Creating compelling comedy characters

I teach a range of comedy writing classes on Zoom. Forthcoming is my Write Funny writers group. The one commonality across all my courses is the importance of characters. In this feature, I'm going to give an overview of how to develop effective characters for your comedy scripts.

Character goals and awareness

Firstly, it's important that your characters, especially your main character, have goals. To fix the problem of a character being passive, you need to ensure that your character is goal-driven and wants something. The comedy should come from the character actively trying to achieve their goal but lacking the skills to do so, making them the author of their own misfortune. The character should drive the narrative forward through their actions and decisions, rather than simply having things happen to them. Character goals work on multiple levels:

• Global Level: The overarching goal that drives them in life (their super objective).

• Story Level: The specific goal they want to achieve within the narrative of the story.

• Scene Level: The immediate goal they are trying to accomplish in a particular scene.

The comedy often arises from the characters' inability to achieve their goals due to their lack of skills, creating a humorous contrast between their ambition and their shortcomings. Additionally, the characters' awareness or unawareness of their failings adds another layer of comedic potential, leading to either neurotic awkwardness or unearned confidence.

The difference between characters being aware or unaware of their failings lies in the type of comedy it produces.

• When characters are aware of their failings, it leads to comedy of neuroticism, awkwardness, embarrassment, and shame.

• When characters are unaware of their failings, it results in comedy of unearned confidence. These characters believe they should be able to achieve their goals and don't understand why they are unsuccessful, unaware that they are the cause of their own problems.

How aware are your characters?

Character relationships

My Boss, Striver, Fool dynamic works by creating a comedic interplay between the characters based on their roles and power dynamics. Frameworks are helpful because they provide a map or structure for writers to follow, ensuring they hit all the key elements for a successful comedy. They can be particularly useful for writers who are drawn to comedy drama but may not be as familiar with comedic dynamics. They can help demystify the process of creating comedy by providing practical strategies and questions to consider.

While some writers may initially resist frameworks, seeing them as constraints, they can actually be incredibly helpful in guiding the creative process and ensuring that the characters and their dynamics work effectively together. By providing a clear structure, frameworks can free writers to focus on other aspects of their writing, such as dialogue, pacing, and jokes.

Here's how my Boss, Striver, Fool model works.

• The Boss: This character holds power and authority, creating obstacles and challenges for the Striver.

• The Striver: This is the main character who desires something and actively pursues their goals, often comically failing due to their lack of skills.

• The Fool: This character's ineptness, social awkwardness, or naivety creates comedic situations and hinders or helps the Striver's pursuit of their goals.

The Striver is caught between the Boss, who exerts power and control, and the Fool, whose actions or inactions often create complications and comedic outcomes. The term "striver" can be more useful than "protagonist" because it inherently implies that the character is goal-oriented and actively working towards something. This aligns better with the core concept of comedy, where the humour often stems from the character's pursuit of their goals and the obstacles they encounter along the way.

When you're creating your characters, identify the bosses, strivers and fools. Here are some classic examples:

Bosses

• Monica (Friends) - While not a traditional boss in terms of employment, Monica takes charge and exerts control within the group dynamic due to her organized and authoritative personality.

• Sybil (Fawlty Towers) - Sybil holds power and authority over Basil due to her ownership of the hotel and her ability to manipulate and control him.

• Queen Elizabeth I (Blackadder II) - The Queen holds absolute power and authority, creating obstacles and challenges for Blackadder.

• Logan Roy (Succession) - Logan is the patriarch and head of the Roy family, wielding immense power and control over his children and their business.

Strivers

• Ross and Rachel (Friends) - They are the central characters who drive the narrative forward with their will-they-won't-they relationship and personal goals.

• Basil Fawlty (Fawlty Towers) - Basil constantly strives to achieve his goals, such as elevating the hotel's status or getting rich quick, but his schemes often backfire due to his incompetence and poor social skills.

• Edmund Blackadder (Blackadder II) - Blackadder is a cunning and ambitious anti-hero who constantly schemes and strives for power, wealth, and status.

