This week we’re taking a breather from Writing Exercises. Instead, I wanted to share a really interesting video essay. As you know, I believe genre is meaningless, Heretic that I am, but Patrick H Willems has created a great video essay praising those filmmakers who started out making horror films with an absurd comedic edge to them, and crafted some of the most interesting blockbusters in recent years. Not necessarily full of screenwriting advice, but it’s a good reminder of how important it is that you remember what kind of tone and atmosphere you are aiming to evoke to those reading your screenplay:
]]>This month is Power of Reason month. We’ll be examining a type of Character that know exactly how the world should be. Power of Reason Characters solve problems with a sense of detachment. These Characters are precise, seeing the world as complex puzzles to be solved. When their own personal logic is challenged, they can turn to the dark side as they try to revert any deviation. Nothing distracts them from their singular view of the world- emotion does not factor into their actions.
Throughout March, we will look at Scientists, Serial Killers and Strategists and try to understand why these Characters are so rigid in their logic and reasoning. Power of Reason Characters may seem one-note and unwavering, but their detachment and problem-solving can be as fascinating as it is horrifying.
The Odd Couple
Based on the play by Neil Simon, The Odd Couple, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, is one of the most renowned comedies ever made, and with good reason. It’s a classic simple premise- two friends, Felix (Lemmon) and Oscar (Matthau) live together and drive each other mad through their differences- performed to perfection by two actors at the top of their game. The film depicts two vastly opposing Character Types forced together- the result could only ever be a clash of egos.
Felix: Power of Reason
Felix’s perfect, neatly-organized world turns to disarray when he splits up with his wife, driving him to several unsuccessful suicide attempts. This dramatic reaction shows how much of a Power of Reason that Felix is- he cannot comprehend the order of his world being upended.
He is a neurotic, uptight, OCD Power of Reason Character. Then he meets with even more chaos when he moves in with his friend Oscar, the polar opposite to him in every way. Their relationship becomes strained and the tension increases as they both ruin each other’s previously satisfactory situations. For Oscar, it’s a big inconvenience. For Felix, it’s a fundamental alteration to how he perceives things to be.
Felix drove his wife crazy with his obsession to have everything the way he thought it should be. Oscar is like a Bull in a China Shop. He is resistant to all Felix’s attempts to clean and perfect his apartment for him. This reckless slob forces change upon Felix.
Oscar: Power of Excitement
Oscar is a fun-loving, thrill-seeking slob that becomes the bane of Felix’s life because he totally disregards Felix’s logic. He challenges the worldview of a Power of Reason Character simply by being the way he is.
Power of Excitement Characters seek thrills, fun and pleasure. The kind of values that Felix stands for- order and cleanliness- are unnecessary burdens to this way of life. He is far more laidback than Felix. But Oscar becomes increasingly irate by this uptight basket of nerves who wants him to be more responsible.
One of a Power of Excitement Character’s greatest fears is settling down and taking on responsibility. These two need each other, even though they may not want to admit it. One needs to loosen up and learn that they cannot control everything. The other needs to get their act together and start behaving like an adult.
Conflict makes for great drama and great comedy. The Odd Couple pairs up the two Character Types that best represent order and chaos. Forcing them into the same cramped apartment guarantees humour and conflict.
]]>by Guest Contributor Oscar Harding
“Crabs in a Barrel” is the perfect phrase to describe the five core characters in the FX sitcom It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
There is a reason this show has endured, lasting 12 seasons so far with 2 more commissioned, and is now the longest-running live-action sitcom in Television history.
There is a way to keep your characters engaging even when they remain stagnant as characters and never evolve. In fact, to some extent, that’s what the most successful sitcoms do- Friends, Frasier, Seinfeld… if your characters evolve, then they eventually reach an end to their journey- you can end your show on a high, like Breaking Bad, or you can outstay your welcome and lose the interest of your audience, like Moonlighting. But if your characters never change, never really learn from their actions, then you can run and run and run.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia revels in stagnation, not out of necessity but out of choice- all five members of “The Gang” are terrible people, and hold each other back. That is why they stagnate- not because of lazy writing, or the creators’ fear of ending a good thing, but because of who they are. Their stagnation is actually character development.
