How to Write Funny
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Public speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. Something had to change.
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There is one sure-fire way of improving your novel fast...You may know the fundamentals of how to write fiction. You may be more than competent in plot, structure and characters. But if your dialogue is dull it will drag the whole story down...Don't sabotage your chances of selling your work to readers or publishers because the dialogue is unexceptional. Dazzle them with what the characters say. How to Write Dazzling Dialogue will give you the tools to do it.
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Great Info
- By Anonymous User on 06-18-19
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 59
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- Narrated by: David Nihill
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 790
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 724
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 723
Public speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. Something had to change.
In what doesn't sound like the best plan ever, David decided to overcome his fears by pretending to be a comedian called "Irish Dave" for one full year, crashing as many comedy clubs, festivals, and shows as possible.
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How to Write Dazzling Dialogue
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- Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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There is one sure-fire way of improving your novel fast...You may know the fundamentals of how to write fiction. You may be more than competent in plot, structure and characters. But if your dialogue is dull it will drag the whole story down...Don't sabotage your chances of selling your work to readers or publishers because the dialogue is unexceptional. Dazzle them with what the characters say. How to Write Dazzling Dialogue will give you the tools to do it.
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Laugh Tactics is full of strategies that dissect, break down, and analyze all of the types of humor that you'll encounter in daily conversation - stuff you can really use with people you talk to. We're not all trying to become standup comedians, and this isn't a book about ha-ha jokes with setups and punch lines. Learn to simply make a better impression on people, put them at ease, charm them, and make them smile with you.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Failure isn't always funny ...
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Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters - but it just isn't grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It's time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.
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Why We Read (Listen To) These Books
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Most screenwriting books tend to focus on story structure, scene writing, navigating the business, and other parts of the craft that come after the initial choice of the central concept for a story. Multiple Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning writer/producer Erik Bork (HBO’s Band of Brothers) takes a different approach. His experience in the industry and as a screenwriting professor and coach have led him to recognize that it's the selection of the initial idea that is the most important part of the process - with the most impact on the project's chance of success.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Extremely valuable resource
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In the perfect companion piece to his first book, Blake Snyder delivers even more insider information gleaned from a 20-year track record as one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters. Designed for screenwriters, novelists, and movie fans, this book gives listeners key breakdowns of the 50 most instructional movies from the past 30 years. From M*A*S*H to Crash, Alien to Saw, and 10 to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Snyder reveals how screenwriters in the past tackled the same challenges faced by screenwriters today.
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The Best Author & Best Narrator TOGETHER in 1 Book
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what if it's not the beginning or the end that is the key to a successful book? What if, amazing as it may seem, the place to begin writing your novel is in the very middle of the story? According to writing teacher James Scott Bell, that's exactly where you'll find your story's heart and heat. Bell's "Mirror Moment" is the secret, and its power is available to any writer, at any stage of the writing process...Bell presents a truly unique approach to writing a novel, one that will stand the test of time and serve you all your writing life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great info! Could have used a sound editor.
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How to be Funny: The Right Way
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Do you only have an arsenal of three old jokes to work with in conversations, and you can't figure out what to say or when to say it in order to be funny? Did you stop counting how many awkward situations you had to endure at a certain point because you tried to make a joke but absolutely nobody laughed? This guide covers a total of nine topics on how to master comedy and become funny to other people. It will teach you everything you need to know, from the most basic stuff to some advanced techniques, as well as tips on how to adapt in the future.
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5 out of 5 stars
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wonderful book
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Do you know that it’s almost impossible to find a successful writer who has published only one book? Virtually every widely acclaimed author has an extensive catalog of books. To join the elite ranks of those who write consistently, you need to learn how to stay prolific over the long term. And for that, the number one ingredient is self-discipline.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,381
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9,232
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,180
In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. Born Standing Up is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away".
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
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One question can unlock your entire story. Are you struggling to build a riveting plot? Layered characters? How about fortify that saggy middle? Create that powerful ending? You can build an entire book by asking one powerful question and then plugging it into an “equation” that makes your plot and characters come to life. You’ll learn how to build the external and internal journey of your characters, create a theme, build story and scene tension, create the character change journey, and even pitch and market your story.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Glad it came out in audio format
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The Last Fifty Pages
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What are the secrets for writing a great ending for your novel? How do you leave readers so satisfied that they'll want another book by you, right now? What tools and techniques can shape your last 50 pages into a powerful, unforgettable experience? Listen to this audiobook, and you will come away with a thorough knowledge of why great endings work and how to create them for every novel you write.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent
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Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 "beats" (plot points) that comprise a successful story - from the opening image to the finale - this audiobook lays out the 10 story genres ("Monster in the House"; "Whydunit"; "Dude with a Problem") alongside quirky, original insights ("Save the Cat"; "Shard of Glass") to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate - and a novel that will sell.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Tip for finding the PDF!!!
