How do you write an EFFECTIVE romantic comedy?

One suggestion (and a possible warning): think of all the silly things that people do when it coming to dating and the opposite sex. I can think of dozens. A lot of them are humorous, or could be made into something humorous.

The warning is a lot of these same things have been used over and over again in books and movies, so you really want to come up with something fresh (as opposed to "boy is too shy to ask girl out even though girl likes boy and he makes a complete mess of it but she goes out with him anyway").

You could also have a goofball "sidekick" for either of the two that could add to the humor. Again, try to make them different than what you've seen in dozens of movies.

If you need more concrete examples, just ask.

Okay, this may or may not be helpful, but Jennifer Crusie's had several posts on her blog recently about romantic comedies. While the posts themselves are brief, there's all kinds of interesting stuff to be found in the comments.

Hopefully you'll find something that can help you there. Good luck.

spacecatlucky said:

I started writing a screenplay that's meant to be a "Coming of Age" love story, not exactly a soap-opera. I've developed a story but the one crucial thing is lacking is humor. I not very familiar with humor, but I want to have mainly some decent humor but maybe some sex-related humor.

Can any of you guys give me any tips?

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To be honest I don't think you can be taught to write comedy. You can learn tricks and techniques to tap into your own humor, hone your comic timing, learn the rule of threes, etc. But you're either funny are or you aren't. Humor is really about how you see the world and how you express what you see. If you don't see things in a funny or quirky way - or more importantly in a way that others would find funny, then you can't write comedy.

I've read far too many comedy scripts that weren't funny in the least, because although the subject matter lent itself to comedy, the writers didn't write funny. A funny scenario and light tone are not enough to make a script comedic. It needs to BE comedic.

You say you're not familiar with humor, so I assume that you don't see yourself as someone who is funny. If you're not, then perhaps going in a humorous direction is not the wisest choice. Or perhaps you can team up (or hire someone) who writes comedy well to work with you or punch up your script when it's complete.

DevelopmentExec said:

To be honest I don't think you can be taught to write comedy. You can learn tricks and techniques to tap into your own humor, hone your comic timing, learn the rule of threes, etc. But you're either funny are or you aren't. Humor is really about how you see the world and how you express what you see. If you don't see things in a funny or quirky way - or more importantly in a way that others would find funny, then you can't write comedy.

I've read far too many comedy scripts that weren't funny in the least, because although the subject matter lent itself to comedy, the writers didn't write funny. A funny scenario and light tone are not enough to make a script comedic. It needs to BE comedic.

You say you're not familiar with humor, so I assume that you don't see yourself as someone who is funny. If you're not, then perhaps going in a humorous direction is not the wisest choice. Or perhaps you can team up (or hire someone) who writes comedy well to work with you or punch up your script when it's complete.

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I can attest to this. I am one of those people who just aren't funny. I can be witty, but not funny. I can be sarcastic but not funny. I fail at repeating premade jokes. I am incapable of making up my own jokes and I don't even get most puns the first time round. It takes a bit for it to sink in.

I cannot write comedy. I can be cackling in my seat nearly falling over as I'm typing something because it is so funny to me but I have yet to find anyone else who has found anything I wrote worth laughing at or even cracking a smile over.

Me and comedy just weren't meant to be dance partners.

As an example in case you really don't believe me:

I wrote a scene where two people were moving in for a kiss. (I don't do romance well either.) As he's moving in for the kiss, her face rips apart and there's a monster in her head which jumps onto him and starts eating him. I'm laughing like crazy because I think it's hilarious and my husband is looking at me like I'm the strangest person on earth. *shrug*

I can't argue with the know thyself position. If you break out in a hot sweat at the thought of telling a joke, if no one has ever (and I mean EVER) responded to one of your e-mails or FB statuses (stati?) with the much coveted and often overused "lmao," and if you don't crack yourself up at times when you re-read something you wrote a month ago... Well, take it on the chin that comedy ain't your bag, baby.

That said, if you power on with writing a romantic comedy, please, oh please, whatever you do, for all that we hold dear on this sweet planet, please don't have a race to the airport to catch the love interest before he/she flies off to Lower Mongolia or something in act III. One caveat, it might work if you make fun of that trite, overused, groan-inducing device.

Just watched "So I Married An Axe Murderer" again recently. That's a great example of turning overused romantic comedy (and cop shows/movies) devices on their heads.

One idea also might be to look back on your dating life and put together a blooper reel. You know, like the time your cat got ahold of a used, filled condom and ran through the house with it to the horror of your parents who didn't know what you were up to with your study partner in your room.

Okay, so that happened to me, what can I tell ya'. I've had a blooperful life. Luckily, there's writing, otherwise I'd be an even bigger mess.