Charlie is, for the most part, an innocent guy manipulated by the rest of the gang. Mac is delusional of both his skills as a bodyguard and of his own sexuality. Dee is arrogant, believing herself to be an undiscovered talent. Dennis is the ultimate sociopath and one of the most insecure Power of Will characters on Television, whilst Frank is just a terrible, disgusting human being all the time. This reprehensible ensemble willingly, or unwillingly. ruin every single opportunity that one of them might have to better themselves or seek redemption.
Let’s look at the different personalities of “The Gang” and see how they contribute to each other’s stagnation in their unique ways:
Power of Will- Dennis
Power of Will characters are often antagonists or occasionally complex protagonists- Dennis (Glenn Howerton) awkwardly falls into both categories, but he is undoubtedly a Power of Will character. The dark side of this Character Type- arguably their only side- is a belief in dividing those around them into friends and foes, or the strong and the weak. Despite having no real reason to think himself as a powerful leader, Dennis refers to himself as “The Golden God” and “A Five-Star Man”. He is protective and territorial over his domain, but unlike other Power of Will characters like Tony Soprano and Daniel Plainview, he has no actual domain- he co-owns Paddy’s Pub with Mac, and The Gang doesn’t see him as a leader or one to get them out of a jam. He has no reason to exert his will, yet it is all he ever attempts.
In every way, this domineering personality never serves Dennis well. Unlike the others, he has no shame and no mercy, to a chilling degree. The others will compromise where they have to in order to get their own way, but Dennis remains steadfast. He has to be in control, especially when it comes to women- he is a complete sociopath with his own troubling method of emotionally controlling the women he seduces called “The D.E.N.N.I.S. System”. If this show has a villain, it would be Dennis.
Power of Ambition- Mac & Dee
Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson) represent the dark side of Power of Ambition characters- they lie, cheat and steal to get what they want and to get ahead. It is these traits that are almost always their downfall, and the ones for whom “crabs in a barrel” is the aptest metaphor. Dee thinks she is a multi-talented comedian who can always make people laugh, but the only time anyone laughs at her is when she has injured herself or has been made to look a fool. Mac is equally delusional, pronounces himself a karate master and believing himself to be the Head of Security for Paddy’s Pub. No one else recognizes him as this kind of a professional.
In both cases, this unwillingness to accept their limitations means Mac and Dee are always way in over their head, driven by greed and a need to be not just acknowledged but praised. Their shortcomings could be most easily overcome, but they are totally rigid and unlikely to change. They believe themselves to be better than everyone else- a classic Power of Ambition trait- but nothing could be further from the truth. They are unlikely to cooperate properly in schemes where all five members of The Gang could gain something and are responsible for The Gang’s failure more often than anyone else.
Power of Excitement- Frank & Charlie
At almost every turn, these two agents of chaos manage to sabotage any attempts by Dennis, Mac and Dee to improve their standing in society. Frank (Danny DeVito) and Charlie (Charlie Day) live together blissfully in a squalid apartment, sharing a bed and cooking sandwiches on the radiator. They only seek the next distraction, until they get bored and move on. Their pursuit of distraction is endless, and though Frank is a mean-spirited, grotesque figure and Charlie is a warped innocent affected by his terrible upbringing. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum but both are united in their pursuit of adventure and excitement. They both act ‘forever young’, but Charlie does so out of arrested development, and Frank has spent so long as a businessman and a father that he simply wants to live out his twilight years as carefree as possible.
It is this total lack of consideration for the consequences of their actions that make them typical Power of Excitement characters. However, neither one is charming or rakish, but they are constantly fun and the life of the party, no matter how depraved they may be. It is this lack of cynicism that either helps them win the day through sheer obliviousness to the obstacles they must overcome, or drags them down because they put no consideration into what they are doing. They are unpredictable and totally irresponsible in their own ways. Frank and Charlie definitely represent the dark side of Power of Excitement.
For more examples of all the character types, you can purchase my in-depth e-books at the ETB shop, or you can read more articles on all the “Power Of…” types including James Bond, Doctor Who, Batman and Sherlock Holmes, every Tuesday. There are also 9 pinterest boards full of character examples online. Check them out and let us know at [email protected] if you have any other suggestions.
