In theory, writing a comedy script is easy; in fact, we can apply that to writing a script of any kind as well. Writing anything is easy, period. However, when you start applying qualifiers like “funny” in front of the words “comedy script”, the difficulty level obviously increases to the point where it can be very difficult. You do not believe it? Well, in that case, just look at all the bad “comedy” movies that have been made throughout movie history! Each and every one of those transgressors started with a horrible comedy script. With all of this in mind, let’s take a quick look at what should go into comedy writing and, no, you don’t have to be a so-called comedy writer to be successful.

First, you have to use reversals. What are reversals? A reversal is basically something that is contrary to what is expected. For example, remember that scene from The Hangover from 2009 that included Stu’s plans to marry his girlfriend? It turned out that Stu was actually going to marry a stripper, that’s a setback. In fact, as those experienced in writing comedy will tell you, humor is based on inversions.

Next, you should never underestimate the power of a great build. A big build up relates to something happening in a movie that everyone is expecting, but to really capitalize on this fact, you need to make the characters in your script expect the complete opposite of what will actually happen next. This has the effect of increasing the schism between the expectations of the characters and the audience and what actually occurs. As a result, the greater the schism between expectation and reality, the greater the laughs will also be.

Believe it or not, location is not only important for a movie’s story, but also for writing comedy as part of your comedy script. If you select locations wisely, even though you’re writing a comedy, the funny ideas will tend to flow effortlessly. It will help to think of some places that are not only interesting in a visual sense, but also full of curious items that your characters can interact with in a humorous way. For example, The Hangover made great use of this screenwriting principle. Remember that the setting of the movie was Las Vegas, which is obviously full of interesting people and things that the Hangover characters could interact with, making for some really fun moments!

Looking for the least obvious joke is another thing to consider when writing a comedy script. You see, in comedy, the less obvious is sometimes more fun than something that’s been done to death a hundred times. Here’s a tip on spotting a less obvious funny joke: It’ll probably be the fifth or even 20th scene you come up with and not the first you come up with. So be patient as you try to find the least obvious joke in the material that comes to mind.

Irony is rarely something that is practiced correctly, but when it is, it is usually comedy gold, maybe even comedy platinum. Irony is nothing more than creating a disparity or inconsistency between the intention and the expression or even between the intention and the results. Keep this simple but effective definition of irony in mind when creating your comedy scenes. Irony is very versatile, which means you can directly incorporate it into your comedy on both the macro and micro levels.

It is more than clear that almost anyone can be a legitimate comedy writer. In fact, some comedy writers probably shouldn’t be in business, but for some strange reason, they still are! However, no matter how you look at things, comedy is a science rather than an art form because there are things that are just plain funny to the human mind, period. So, to prevent yourself from being just one of the many bad comedy writers out there, keep the above tips in mind when writing your comedy masterpiece. That way, you will really succeed in the sense of humor.