Quote: Empty @ January 12 2010, 3:35 PM GMTIt's highly offensive in the States, maybe some of that is creeping over here.
There's a line in Avenue Q about it, which the audience never seem to get when I see it.
Just found it odd, it never occured to me it could be offensive. Ah well.
Quote: Griff @ January 12 2010, 3:51 PM GMTIt's easy to come out with that kind of thing occidentally.
Quote: Griff @ January 12 2010, 3:51 PM GMTIt's easy to come out with that kind of thing occidentally.
Even Marc P's wincing at that one!
Quote: Griff @ January 12 2010, 2:20 PM GMTVolcanoes spew out tons of hazardous waste that's billions of years old, right?
So Sootyj has been replaced as BCG's number 1 churner out of dross?
I'm even more depressed.
Most of my writing ideas mug me, I don't seek them out.
Bah I'm almost narked enough to feature you in a Sootyj the Milkman sketch.
Quote: Griff @ January 12 2010, 4:25 PM GMT*alerts begal team*
I fail to see how that will happen with anything?
Another tip tkae part in asinine internet exchanges. Sometimes something funny turns up.
And sometimes a cow shits a diamond.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ January 12 2010, 1:49 PM GMTIt's interesting the idea of watching comedy other people has created keeps cropping up. I wonder though if it doesn't make someone's work derivative...?
I keep thinking that if comedy is born out of life's incidents but if we mainly get inspiration from other people's work we're getting it second hand and the result would be diluted...?
I'm 100% behind that, DD.
I find when I'm writing I actually stop watching other people's comedy, even the desire to watch other people's fades. It's partly my paranoia about being derivative, although admittedly it's not hard to see the style of my favourite writers present in some of my stuff (not all of it). It's also partly the fact that I'd prefer being a producer rather than a consumer. When it comes to true highs, nothing beats writing your own.
To get me started again, when I'm really stumped I'll sit for hours doing nothing but holding a pen and pad. The mind drives the body but the body can (in a very real pavlovian sense) drive the mind too. Putting yourself in a particular place and position for writing, with writing impliments, is a way you can train your mind to get used to switching from normal life to writer mode. But if it's to elicit the correct response, you need to be doing the same routine even when you're in the groove.
Another way is to treat every piece of writing as you would a script extract. Even posts here. Read it, edit it, until it's the best you can make it. It's all part of the craft.
Soots and RC make good points too.
When I suffer the frustration of being "blocked", I find that drinking the blood of a freshly slaughtered fellow writer instantly replenishes my creative powers.
(Oh, thanks for the tip Mikey J, btw.)
A technique I use is to imagine I've been commissioned to write a sitcom/ drama for a well-known actor/ actress (Caroline Quentin always seems to come to mind)and set a deadline; the 'involvement' of the star usually gets the creative juices going. Improvising a piece might also yield results, though it's something I've yet to try.
Quote: SlagA @ January 12 2010, 5:22 PM GMTTo get me started again, when I'm really stumped I'll sit for hours doing nothing but holding a pen and pad.
That sounds bloody awful!! 
Quote: Tim Walker @ January 12 2010, 8:37 PM GMTWhen I suffer the frustration of being "blocked", I find that drinking the blood of a freshly slaughtered fellow writer instantly replenishes my creative powers.
So that explains what happened to Seefacts . . .
Quote: SlagA @ January 12 2010, 5:22 PM GMTI'm 100% behind that, DD.
I find when I'm writing I actually stop watching other people's comedy, even the desire to watch other people's fades. It's partly my paranoia about being derivative, although admittedly it's not hard to see the style of my favourite writers present in some of my stuff (not all of it). It's also partly the fact that I'd prefer being a producer rather than a consumer. When it comes to true highs, nothing beats writing your own.
Yeah, I agree that any aspiring comedy writer should watch as much different comedy - new and old - as possible, but I wouldn't watch it if I was facing writer's or funny block - like you I worry about getting that style in my head. I would go and visit or phone someone I know who is unintentionally funny, go to a pub and just watch and listen to other people.
If blocked - Just make it up as you go along and let your characters tell you what should happen.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ January 13 2010, 10:48 AM GMTThat sounds bloody awful!!
It's actually worse than it sounds.
Quote: Marc P @ January 13 2010, 11:01 AM GMTIf blocked - Just make it up as you go along and let your characters tell you what should happen.
I do a bit of both depending on what I'm writing. In novels, I always work out the plot first. Breaking down the plot tells me which characters I need for that plot to unfold. But in sitcoms, it's always character first.
I'm too afraid of the technique you describe. Writing is the only chance I ever get to have somebody do my bidding.
Wow you guys 
all this help. I'd forgotten how good you lot are.
I usually go for the 'watching stuff that's really good' bit. Somehow it motivates me to compete or something. Though yeah, does run the risk of whatever I write sounding very similar to said inspriation if I'm not careful.
At the moment I'm watching a lot of pulling. Those genius bast*rds stole so many of my ideas I had yet to use.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ January 13 2010, 10:50 AM GMTI would go to a pub and just watch and listen to other people.
Or just go to a pub. Works for me.