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There is a Slapstick Film Festival and other, related, events every year in Bristol. The 2018 Festival has just been announced HERE for the coming year.
Aardman Animation (Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, etc.) is a big sponsor of the festival. Slapstick figures heavily in all their feature and short film development.
One of my first assignment for the company was to do an Emotional Toolbox analysis of three of their favorite silent film era characters. Even without words the types of these three characters come shining through.
Charlie Chaplin greatest character traits are his wistfulness and poetic soul. He is a Power of Idealism character. Loss and longing figure prominently in all his stories. He is a sensitive soul who shuffles along with sadness as his constant companion.
Buster Keaton is a Power of Reason character. He is an ingenious problem solver with a deadpan attitude. He is so stiff emotionally that his nickname was “The Great Stone Face”. He had a mechanical style and tackled all situations with a robotic refusal to give up.
Harold Lloyd is an optimistic can-do Power of Ambition character. He tackles all obstacles with enthusiasm and brash confidence. His film characters want to be popular and live the easy life. These men find redemption through hard work, learning to act with integrity, or forming real relationships through honest sincere love.
By Guest Contributor Oscar Harding
Chances are, most European readers will have no idea what Nathan For You is. In fact, many Americans might not know it despite being on the Comedy Central channel. It is one of US TV’s best-kept secrets and also one of the funniest shows in years.
It has just returned for its fourth and potentially final season, so now seems an excellent time to examine Nathan Fielder, perhaps the most quintessential Power of Ambition character currently on Television.
A very brief summary of the show- similar to reality shows like Kitchen Nightmares, self-professed small business guru Nathan Fielder provides… innovative solutions to struggling entrepreneurs in California. The show is produced in a similar fashion to its televisual peers, but the businesses and people are all real and unaware the show is a joke.
Canadian comedian Fielder plays the whole thing straight, forever deadpan as he suggests everything from a coffee shop turning into a legal parody of Starbucks, to a realtor claiming to specialise in haunted houses. Here is an example of his work- it really has to be seen to be believed:
The premise alone makes a very funny show, but it is the character of Nathan- a classic Power of Ambition type- that makes it something special. There is a subtle narrative arc weaved into the show, of Nathan desperately seeking friendship and romance where he can find it.
Sometimes the show completely abandons its premise as we see Nathan trying to overcome his shyness towards women, or searching for friends online. The line between reality and fiction is regularly blurred to an unrecognizable level.
Power of ambition characters seek approval from others. They also want to appear untouchable, and at the top of their game. Nathan introduces each episode by claiming “he graduated from one of Canada’s top business schools with really good grades”.
Nathan takes everything to the absolute extreme in order to impress the business owners he helps, to the point where sometimes he’s forgotten what he was doing was to help a business, and he carries on his ludicrous plans without them. I’ve never seen a character in television more desperate for love and appreciation except perhaps David Brent.
The show is an excellent satire, but crucially it serves as a vehicle for its main character, portrayed by an actor who never makes fun of the business owners he strives to gain respect from, instead making himself the butt of the joke. Every time, his drive to be liked propels him to go too far. He will break the law and create elaborate hoaxes to “help” small businesses. At the end of it all, he usually asks the business owners if they’d like to hang out with him now filming has wrapped. Their answer is always no.
If people want an example of a Power of Ambition character, I will always refer them to Nathan Fielder- to me, he is the epitome of Power of Ambition.
For more information on Power of Ambition characters and other examples click HERE.
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This advice from comedian Bill Hicks (who died of cancer in 1993) is applicable to many other activities besides stand-up comedy.
- If you can be yourself on stage nobody else can be you and you have the law of supply and demand covered.
- The act is something you fall back on if you can’t think of anything else to say.
- Only do what you think is funny, never just what you think they will like, even though it’s not that funny to you.
- Never ask them is this funny – you tell them this is funny.
- You are not married to any of this shit – if something happens, taking you off on a tangent, NEVER go back and finish a bit, just move on.
- NEVER ask the audience “How You Doing?” People who do that can’t think of an opening line. They came to see you to tell them how they’re doing, asking that stupid question up front just digs a hole. This is The Most Common Mistake made by performers. I want to leave as soon as they say that.
