Writing Comedy (3rd Edition) — by John Byrne

Because the first two editions weren’t good enough

This is the third book I’m looking at in this comedy instructional series.

This one actually covers joke writing and forming them into routines. So how well does it do its job?

Well, actually, there are a few more topics included in it than just that.

What it does have is condensed into 6 medium sized chapters. From ‘Can comedy Writing be Learned?, to ‘Marketing Yourself as a Comedy Writer’ (so the answer to chapter 1’s question is yes. Unless the answer’s no, and this book actually teaches great self promotion, because nothing can aid your comedy dreams).

That first chapter takes you through a number of ideas people find funny. Hardly extensive, and admits as much, but its shortness keeps the text flowing, without weighting you down in theory.

Moving on to chapter 2, the book shows you places you can direct your comedy. TV, radio, stand-up, novel writing, t-shirts etc. All areas for consideration, and just like the first chapter, delivered without too many words (for a far more extensive and slightly more modern take on this, check out The Definitive Guide to An Unpredictable Career in Comedy, by Joe Randazzo).

‘Basic Joke Writing’ is chapter 3. This is where things gets interesting. The word ‘basic’ might sound disappointing, or perhaps not, depending on what you expect from the book (I’m going to try out the method below, for the first practical application in this series.)

As well as writing the jokes, John Byrne shows you how he gets over the blank page to begin the process. An example topic is shown, then followed by possible jokes and different ways to craft them.

John Byrne’s photo doesn’t appear in the book. The only reason for that is simple; he doesn’t have a face. Perhaps his head is just a 50 X 50cm block of flesh.

So included to represent him is my sample interpretation of one of his in book illustrations.

The book moves steadily on with writing routines and working with comics. If you don’t already know someone you can work with, it advises on how best to find people you might want to write for & what to look for when forming a writing/performing partnership.

Also covered inside are quickies, sketches and sitcoms. Excerpts of scripts are shown, with a mini look across a number of pages on how to go about the process of a sitcom.

Finally, it lands with the bit on self promotion to round off the book. This edition of the book came out in 2005, the 1st in 1999. Although the paper based trade publications mentioned here may seem irrelevant, they’ve virtually all moved online.

As well as these leads, the book offers sound advice on ways to break into the industry, and other questions or problems you may run into, if you pursue a job in comedy.

There’s a nice 7 and a bit page appendix to finish the book. It has further items to check out (if you want. Otherwise, you’re on your own).

It was easy to get through the book, with is medium length & comfortable writing style, sitting nicely between academic and truly conversational. While nothing’s covered in major depth, there’s plenty here to get started.

And if the info whets your appetite on things you’re already considering, it might show you some things you hadn’t thought about before.

The book then is useful. Just don’t count on it for massive detail on any one topic. For a broad based look at practical application to comedy, it’s got you covered.

Verdict

For a place to begin when it comes to comedy writing, this is well worth a look. The basic building block of any comedy — the joke — is looked into, and what it can be applied to.

It won’t take too long to read the book. What you get out of it is plenty to start writing with, if you didn’t know where to start before.

Recommended for:

Beginners who want to write jokes without too much talk, then where to go with that material.

The book never gets in the way of starting out, being long enough to cover what it needs to, without being a pain to get through.

Not so much for:

Looking for deep analysis on any topic covered. Other guides go further into joke writing, sitcoms, cartoons etc.

Other thoughts

This is nicely written. Not too long, not too boring, just right. It’s definitely a gateway drug to further go down a path of comedy instruction, if you find you’re into this kind of thing.

Length

Medium, 168 pages.

This could take slower, dedicated readers, around a week to get through.

Quicker readers will be done in a couple of days, max.

Extra — now for the jokes

Interestingly, this book’s topic covered in joke writing is weddings. I say interestingly, because reported on the news this morning — and throughout the day — was that Boris Johnson got married. Because that’s in the news, I’ll have a go with some wedding jokes of my own, below.

A few jokes on Boris Johnson’s wedding to Carrie Symonds

Boris promises to treat his new wife the Tory way — by bestowing her with lavish cuts and austerity.

While her wedding dress was designed by Athens based Christos Costarellos, BoJo’s suit and tie was picked up 10 minutes before the ceremony from a charity shop.

Or at least that’s the claim by Dominic Cummings.

When Carrie asked Boris if he’d carry her over the threshold, he dropped to the floor and did 50 press ups, stating ‘he’s as fit as a butcher’s dog’.

She’s still waiting.

The wedding was planned in secret, and after the event, world leaders congratulated the couple.

President Putin was the first — all of six months back.

When asked if the musicians for the after party would be covered by the tax payer, Boris said, “I can’t hear you.”

Then the band began to play.