Writing excercise - Sketch Idea Generation

First of all hello fellow comedy people,

I'm new to the forum and new to comedy writing (this is my 8th day of deciding I want to be a comedy writer when I grow up.)

I'm looking to get into writing sketches and am wondering if anyone has any resources/exercises/weird occult practices that help you to come up with ideas?

Are there writing games you can play similar to the ones improv actors do?

Just really any advice on how to get your mind into that idea creation zone would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance!

Griff formerly of this parish used to suggest, go to Wikipedia get a random article and write a sketch on it. I quite like starting with a punchline and working backwards.

The real trick is to tell an interesting story in miniature, which finishes on a punchline that twists expectations.

Or get a news paper pick the 10 most interesting stories and combine 2 of them.

The big trick is avoid the obvious.

Quote: sootyj @ January 22 2012, 4:56 PM GMT

I quite like starting with a punchline and working backwards.

View original

For anything other than on gag sketches I usually do the opposite, and start from the first laugh without having a punchline in mind, but it is all about what works for you. Once I have my eye in I kind of just let my mind skim over things until it snags on something.

Thanks for the ideas guys!

I like the random Wikipedia method because it's trains you to find the funny in unexpected places.

Timbo - I also like to start from the first laugh. It's sort of awkward working backwards.

Try this. Make a list of adjectives to describe people (eg: paranoid: cries easily: always cracks bad jokes: highly philosophical - etc). Now make a list of jobs and professions ( eg terrorist: submarine captain: undertaker: porn star, etc) Look at both lists and see which adjectives combine absurdly with the jobs. Good luck. Tony