How do you avoid writing a gag that's (too) obvious?
How do you avoid writing a gag that's too obvious
I've noticed if I second guess myself on it and teeter back and forth between keeping it and chucking it, that's usually my sign to let it go.
Not be a Two Pints' writer?
Quote: Leevil @ November 19 2009, 4:24 AM GMTNot be a Two Pints' writer?
In all seriousness, I imagine they spend extra time getting the most blindingly obvious material. Sometimes it's hard to see what's right in front of your nose.
Go for surprise.
e.g.
Knock Knock
F**k off and leave me alone.
My dogs got nose.
How does it smell?
F**king awful I beheaded it and left it's putrefying corpse in the bath.
What's brown and sticky?
The shit I left in your bed, want to make something of it?
I fyou re-read your sketch and still don't see the punchline coming, you have probably written a non-obvious gag.
If it's in front of a live audience obvious gags can go down very well. Why avoid?
Quote: Badge @ November 19 2009, 10:24 AM GMTIf it's in front of a live audience obvious gags can go down very well. Why avoid?
This is very true as what's obvious to someone who writes jokes and knows about comedy, isn't necessarily obvious to Joe Public.
For years I didn't do some jokes I'd written because I thought they were too obvious, but eventually I decided to give them a try and they got massive laughs. Sometimes even quick witted, intelligent audiences want an expectation fulfilled, they may get to the punch ahead of you (or the script) but when they get the payoff and the realise they were correct then they get a little warm glow from knowing that they were right.
Quote: Afinkawan @ November 19 2009, 9:51 AM GMTI fyou re-read your sketch...
Maybe you should have re-read your post! Hey-o!
*carves golf ball into woods*
Re-write that soon? Pointless.
Quote: Tony Cowards @ November 19 2009, 10:27 AM GMTFor years I didn't do some jokes I'd written because I thought they were too obvious,
Yeah, there were a few RFTP sketches where I avoided a joke that seemed far too obvious, only to have the audience piss themselves when someone else used the same gag.
Quote: Afinkawan @ November 19 2009, 9:51 AM GMTI fyou re-read your sketch and still don't see the punchline coming, you have probably written a non-obvious gag.
"The inventive step and non-obviousness reflect a same general patentability requirement present in most patent laws, according to which an invention should be sufficiently inventive — i.e., non-obvious — in order to be patented."
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (obviously). 
Quote: Nogget @ November 19 2009, 4:16 AM GMTHow do you avoid writing a gag that's (too) obvious?
Make sure you steal it from a very obscure show.
If it's in front of a live audience obvious gags can go down very well. Why avoid?
The best example I can think of where this is the case is the 'Brain Surgeon' sketch by Mitchell and Webb:
When I write a gag and no-one laughs I find that that fairly non-obvious. I tend to issue an accompanying pamphlet to explain them with lots of pretty pictures
Quote: JJCrowley @ November 24 2009, 6:19 AM GMTThe best example I can think of where this is the case is the 'Brain Surgeon' sketch by Mitchell and Webb:
Ha! That's good. They had one like this at The Works 2 about Columbo that I thought was amazing. The gist of it was a shop assistant trying to close the shop and checking that he didn't want to purchase anything else. He finally admitted there 'was just one more thing' (sorry if it's been mentioned before. Haven't read the whole thread).
I'm going to try and write one, goddammit!