The Complete Idiots Guide To Comedy Writing

You've always known writing comedy was about more than just being funny. But how do you create a joke and work it into a script or a stand-up routine? Comedian, writer, and teacher Jim Mendrinos has the answers. In The Complete Idiot s Guide to Comedy Writing, Mendrinos gives readers the principles he teaches in his popular courses, from understanding what funny is and how to find it, to how to actually construct comedy. Working through the basic constructions and forms including premises, points of view, and twists, he shows the variations of written, verbal, and physical comedy. With useful exercises, Mendrinos helps writers refine their writing, appeal to their audience, and even break writer's block by learning techniques for brainstorming, free association, lists, and finding infinite points of view.

A fifty percent revision of a popular Complete Idiot's Guide that now, more than ever, offers readers a thorough, creative writing class in a book, with Dr. Laurie Rozakis as their teacher. The book is refocused to more of an academic approach. Readers can begin to unlock their creativity from the first page, with fabulous exercises that help them explore their talents and experiment with different genres and forms of writing, including: • •Short stories •Narrative nonfiction •Memoirs •Magazine articles •Poetry •Drama •Blogging and freewriting

You're no idiot, of course. You know how to tap out an email to your boss, scrawl a note to your sweetheart, even throw in an extra flourish when you sign a greeting card. But when it comes to really writing that excruciating process of transferring your thoughts to paper without inventing some strange new language well, let's just say you think you lack the write stuff. The written word was a great achievement in human history; don't give up on it just yet! 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Well' is the writing book you've been waiting for everything you need to know to make writing of any kind as easy as thinking or speaking. In this 'Complete Idiot's' Guide, you'll get : -Expert advice on making your writing as clear, persuasive and painless as possible, whether it's a thank-you note, a school paper, or an executive briefing. Easy-to-follow guidelines on a structure, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and style. No-nonsense advice on figuring out the three hardest parts of any writing: the beginning, middle and end.

Covers all elements of effective and grammatically-correct writing, including electronic formats, for any type of situation from research papers to business memos.

An updated and revised edition, this book is a practical and popular guide to realizing the dream of succeeding as a screenwriter. Insider Skip Press gives novice screenwriters a cook's tour of the industry, then leads them through the process of picking a winning idea, structuring and writing a screenplay, and packaging the final script for sale. This down-in-the-trenches book provides invaluable tips and advice that will help the newcomer navigate the business and avoid mistakes that brand him/her as an amateur. In the third edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting, readers will also find- CD-ROM packed with sample screenplays, Hollywood contact information, screenwriting software demos, and more. Chapters on writing for television, including a sample TV script segment. How comic book and 2D-animation software creations can lead to script and movie deals. Advice on using concise storytelling and viral short films effectively. A new chapter on sources for screenplays and movies, including how Asian films are acquired and adapted.

In a world of Mr. Right Nows, a guide to Mr. Right . . . Chock full of solid advice, this guide for women offers exercises to help the reader learn more about herself. She then uses that information to recognize mates with compatible qualities. In it are the five myths about Mr. Right, the seven deadly sins that women make while dating, how to spot Mr. Wrong, where to meet Mr. Right, dating DOs and DON'Ts, and much more. • From the editors of John Gray's MarsVenus.com and relationship editors of SingleMindedWomen.com

A guy walks into a bar... With this guide, aspiring comics will learn to navigate the complex world of comedy writing. Discover how to tap into your natural sense of humor through real-life examples and hands-on skill-building exercises. Learn the best ways to come up with ideas and write comedy that gets laughs--every time! Mike Bent, an accomplished stand-up comedian and teacher, provides the inside scoop on techniques to jump-start your comedy writing career, including how to: Develop comic characters for sketches and scenes Create and polish a standup routine Write for TV and movies Use the web to advance your comedy career Everyone loves a comedian. But breaking into this tough field is no laughing matter. After sharpening your comedy-writing skills with this practical (and funny!) guide, you'll feel comfortable adding humor to everyday situations and may even take a chance on your dream job in show business!

The art of "bellyspeaking" isn't for dummies The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Ventriloquism teaches everyone to speak from their bellies, create and substitute sounds, use all the registers of their voice, and create diversions to attract the listener's ear—whether they invest in a fancy puppet or create their own figure out of a sweat sock. • Includes tips for making, manipulating, and talking with their dummy and for it—both at the same time • Advice for getting an act together and taking it on the road-getting gigs, getting paid, and how to improve performances • How to write dialogue and jokes and rehearsal techniques

An invaluable guide on how to "lighten up" from a distinguished pro who has provided laughs for JAY LENO, BILLY CRYSTAL, STEVE MARTIN, ROBIN WILLIAMS, BRAD GARRETT, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, AND MANY MORE. Who hasn't wished for the perfect withering comeback line, a clever tension-breaking quip, or a winning flirtatious remark? Being funny is hard work and not everyone is a natural. How to Be Funny is a witty guide that teaches readers precisely how to be funnier in everyday life. It's a must-read for anyone who has to speak in public, be engaging and funny at work or at play, or who hopes to one day go out on a date. Jon Macks, a comedy writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, Hollywood Squares, and the nation's top comedians, politicians, and corporate leaders, knows his funny business. Here he demystifies the process of making people laugh, breaks down the basic building blocks and types of humor -- which include self-deprecation, misdirection, deadpan delivery, sarcasm, and "the reverse" -- and reveals the best approaches to use in common situations. How to Be Funny features helpful (and hilarious) tips and anecdotes from the comic legends Mack's worked with -- including Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Gilbert Gottfried, Billy Crystal, Rita Rudner, Dave Barry, and Carrie Fisher -- in his eleven years as one of the nation's top television writers. Whether the goal is to give a memorable public address or deliver a killer line with friends, How to Be Funny is a charming, instructive, and practical read.