Customer Reviews

Comedy Writing Step by Step: How to Write and Sell Your Sense of Humor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Perret teaches traditional comedy writing through word association exercises. Reading this book won't make you funny, but doing the excercises might. The best beginner book I've seen.

This is probably the best book about writing stand up comedy I've read. It really explains to you in detail not only how to write stand up comedy material, but how to write for sketch comedy and sitcoms. You can also get more jokes per topic with Gene Perret's method than any other joke writing method I've seen. This book in my opinion even surpasses Stand up Comedy the book by Judy Carter, because you can get more jokes with Perret's mehod and it tells you how to prepare and overcome the dreaded writer's block, even though I do reccomend Judy Carter's book, I suggest you read Comedy Writing Step by Step first.

I have just gone through the book "Comedy Writing Step By Step", and I have to say that it is truly one of the best "how to" books I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Speaking as a professional ventriloquist of 22 years, I have always struggled to write my own material, and after finishing Perret's book I not only have renewed confidence in my comedy-writing abilities, I'm also producing fabulous results!

Perret makes the reader feel as though they knew him personally, and I highly recommend this wonderful work to anyone with aspiring hopes as a comedy writer.

Don't be fooled by the release date of December 1990. The actual date of the book is 1982. He talks about Happy Days and MASH and comedians we don't here of any more such as Phillis Diller. If you can handle comedic examples from past TV shows etc. then the book is good. The actual exercises are first class and he does have good advice for the beginner. May you be funny! (or June)

This book generates good ideas...but you have to do the exercise to be creative. Published in 1982 but it still provides basic principles of comedy writing in year 2002 and beyond.

Don't be fooled by the release date of December 1990. The actual date of the book is 1982. He talks about Happy Days and MASH and comedians we don't here of any more such as Phillis Diller. If you can handle comedic examples from past TV shows etc. then the book is good. The actual exercises are first class and he does have good advice for the beginner. May you be funny! (or June)

I just finished Gene's book and I have to say I came back impressed. You certainly learn a lot about how comedy is truly thought out and there isn't as much 'ad-lib' as you think out there. The only thing I found wrong with this book was how dated it was. The book is abound with references to late 70 and early 80's comedians like Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller, and Gene writes the book from a joke writer's stand-point - somebody who writes jokes to sell to the big-time performers, a practice that is hardly utilized today; therefore, some of the advice on how to sell you jokes can be skipped over. However, as dated as the book is, the method of comedy writing really doesn't change, whether writing for someone else or writing for your own stand-up act (like me). Sure, styles may change - Bob Hope and Dane Cook are FAR from similar - but the method behind the madness really doesn't change that much. Gene very seriously goes into what makes a joke funny and gets you to actually THINK about a joke instead of waiting for it to come to you, which is impossible. Definitely a good read from a master.

Buy it!! All Gene Perret's Books are right on. Comedy is an art that must be studied
like all arts. Gene is very clear on this. Do it as much as possible but one very important thing HAVE FUN!

Watch Mama's Family? Like to learn from one of the masters of writing comedy? Gene Perret is one of the best and this book helps you learn what he knows: comedy writing takes practice.

Persevere and complete these exercises and pretty soon, what first seemed "impossible" becomes doable and then, fun.

This book gives a lot of writing exercises, tips and tricks of the trade that you can use to write funny. A very good buy!

The book really sparked my creativity, got me thinking, and helped me write some good material. The exercises are good for stimulating creativity and, all in all, the wisdom and advice inside are well worth the money. A good book for the aspiring comedy writer.