation. The primary interest of this genre is to entertain and amuse. Still, comedy writing also has a strong tradition of mocking institutions, beliefs, or social conventions, in popular subcategories such as farce, satire, and parody.
As tricky and unconventional as writing a comedy plot, it is possible once you have all the necessary information. Here are some of the elements needed to make a good comedy screenplay.
- Three-dimensional characters that are complex and relatable: your characters are a significant part of your comedy screenplay. Whether they are fictional or real, they are yet to figure out many things, such as how to live life, find love, or solve their problems, and they’re also learning along the way. It would help if you took some time to create your characters. If you’re very detailed about their backgrounds, then they’ll be more three-dimensional, relatable, and funnier on the screen.
- High stakes: the stakes are those things that are worrying the main character. What are they going to lose or trying to gain? Make sure that the stakes are very high. The higher the stakes are, the more you’re able to grab the interest of the audience.
- Drama elements: it would be easy to tire out the audience if the comedy plot is wall-to-wall jokes, yet it will take donkey years to write and complete the script. You must incorporate some elements of drama into your comedy screenplay as well. This makes the movie more relatable, helps with pacing, and makes the comedic moment very satisfying.
- Specificity: the little details that you add to your story are what make it unique and funny. However, the best way to make your comedy plot writing more original is by being specific. Add some lines of dialogue and moments to express a truth that reaches the viewers’ hearts. However, it would be best if you did not do it out of character. It would help if you remained faithful to the character’s personality and sense of Humour.
- Lesson: the goal of comedy is towards a lesson. Comedy often results from misadventures and mishaps, and the audiences would love to see the development of the character. Ensure that there’s a lesson for the character to learn when it all ends. Otherwise, the story is nonexistent.
Some extra tips for writing a plot for comedy
Being funny is difficult if you’re writing a comedy plot. You know that everyone is expecting to read the plot and laugh. The viewers are also hoping to laugh while watching the character, making it even more difficult. However, here are a few tips to help you out:
- Make it personal: you have some moments in your life that are funny that you can apply to your plotline or comedic characters—being personal means that you’re highlighting an absurdity or expressing an opinion about something in your life. Naturally, this is comedic. Your audience will see themselves too in your joke and laugh.
- Make it relatable: making your comedy relatable could be the difference between a good comedy and a great one. Mention an observation that everyone experiences but hardly talks about. This will surprise your audience and win them over instantly.
- Don’t try too hard to be funny: it’s noticeable when you’re trying too hard, and this will turn off your audience. Humor should be a pleasant deviation from expectations. You should be able to create a context that easily produces laughter. It makes it more effective and easier to be funny without trying.
- Use words that sound funny: some words naturally sound more amusing than others. These are the kinds of words that you need to use. Please make a list of these words and incorporate them into your writing.
- Don’t overuse one-liners: when you make a joke that doesn’t work, it’s easy for the audience to spot that you just had a failed attempt at a joke. That’s because you’re forcing the joke into the dialogue. Making a successful joke involves the situation at hand and the character’s personality.
- Take out what doesn’t work: you should be the first judge of your work. Check that every scene, line, and character has a purpose.
Conclusion
Writing the plot for a comedy is not an easy task, but it is not an impossible one. Once you understand some of the essential elements of a comedy with the few extra tips mentioned in this article, you’re good to go.
Leon Collier is a blogger and academic writer from the UK who has vast experience working with as a writer. He loves to take on every challenge thrown at him and can deliver outstanding work regularly. When he’s not busy writing, he loves reading books and playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.