• Fleabag (Fleabag) - Fleabag is the main character who navigates complex relationships and personal challenges while trying to find meaning and connection.

• David Brent (The Office) and Michael Scott (The Office US) - Both characters are strivers who desperately seek validation and success but lack the social skills and self-awareness to achieve it.

Fools

• Joey and Phoebe (Friends) - Joey's dimwittedness and Phoebe's eccentric and quirky personality create comedic situations and misunderstandings.

• Manuel (Fawlty Towers) - Manuel's limited English skills and cultural misunderstandings lead to comedic chaos and mishaps.

• Baldrick (Blackadder II) - Baldrick is known for his dimwittedness and incompetence, often hindering Blackadder's plans with his absurd ideas and clumsiness.

• Claire (Fleabag) - Claire's uptight and neurotic personality, combined with her poor decision-making, creates comedic situations and conflicts.

• Gareth (The Office) and Dwight (The Office US) - Both characters are socially awkward and overly serious, often misunderstanding social cues and creating comedic moments through their odd behavior and strange beliefs.

• Greg (Succession) - Greg's naivety, awkwardness, and lack of social awareness make him a comedic foil to the other characters and often lead to humorous situations.

You might find one more more of your supporting characters are overtaking your striver/protagonist in terms of interest.

This might mean that you are focusing on the wrong main character. The character that you thought was going to be your main character might actually be better suited as a supporting character, or even dropped altogether. You should consider shifting your focus to one of the supporting characters that is grabbing your attention and seems to be more interesting to write.

The Foil

The other key character type is the Foil. The Foil is important for comedy because they are the character who is most aware of the absurdity or embarrassment of a situation and reacts to it. Comedy relies heavily on reactions, and the Foil's job is to react to the comedic events, highlighting the humour for the audience.

Examples of Foils include:

• Chandler (Friends) - He is the most aware of the absurdity and embarrassment of situations and reacts with quips.

• Polly (Fawlty Towers) - She is more down-to-earth and reasonable than Basil, and she feels the pain of his schemes.

• Tim and Jim (The Office) - They are the most aware of the absurdity of David Brent's behaviour and often react with subtle looks and sarcasm.

• The Priest (Fleabag) - He is drawn into Fleabag's craziness and reacts to it, as it affects his vocation and causes him confusion.

Sitcom and comedy drama

This model cuts across sitcom and comedy drama. For example, witness the similarities between Succession and Blackadder II, as I identify them, found in the characters and their dynamics:

• Boss: Both have a powerful and capricious ruler at the top. In Succession, it's Logan Roy; in Blackadder II, it's Queen Elizabeth I.

• Strivers: Both feature ambitious individuals vying for power and recognition. In Succession, these are the Roy siblings (Kendall, Roman, and Shiv); in Blackadder II, it's Blackadder and Lord Melchett.

• Fools: Both have characters who are foolish or inept. In Succession, Greg and Connor fill this role; in Blackadder II, it's Baldrick and Percy.

• Foil: Both have characters who react to the absurdity and highlight the comedic elements of the situation. In Succession, Tom Wambsgans serves as a foil; in Blackadder II, it's Lord Melchett.

• Rivalry: Both shows feature rivalries between characters, often fuelled by the desire for power or approval from the boss. In Succession, the Roy siblings constantly compete with each other; in Blackadder II, Blackadder and Melchett are rivals for the Queen's favour.

• Relationships: The relationships between the characters in both shows are complex and fraught with tension, often leading to comedic situations.

I suggest that these similarities highlight the fundamental nature of these character dynamics in comedy, and that whether consciously or unconsciously, writers often arrange their characters in this way.

Finally, it helps to think about making it fun for the performer because it is the actor who brings the script to life. If the actor finds the role fun and engaging, they are more likely to agree to take the role and deliver a compelling and enjoyable performance. Thinking about your characters from the performer's point of view in this way can be a real motivation and inspiration to create great characters.

---

Work on your characters (and scenes, stories and more) in Chris's next Write Funny writers group on Zoom.