Not a bad recommendation.Danny Simon made his bones in the golden age of TV, on shows like Make Room for Daddy and Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows.Then he taught a legendary comedy writing class in L.A. for many years. A young writer named James Scott Bell took the course, and copious notes. These notes have never before been published. Bell is revealing these comedy secrets now for the first time.This booklet (4500 words) also includes an analysis of a legendary comedy show that Danny Simon had his students study. If you are serious about comedy . . . or if you just want to put more humor in your writing, this booklet will give you the tools. “I loved this booklet! So many great points. Terrific examples too. When I teach comedy, it is so challenging to really outline how to write a joke, all the setup that is involved, all the word play, all the reversals and the word choices. This is so well articulated. I will definitely reference it and promote it when I teach!” – Rene Gutteridge, author of Escapement and Never the BrideJames Scott Bell is one of the #1 bestselling writing coach of Plot & Structure and The Art of War for Writers. He is an award winning thriller author and seminar teacher.

    All the world loves a clown and whether you want to clown around at parties or make a living as a standup comic, comedian Judy Carter can show you how to "do" comedy.

    Now four-time Emmy winner Joe Toplyn reveals his proven methods of writing for late-night television in this one-of-a-kind insider's guide. Toplyn analyzes each type of comedy piece in the late-night TV playbook and takes you step-by-step through the process of writing it. His detailed tips, techniques, and rules include: - 6 characteristics every good monologue joke topic must have - 6 specific ways to generate punch lines - 12 tools for making your jokes their funniest - 7 types of desk pieces and how to create them - 9 steps to writing parodies and other sketches - How to go after a writing job in late night - PLUS a complete sample comedy/talk show submission packet Also use this comprehensive manual to write short-form comedy for the Internet, sketch shows, magazines, reality shows, radio, advertising, and any other medium.

    It is intended for those who write humor or have ever wanted to.

    If you think you're funny, and you want others to think so too, this is the book for you! Greg Dean examines the fundamentals of being funny and offers advice on a range of topics, including:- writing creative joke material- rehearsing and performing routines- coping with stage fright- dealing with emcees who think they're funnier than you are- getting experience- and lots more.Essential for the aspiring comic or the working comedian interested in updating his or her comedy routine, "Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy" is the most comprehensive and useful book ever written on the art of the stand-up comedian.

    Designed for anyone who wants to build a stand-up comedy career, this book includes advice and information on all aspects of stand-up and also features a large section of interviews with a number of top comedians, including: Louie Anderson, Roseanne, George Wallace and Paul Reiser.

    It offers tools of the trade such as Clash of Context, Tension and Release, The Law of Comic Opposites, The Wildly Inappropriate Response, and The Myth of the Last Great Idea to writers, comics, and anyone else who wants to be funny.

    These parlances might not fit the modern hoity toity rhetoric you're used to seeing in print or hearing on TV, and that's exactly why they're more refreshing than an ice cube in July. In Butter My Butt and Call Me a Biscuit, Author Allan Zullo offers up more than 200 vernacular verses presented in themes, such as:* Admitting You're Wrong--The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm, 'cause the colder it gets the harder it is to swallow.* Congress--Gettin' a politician to do somethin' good for our country is like tryin' to poke a cat out from under the porch with a rope.* Ego--Some people are so full of themselves, you'd like to buy 'em for what they're worth and sell 'em for what they think they're worth.* Teenage Boys--You kinda wish they used their heads for somethin' besides hat racks.* Revenge--Two wrongs don't make a right, but they sure do make it even.* Surprises--Sometimes you get so surprised by life there ain't nothin' else to say but, 'Butter my butt and call me a biscuit.'"

    Learn the five types of conflict that keep readers hooked, the two elements EVERY scene must have, know when scenes are going to be good (or bad) BEFORE you write them, discover how to misdirect most of your readers most of the time, and much more. Holly Lisle's How To Write Page-Turning Scenes is a funny, relaxed, and comprehensive start-to-finish course with a step-by-step process that includes worksheets, examples, and how-to advice for writers of every genre, and for every experience level---from absolute beginner needing basics, to the published pro looking to notch up suspense and bring in new readers while thrilling existing ones.

    You will learn how to break the topic down into easy-to-attack projects; how and where to do research; a process that makes writing easy; how to improve material; how to evaluate your publishing options and how to develop an individualized and workable plan. Using the pilot system of organization, the binder concept and the check-off lists, the book becomes easy to write. This plan will accelerate book writing whether you type it or dictate it..

    This is a manual offering plain-language insight into the everyday mechanics of creating a book from hazy idea to finished manuscript. These real-world challenges - how to approach a manuscript, to manage research, to fix the right point of view - represent important and recurring obstacles every writer, novice or professional, must overcome. This practical user manual is a must-have starting point for anyone facing that challenge. It is not a book on writing technique or how to get published. It's a practical guide to the craft of planning, starting and finishing a novel.

    Perfect for busy writers or writers who are easily distracted or who want a better way to make consistent progress with their writing. Includes write ups from 15-minute writers who swear by the method. Also covers mindset, getting into a writing flow, how to clear mental clutter so you can focus during your writing session, and more.

    By going through these steps you'll learn how to choose the significant milestones and turning points that make up a coherent story leading to a life-changing epiphany.Help uncover the secret stories that are the keys to healing Explore the dynamics and roles of dysfunctional families Heal old wounds, creating a better present and brighter future Using many examples from her students and clients, the author shows how creative, well-planned, and carefully researched memoir writing can offer a process for sorting out the truth from lies and family myths.

    Whether he's assisting trauma surgeons who are singing “Take me out to the ballgame” while removing a well-placed iconic symbol of America’s greatest past time, learning how fast he can run after being shot at by an angry couple who called for an ambulance, working with a prankster-loving urologist who demonstrates how bladder problems were diagnosed before modern urinalysis, or screaming like a little girl while doing night rounds with a dead flashlight on a psychiatric ward, Cyra’s comedic style of storytelling will make your cheeks sore. Emergency Laughter: Stories of Humor Inside Ambulances and Operating Rooms shows why most health care professionals have such a twisted sense of humor and how critical laughter is to the survival of both patient and care giver.