Free excerpts from Creating Comedy Narratives For Stage & Screen by Chris Head
Here - for FREE - are the first 17 pages of Chris Head's book Creating Comedy Narratives for Stage and Screen. The book will help enormously with your sitcom, comedy drama and sketch writing, and it also references stand-up and improv too.
This is what you'll find in the first 17 pages:
- Explore how a balance of positive and negative characteristics make for a rounded and funny character or stand-up persona.
- ...AND make use of Chris's handy and inspiring table of 108 positive and 108 negative characteristics.
- Discover writing / performing games you can play with these pluses and minuses.
- Then go onto 'persona games' as a way of exploring stand-up persona, which leads into true stories in stand-up and how to edit, shape and heighten them.
- Which then goes into autobiographical sitcom / comedy drama writing.
- Then page 17 begins a discussion on the use of improv in narrative comedy filming.
From there the book goes on to creating comedy characters based on observation of real people and situations, then explores how your loves and hates can fuel your comedy.
The middle section of the book is about creating, writing and shaping scenes, sketches and routines - including a detailed discussion of Chris's very useful SREP (set-up/ reveal/ escalation/ payoff) structure. BCG Pro members can read a further exclusive excerpt on the SREP model, with bonus video clips.
The closing section of the book is about developing and structuring full-length comedy narratives for sitcom / comedy drama and more.
Creating Comedy Narratives for Stage & Screen is out now. Buy from Amazon
We can't imagine you need any more confirmation you should purchase this book, but check out these reviews from Amazon:
"I've probably read every book you could name about comedy, joke and sketch writing etc as I'm obsessed with the process - but none of them come anywhere near to this one. It's an absolute joy to read - makes really clear sense as you're reading it, and has helped me so much with my writing already."
"Crammed full of advice and tips. Would thoroughly recommend."
"The best book I've come across on writing TV comedy."
This article is provided for free as part of BCG Pro.
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