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Wednesday 14 November 2012

Perspectives Of Writing Comedy Play Scripts

By Dianne Crane


In as much as one may talk about metaphysical comedy play scripts, the most obvious preference is for those that are realistic hence easy to relate with. Yet some of them tend to be so abstract that the readers or watchers are left hanging. The following is a short and brief outline on how to write a script that is truly humorous.

It is not easy as you may believe. Compared to other forms of art works like prose or novels, a script is a special and unique piece. It can be compared to the architectural plan of constructors which is the tool that guides all the experts involved in erecting a structure. A script is an inspirational work that has to be crafted with a lot of care. It should be able to stand alone whether you are writing for production or not.

Several rules and conventions have to be adhered to. Some are simplistic ones while others are outright very annoying. You need to know all the set standards if you do not wish to find your script on the dust bin. Try and follow as many rules set as possible because editors and commissioning agents use these rules as reason to cut down on the number of works they read.

Do not show your ignorance even if you are new in the industry. Go through the many formats set by different genres and ensure that your script fully adheres to the standards. After you have all the requirements on your finger tips, then go ahead and twist them to fit your inspirations.

Know your story and figure out how plots will flow. Begin by using the golden rule of three act structure. Create a beginning, the climax and the ending. This may sound that simple but once you begin putting words on paper, is when you realize how complicated the whole process can get. Build central characters that will be pushing the story forward. These are the heroes of your play and everything happens because of what they say, think or act.

Operating within the main conflict are sub conflicts intended to embellish the main conflict and develop it. Ask yourself what are the motivational factors that promote characters into action. Without surprise, any story is flat and becomes a mere reporting of events. An unexpected revelation, no matter how trivial maintains the interest of the reader. Ensure that the discoveries made later in the story are greater in scale than those found earlier.

Keep the audience glued by using different forms of humour through telling truths laughingly. The first person to laugh when reading your script has to be you. If you do not think it is funny, chances are that nobody else will. Avoid humour for the sake of it and ensure that it fulfils the purpose of relieving tension, developing plots or characters.

Comedy play scripts devise several methods in achieving humour. An example can be using misunderstanding concepts where one character deliberately or otherwise misunderstands something said or done. Make use of cross purpose dialogue or even include running gags. Irony is yet another powerful concept in achieving comedy.




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