- Write what entertains you. If you can’t be funny be interesting. You haven’t lost the crowd. Have something to say and then do it in a funny way.
- I close my eyes and walk out there and that’s where I start, Honest.
- Listen to what you are saying, ask yourself, “Why am I saying it and is it Necessary?” (This will filter all your material and cut the unnecessary words, economy of words)
- Play to the top of the intelligence of the room. There aren’t any bad crowds, just wrong choices.
- Remember this is the hardest thing there is to do. If you can do this you can do anything.
- I love my cracker roots. Get to know your family, be friends with them.
I would modify this list for screenwriters–
- We’ve been telling stories for eons. There are no new stories. The only thing that make you commercial (or unique) is your voice and your perspective.
- How can you tell the story in a new way? Don’t fall back on cliches.
- Never follow the market. Tell stories that excite you– not ones you think the market wants to buy.
- Tell the market yours is a great story by how you tell it.
- Don’t keep going back and rewriting old bits every day, just move on. Finish the story. Let the first draft be crappy. Or you won’t ever have a first draft.
- Just jump right into the story. Don’t waste time with long introductions or back story.
- Write what entertains you. Be interesting. Have something to say and then say it in a uniquely personal way.
- I close my eyes and walk out there and that’s where I start, Honest.
- Read what you are are writing, ask yourself, “Why am I telling this and is it Necessary?” (This will filter all your material and cut the unnecessary words, economy of words).
- Play to the top of the intelligence of the reader or viewer. There aren’t any bad audiences, just wrong choices.
- Remember this is the hardest thing there is to do. If you can do this you can do anything.
- I love my own Wisconsin roots. Get to know your family, be friends with them. Learn from the storytelling of your tribe.
From the sublime to the ridiculous and back again– that’s where this project has taken me.
Netflix, for some unknown reason, recommended Hot Tub Time Machine. I took the bait and discovered a raunchy but ultimately sweet tale of friendship, past regrets, second chances and how our past can haunt us.
The movie opens just as Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by yet another girlfriend. His anti-social video-game-obsessed nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) is camped out in his basement. His friend Lou (Rob Corddry), a burned out alcoholic party guy, has just tried to commit suicide. Another friend, Nick (Craig Robinson), has a dead-end job at a dog spa and an unfaithful and controlling wife named Courtney (Kellee Stewart).
When they check Lou of the hospital they all go back to the Kodiak Valley Ski Resort, a place the guys remember as representing the best and worst times of their lives. A particular evening at the resort seemed to be a turning point for all of them. They arrive to find the present Kodiak lodge in the last gasps of decline, despair and irrelevance– Much like their own lives.
A night of drinking and empty bravado results in a spilled can of an illegal Russian energy drink “Chernobly” on the hot tub’s controls. When the friends are jolted awake from their watery hangovers it is 1986. The band Poison is playing at the big Winter Fest ’86 Weekend. They all have a chance to relive the night that changed their lives.
An interesting issue in the film for me was how we misremember our past. We weave a story about what an event means and then that story takes root in our lives and changes us. Perhaps the event never happened that way– or meant something different– or meant nothing at all (it really wasn’t about you but about someone else). We revisit the past constantly (in the Time Machine in our minds). Some things we can change– some things remain the same but we change. It’s all about perception.
What story memories have taken root in my life? How has what I misremember or have misinterpreted in my past changed me? Can I revisit the past yet again and emerge richer and stronger than before because I have the power to make clearer choices or choose the stories that I want to take root in me?
Byron Katie is an author who talks very powerfully about those things. She calls it The Work:
]]>Do you really want to know the truth? Investigate each (part) of your statements (the stories that have take root inside of you) using the four questions and the turnaround below.
Leave out any statement beginning with “but,” “because,” or “and”.
Take only one negative judgment at a time through the process of inquiry. Often you will have several negative judgments about one person (or one situation in the past). Take each judgment separately through the inquiry process.
The Work is a meditation. It’s about awareness; it’s not about trying to change your mind. Let the mind ask the questions, then contemplate. Take your time, go inside, and wait for the deeper answers to surface.
The Four Questions
1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be like without the thought?