- By SB on 02-26-19
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Improve Your Conversations
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 561
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Does your mind blank in conversation and create awkward silence? Do you run out of things to say and struggle to keep dialogue flowing? (A) Conversation isn't scripted, (B) it's 100% unpredictable, and (C) it can be terrifying at times. How do you prepare for such a thing? By learning how to apply improv comedy techniques to roll with any punch and improve your conversations and social interactions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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should be required reading or listening
- By Jeff on 05-30-17
Publisher's Summary
The definitive joke-writing handbook
Learn comedy writing and how to write a joke with a simple comedy-writing and joke-writing formula you can use right now to write your own jokes. See why Amazon reviewers call How to Write Funny "one of the best books on humor writing."
Author Scott Dikkers will tell you how to write jokes. He’s a master joke writer, founder of the world’s most popular humor site TheOnion.com, number one New York Times best-selling humor author, professional public speaker, and successful cartoonist. Scott created and leads the “Writing with The Onion” training center at the famed Second City in Chicago. His students have been hired for the top comedy writing jobs in TV and won dozens of Emmy Awards. He’s consulted with top entertainment companies like NBC, Comedy Central, and Pixar.
This easy-to-follow guide lays out a clear system and simple formula for how to write a joke that will get big, milk-coming-out-of-your-nose laughs, reliably and repeatably. You'll learn...
- The three sure-fire ways to generate funny text
- The 11 different “Funny Filters” and how to use them to write jokes
- The secret to getting rid of writer's block - permanently
- And many more humor writing tips, tricks, and techniques
Create any joke using the Funny Filters, the 11 fundamental building blocks of humor:
Funny Filter 1: Irony
Funny Filter 2: Character
Funny Filter 3: Shock
Funny Filter 4: Hyperbole
Funny Filter 5: Wordplay
Funny Filter 6: Reference
Funny Filter 7: Madcap
Funny Filter 8: Parody
Funny Filter 9: Analogy
Funny Filter 10: Misplaced Focus
Funny Filter 11: Metahumor
If you've wondered how you can start writing jokes, how to tell jokes to your friends, how to add humor to your writing, how to add jokes in a speech, or how to add humor to your presentation, this book spells out the simple joke writing formula professionals use.
How to Write Funny is for you whether you want to find a comedy writing job or just want to learn how to tell a joke.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Genovese
- 02-04-19
What I expected
Wasn’t looking for a comical piece about writing for standup which many other books on audible seem to be about. This is exactly the “how to” guide for writing funnier by using a simple formula. Subtext + funny filter = funnier writing.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- T S
- 06-22-19
Unlock the tools
Nice to hear the comedy techniques spelled out ... now I’m inspired to go finish that screenplay!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Martha J. O'Carroll
- 04-01-19
lots of fluff, little advice about humor writing
What little advice the author gives seems obvious and dull. He doesn’t seem knowledgeable about books, comic or otherwise.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- NikNieb
- 01-27-20
Fantastically concise and quality advice.
I never write reviews on here, but I think I'm going to start, especially if I continue to find gems like this one. I'm a funny guy. At least I think so. And I know what funny is... instinctually. But having it spelled out like this was great. So many moments of "Oh, THAT'S how that works!" and "That's how that's done!" I appreciated the straight forward approach and I will be looking for the follow up books to go more in depth.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- avidbuyer
- 01-25-20
Very informative with good exercises to prime the funny mind
Coming back to sketch I listen to this in the car . how dikkers explains the different types of funny filters helps the novice comedy writer. I also took a class in which he went into detail about how to make money in the comedy biz. Overall he is great resource and you will get your money’s worth !
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Nelson
- 01-19-20
Great comedy toolset
Take it from the pro, Scott really delivers in this book with all the steps to achieve your comedy writing goals. If you're as big a fan of the Onion as I am, this is a great book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael A Giannulis
- 01-09-20
Really loved this book
The 11 filters are very smart and definitely help comedians or comedy writers to create better jokes and observations.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eric Smith
- 11-25-19
Funny Writing Can Be Taught!
This is an easy-to-follow guide for improving your humor writing. I listened to it twice!
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Customer
- 02-17-19
Unfortunately no useful advice for a writer
I had the impression that this book would discuss humorous writing in a theoretical viewpoint. Unfortunately, "theory" was too light to help in actual writing process. I got the impression, specifically from the part regarding SF that the writer had not read enough in SF field, although it did not seem to prevent him from taking an authoritative approach in discussing this branch of literature. All in all, I was unsure how the writer had arrived at his conclusions. I wish this book had had something real to offer. I would not have given this negative feedback if I had felt the writer had really tried his best with this book.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- david s.
- 01-01-20
A dull plod<br />
Just couldn't get into it, too much a head trip and no heart, nothing funny about it