Best of luck!

icerose said:

...I wrote a scene where two people were moving in for a kiss. (I don't do romance well either.) As he's moving in for the kiss, her face rips apart and there's a monster in her head which jumps onto him and starts eating him. I'm laughing like crazy because I think it's hilarious and my husband is looking at me like I'm the strangest person on earth. *shrug*

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This kind of made me chuckle...I think you have potential.

Romantic comedies can be very annoying. They normally fall into these categories:

1)'Rude'- lots of innuendo, centered around sex, lots of swearing.

2)'Kooky'- lots of references to respected music bands, normally of the 60's or 70's. Weird names. Goofy friends. The 'kooky' love interest (normally female) has a funny habit. It is actually pretty basic storywise but tries to sell itself as being 'different'.

3)'Clumsy'- Girl comes from different social class/the wrong or right part of town. Boy is exact opposite. For some reason he finds girl attractive and tries to help her 'fit in'. Then she either fits in or they conclude that it doesn't matter whether she does.

4) 'Clever'- Lots of jokes that go over your head. Supposed to be funny but isn't particularly. The sort of film you claim is one of your favourites but you can never bring yourself to watch it all the way through.

Think of people that you like and who make you laugh. Try and write the sort of people you'd like to be your friend. Then we'll find it funny because it won't come across as forumalic.

My advice would be DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT THE ROMANCE.

Most romcoms suck because new writers build the story around the romance - which becomes one-note and runs out of steam by mid-point.

Most Hollywood romcoms allow the protagonist to pursue something unrelated to romance, allow the romance to develop, and then put it in the way of the pursuit.

Like WORKING GIRL: Tess wants to rise in the company (get that corner office). She hatches a plan with Jack Trainer and falls for him - which becomes an obstacle to her getting that corner office.

In 10 WAYS TO LOSE A GUY you have Kate Hudson with a specific goal and Matthew McConnaughey with a specific goal. Those goals conflict and the two fall for each other.

The "romance" is really the byproduct of a bigger piece of plotting.

Screenplays about the romance - ESPECIALLY BY NEW WRITERS - are often repetitive and meander - amounting to very little.

Romcoms are difficult to write because the script has to be funny and must create a romance for which an audience can root. It's a double duty that most writers - even pros - can't pull off successfully.

creativexec said:

My advice would be DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT THE ROMANCE.

Most romcoms suck because new writers build the story around the romance - which becomes one-note and runs out of steam by mid-point.

Most Hollywood romcoms allow the protagonist to pursue something unrelated to romance, allow the romance to develop, and then put it in the way of the pursuit.

Like WORKING GIRL: Tess wants to rise in the company (get that corner office). She hatches a plan with Jack Trainer and falls for him - which becomes an obstacle to her getting that corner office.

In 10 WAYS TO LOSE A GUY you have Kate Hudson with a specific goal and Matthew McConnaughey with a specific goal. Those goals conflict and the two fall for each other.

The "romance" is really the byproduct of a bigger piece of plotting.

Screenplays about the romance - ESPECIALLY BY NEW WRITERS - are often repetitive and meander - amounting to very little.

Romcoms are difficult to write because the script has to be funny and must create a romance for which an audience can root. It's a double duty that most writers - even pros - can't pull off successfully.

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I think that what most beginners also fail to understand about romance movies, whether comedies or serious stories, is that romantic stories aren't about the romance -- they're actually about whatever it is that keeps the romance from happening.

Romeo and Juliet isn't a story about two people in love -- they're about two people who *can't* get their love to work because their families are feuding.

Sleepless in Seattle are about two people who can't get together because they haven't met and they live on opposite sides of the country.

Even a movie like Gone with the Wind, which people think of as this great love story -- is a story about two people who are apart almost all of the time, barely get along when they are together, and ultimately end up apart.

Come to think of it -- so is Casablanca, another movie that people think of as a great love story -- they're apart for virtually the whole movie, just barely get together, briefly toward the end -- and then they part forever (okay, they're together in some spiritual way, but they're never going to be together for real).

That's what beginners don't seem to realize -- that romance movies aren't about romance. They're about people struggling to achieve romance, barely achieving it, struggling to hold on to it, and often losing it or having to sacrifice it for something else.

NMS

Comedy romance ends in a wedding.

Dramatic romance ends in everyone dying (or else everyone being eternally estranged from each other).

keys

boy meets girl
boy screw up
boys spend most of second and third act trying to amend his mistakes
Boy wins the heart of girl with an amazing if not sappy comeback

there ya go
that will be $500 in consulting fees

In MY OWN personal opinion, I would avoid watching most or all romantic comedy movies out there. Most of them are ridiculously cheesy, unrealistic and stupid. As one person mentioned, look at people in real life. Life CAN be very funny and LOVE can be mighty hilarious. Listen to what your friends and family have to say and see what you can fit in!