Publisher's Synopsis
Take Your Comedy to New Heights
Harness the power of a funny group of writers like the pros do on legendary TV shows like SNL or The Simpsons, or at comedy institutions like The Onion.
Scott Dikkers will show you how it's done. He's co-founder and longest-serving editor-in-chief of The Onion, the world's most popular humor publication, and founder of The Onion Training Center at the Second City in Chicago. He's also a #1 best-selling humor author and winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
In How to Write Funniest, he lays out the simple steps to make your satire writing, humor writing, funny stories or stand-up material the funniest it can possibly be by leveraging the brain power of a writers' room.
But that's just the beginning. How do you lead a team of comedy writers, which insiders often say is like "herding cats"? How do you defeat stage fright, and what is the most powerful tool in comedy?
It's all in How to Write Funniest, the third book in the How to Write Funny series.
Writers Scott has mentored, trained, or hired for their first comedy-writing job have gone on to win several Emmy Awards, written Academy Award-winning movies, and become best-selling authors.
Inside:
Chapter 1: Revolution
Make sure you're on the winning side of the once-in-a-millennium comedy revolution
Chapter 2: Ready, Fire, Aim
Eliminate the number one obstacle to producing the funniest comedy
Chapter 3: Chimps
Circumvent your natural instincts to create your best comedy writing
Chapter 4: Myth vs. Reality
Resist chasing writers' room myths that result in bad comedy writing
Chapter 5: Who Are These People?
Know your team and what role each member plays to draw out the best in them
Chapter 6: Taking the Reins
Know when to lead, follow, or help for the smoothest possible writer meetings
Chapter 7: Being Bossy
Lead your team by taking on the most important roll in the writers' room
Chapter 8: Let Me Help
Take on the second-most-important role in the writers' room to enjoy myriad benefits
Chapter 9: The Meetings
Employ the best system for running a writers' room for smooth, efficient comedy creation
Chapter 10: A United Front
Get clarity on the goal of your writers' room to stay focused on the top priority
Chapter 11: Thrive in Any Room
Be the best individual writer possible to make the best group possible
Chapter 12: Taking the Stage
Practice running a writers' room to build your leadership skills
Chapter 13: Going Virtual
Turn your writers' room into a virtual group that can meet any time, any place
Chapter 14: Another Secret Weapon
Harness the most powerful tool in comedy
Chapter 15: No More Stage Frightl
Get the confidence you need to face a crowd and make them laugh
Chapter 16: Go Nuts
Armed with knowledge, go forth and make great comedy