Here is an expansion of how the four questions apply to the statement “Paul should understand me.”
1. Is it true? Is it true that he should understand you? Be still. Wait for the heart’s response.
2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? Ultimately, can you really know what he should or shouldn’t understand? Can you absolutely know what is in his best interest to understand? (Can you be sure he doesn’t understand you? Do you fully understand him?)
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? What happens when you believe “Paul should understand me” and he doesn’t? Do you experience anger, stress, frustration? How do you treat Paul? Do you give him “the look”? Do you try to change him in any way? How do these reactions feel? How do you treat yourself? Does that thought bring stress or peace into your life? Be still as you listen.
4. Who would you be without the thought? Close your eyes. Picture yourself in the presence of Paul. Now imagine looking at Paul, just for a moment, without the thought “I want him to understand.” What do you see? What would your life look like without that thought?
The Turnaround
Next, turn your statement around. The turnarounds are an opportunity to experience the opposite of what you believe to be true. You may find several turnarounds.
For example, “Paul should understand me” turns around to:
• • •
Paul shouldn’t understand me. I should understand me. I should understand Paul.
Let yourself fully experience the turnarounds. For each one, find at least three genuine, specific examples in your life where the turnaround is true. This is not about blaming yourself or feeling guilty. It’s about discovering alternatives that can bring you peace.
More on Bryon Katie’s The Work here: http://www.thework.com/index.php
This movie demonstrates conclusively that an actor’s persona is no replacement for actual character development in a script. Hugh Grant substitutes ticks, shrugs and halting bemused cordiality for interesting dialogue. Sarah Jessica Parker uses hair tossing and wounded narcissism in place of witty banter. Neither role or character is fully developed and it’s unclear why the couple should stay together emotionally. This movie is a perfect example of what not to do when writing a romantic comedy.
The story, thanks in large part to Wikipedia, is this–
A wealthy successful Manhattan couple, lawyer Paul Morgan (Hugh Grant) and real estate agent Meryl Morgan (Sarah Jessica Parker) separate because of Paul’s infidelity. (He cheated once while out-of-town during a rough patch in their marriage– she was a hormonal lunatic undergoing in vitro fertilization). They are separated but are thrust back together when they witness a murder together and become the targets of a contract killer, Vincent (Michael Kelly).
The couple is whisked away to Big Sky and Tiny Town Country through the witness protection program. After advice from the US Marshall couple they stay with, Paul asks Meryl go on a “date” in town. Her vegetarian regime is at odds with the local carnivore culture. They are booted out of the restaurant.
They begin to reconcile over bingo and jogging and more jogging. Paul is injured when Meryl accidentally douses him with bear spray. Then Paul is shocked to discover that Meryl also had an affair after they were separated. (She needed reassurance of a kind that only a one-night stand can deliver, apparently.)
The warring couple is scheduled to leave, separately, for individual permanent hiding places the following day. The killer tracks them down when Meryl, despite strict warnings not to call ANYONE, cancels her adoption plans (made without Paul’s knowledge). The US Marshall couple invite them to a farewell rodeo, but the Morgans are quarreling so they decline.
Leaving their charges without any form of security, the US Marshall couple leaves for the rodeo. The killer attacks the house, but the Morgans are able to flee on horseback. Heading to the rodeo, they hide in a bull suit and frighten a live bull into head-butting them. Meryl, unable to walk, stays hidden from the killer while Paul confronts the killer with a canister of bear repellant. He accidentally sprays himself in the face. The killer is felled by a horseshoe pitched to the head by the US Marshall.
Six months later, Paul and Meryl are still married and back in Manhattan, having just adopted a baby girl from China. They name the baby Rae (after the town where they reconciled). Meryl is also pregnant with their biological child.
There is no exchange of gifts (we don’t see why these two imperfect halves should come together to make a more perfect whole.) They don’t grow through their relationship with each other. He regains her “trust” by a misguided attempt to attack the killer with bear repellant. (Oh! You tried to rescue me!) It’s unclear how she regains his trust (after registering for an adoption he wasn’t ready for). They are rich. She is a narcissist. He is inept. Clearly a match made in… Manhattan?
