Customer Reviews

Comedy Writing Workbook

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This book is called Comedy Writing Workbook and that it's excatly what it is: A workbook. I would almost guarantee that you find at least one exercise per section that makes sense to you. Doing these exercises will improve your skills. You will write better and think faster. You may even become funnier, one never knows. This is the right book for people who think comedy is a craft.

Without a doubt, this book made all the difference in the world in my standup comedy career. After using the book, I went from unpaid open mic comic to a full-time comedy professional. The best way to describe the book is that it teaches you to write "fast 'n' funny," which are crucial to the standup comedy game. If I had to give away all the books I own about comedy except one, this is the one I would keep, hands down.

These are some of the hardest writting assignments you will ever come across, but if you can persevere and continue you will see progress. Going out to open mike nights is essential to charting your growth. The only way to see if you are funny is to go out and make other people laugh. To the would be humorist, screw up your courage and sharpen your pencil and have a ball exporing the world written and performance humor!!!

This book has drastically impacted my comedy writing capabilities. Not necessarily because you learn anything different than you would in another book but because of the way it makes you WORK to practice every technique. Lots of room for you to fall flat but fantastic for learning to work a few hours everyday and continue to write even when not feeling like it. Doing an exercise or two a day after the first section is a great means of learning how to write regularly.

Writing is work and this workbook (aptly named) is a series of specific workouts to help you become a better writer. Save the money you were going to spend on that MFA program and buy this book. I love this book, but I also hate this book because Gene Perret forces you to identify and work on your weaknesses.

And I have a confession: I've never finished this book.

In the last 18 years (my copy has a broken spine so I three-hole-punched it and it's held together with brass flobs or flibs--those bendy things--whatever they're called) I've started the course at least ten times and I get so excited about my improvement and new proficiency that I return to my current book and finish it. If you are serious about becoming a better writer buy this book and use it. Maybe you'll even finish it.

Rob Loughran
Windsor, CA
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This book is like a mental gym for comedy writers. If you are serious about comedy writing and you are ready to make efforts, this book is a must!