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I chose this film because it’s a classic I hadn’t seen before. The following is a wonderful description of the film from Wikipedia with edits, inserts and additions from me–
The Awful Truth is a 1937 screwball comedy film starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. Jerry Warriner (Cary Grant) returns home from a trip to find his wife, Lucy (Irene Dunne), is not home. When she returns in the company of her handsome music teacher, Armand Duvalle (Alexander D’Arcy), he learns that she spent the night in the country with him, after his car supposedly broke down. Then, Lucy discovers that Jerry hadn’t gone to Florida as he had claimed. Mutual suspicions result in divorce proceedings. The film follows the great lengths the couple goes to to ruin each other’s post-separation romantic escapades.
Lucy: It’s enough to destroy one’s faith, isn’t it?
Jerry: Oh, I haven’t any faith left in anyone.
Lucy: I know just how you feel.
Jerry: What do you mean?
Lucy: (She tosses the “California” marked orange at him and he notices his incriminating mistake.) You didn’t happen to mention in any of your letters what a terrible rainy spell they were having in Florida. The papers were full of it.
Jerry: Well, I can explain that, Lucy.
Lucy: You can?
Jerry: And don’t try to change the subject. You think a great offense is a great defense. Don’t try to justify your behavior by insinuating things about me.
Lucy: But I haven’t any behavior to justify. I’ve just been unlucky, that’s all. You’ve come home and caught me in a truth and it seems there’s nothing less logical than the truth.
Jerry: Hmm, a philosopher, huh?
Lucy: You don’t believe me.
Jerry: Oh, how can I believe you? The car broke down. People stopped believing that one before cars started breaking down.
Lucy: Well, his car’s very old.
Jerry: Well, so’s his story.
Lucy: It’s enough to destroy one’s faith, isn’t it?Jerry: Oh, I haven’t any faith left in anyone.Lucy: I know just how you feel.Jerry: What do you mean?Lucy: (She tosses the orange at him and he notices his incriminating mistake.) You didn’t happen to mention in any of your letters what a terrible rainy spell they were having in Florida. The papers were full of it.Jerry: Well, I can explain that, Lucy.Lucy: You can?Jerry: And don’t try to change the subject. You think a great offense is a great defense. Don’t try to justify your behavior by insinuating things about me.Lucy: But I haven’t any behavior to justify. I’ve just been unlucky, that’s all. You’ve come home and caught me in a truth and it seems there’s nothing less logical than the truth.Jerry: Hmm, a philosopher, huh?Lucy: You don’t believe me.Jerry: Oh, how can I believe you? The car broke down. People stopped believing that one before cars stopped breaking down.Lucy: Well, his car’s very old.Jerry: Well, so’s his story.The film was directed by Leo McCarey, who won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Director. The film received nominations for Best Picture, Irene Dunne was nominated for Best Actress, Ralph Bellamy for Best Supporting Actor and Viña Delmar for Best Adapted Screenplay.The Awful Truth marked the introduction of the light, witty, suave comedic role Cary Grant played in almost all of his subsequent films. Arguably, it’s the film that ignited his unique star power.
Writer/director Peter Bogdanovich has noted that after this movie, when it came to light comedy, “there was Cary Grant and everyone else was an also-ran.” McCarey is largely credited with concocting this persona, and the two men even shared an eerie physical resemblance.
Grant fought hard to get out of the film during its shooting, since McCarey seemed to be improvising as he went along. Grant even wanted to switch roles with co-star Ralph Bellamy.
Although this initially led to hard feelings, it didn’t prevent other McCarey-Grant collaborations, My Favorite Wife (1940), Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), and An Affair to Remember (1957), from being made later.
The continuing relationship was probably based on Leo McCarey winning the 1938 Academy Award for Best Director for The Awful Truth. It also received a nomination for Best Picture, Irene Dunne was nominated for Best Actress, Ralph Bellamy for Best Supporting Actor and Viña Delmar for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was a box office smash.
The Awful Truth is one of a series of films that the philosopher Stanley Cavell calls “comedies of remarriage”, where couples who have once been married, or are on the verge of divorce, etc., rediscover that they are in love with each other, and recommit to the idea of marriage.
Other examples include The Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday, both released in 1940 and both starring Grant, and the Noel Coward play and film Private Lives. The original template for this kind of comedy is Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Although the Character Types in each of these films are different they are all in the same situation. You rarely see this type of “rediscovering love” comedy any more.
Many of the classic screwball comedies of this era are based on the predicaments of people who are too clever and witty for their own good. In the beginning of the story, they outsmart themselves and then have to untangle the wounded feelings, misunderstandings and ego problems that ensue. Foolish pride gets in way and the situation escalates.
The thing that struck me was the sparkle of wit and intelligence that characterized this film and the “golden era” of romantic comedies. Everyone in the film is an adult. Today comedies so often feature a man-child, who is a bit of slob and adolescent in behavior or lacking responsibility or commitment, but who somehow gets the gorgeous girl anyway. Where have all the adult men gone in comedies today?
For me The Awful Truth is a comedic lesson on how quickly a situation spins out of control when we are blinded by jealousy, pride and our own vanity. It’s a lesson I have to learn over and over.
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A site I really enjoy is LifeHacker.com Recently, I came across an article by Brad Isaac. He was an aspiring comic and is a lead software programmer and blogger. You can read his motivational strategies every day on his goal setting blog, Achieve-IT!
In this article, Brad talks hanging around comedy clubs and meeting Jerry Seinfeld. He had a moment for a private chat and asked Jerry what tips he had for a comedian just starting out. His advice is gold for any writer.
It’s also the premise on which The One Hour Screenwriter eCourse is built. Success in anything requires incremental steady progress. Writing one hour a day or one joke a day is how genius is created.
He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself—even when you don’t feel like it.He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here’s how it works.He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”“Don’t break the chain,” he said again for emphasis.Over the years I’ve used his technique in many different areas. I’ve used it for exercise, to learn programming, to learn network administration, to build successful websites and build successful businesses.It works because it isn’t the one-shot pushes that get us where we want to go, it is the consistent daily action that builds extraordinary outcomes. You may have heard “inch by inch anything’s a cinch.” Inch by inch does work if you can move an inch every day.Daily action builds habits. It gives you practice and will make you an expert in a short time. If you don’t break the chain, you’ll start to spot opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t. Small improvements accumulate into large improvements rapidly because daily action provides “compounding interest.”Skipping one day makes it easier to skip the next.I’ve often said I’d rather have someone who will take action—even if small—every day as opposed to someone who swings hard once or twice a week. Seinfeld understands that daily action yields greater benefits than sitting down and trying to knock out 1000 jokes in one day.Think for a moment about what action would make the most profound impact on your life if you worked it every day. That is the action I recommend you put on your Seinfeld calendar. Start today and earn your big red X. And from here on out…Don’t break the chain!Jerry Seinfeld said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself—even when you don’t feel like it.
He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here’s how it works.
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.
He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”
“Don’t break the chain,” he said again for emphasis.
Over the years I’ve used his technique in many different areas. I’ve used it for exercise, to learn programming, to learn network administration, to build successful websites and build successful businesses. (Or it could be used for screenwriting)
It works because it isn’t the one-shot pushes that get us where we want to go, it is the consistent daily action that builds extraordinary outcomes. You may have heard “inch by inch anything’s a cinch.” Inch by inch does work if you can move an inch every day.
Daily action builds habits. It gives you practice and will make you an expert in a short time. If you don’t break the chain, you’ll start to spot opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t. Small improvements accumulate into large improvements rapidly because daily action provides “compounding interest.”
Skipping one day makes it easier to skip the next.
I’ve often said I’d rather have someone who will take action—even if small—every day as opposed to someone who swings hard once or twice a week. Seinfeld understands that daily action yields greater benefits than sitting down and trying to knock out 1000 jokes in one day.
Think for a moment about what action would make the most profound impact on your life if you worked it every day. That is the action I recommend you put on your Seinfeld calendar. Start today and earn your big red X. And from here on out…
Don’t break the chain!
The One Hour Screenwriter eCourse gives you specific daily writing tasks you can knock off in an hour a day. It guides you day-by-day and hour-by-hour from idea to finished first draft. You’ll never be stuck or stymied again because you will have an action plan broken down in easy-to-follow steps. Finally finish that screenplay in a motivated manageable way.
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