Comedy Writing Step by Step

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Summary: Don't be fooled
Review: Don't be fooled by the release date of December 1990. The actual date of the book is 1982. He talks about Happy Days and MASH and comedians we don't here of any more such as Phillis Diller. If you can handle comedic examples from past TV shows etc. then the book is good. The actual exercises are first class and he does have good advice for the beginner. May you be funny! (or June)

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Summary: For writers who want to move on to the next plateau
Review: Every writer I know wants to move ahead. This book was written to help you do just that. It's a series of ideas that will help you get out of "the rut." It's a collection of ideas that you can call upon to help you get your career going. Some readers have told me that they think the ideas apply to all professions; not just writing. However, we writers have to stick together, so this book is for you...especially.

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Summary: A must read for anyone wishing to write comedy.
Review: I have just gone through the book "Comedy Writing Step By Step", and I have to say that it is truly one of the best "how to" books I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Speaking as a professional ventriloquist of 22 years, I have always struggled to write my own material, and after finishing Perret's book I not only have renewed confidence in my comedy-writing abilities, I'm also producing fabulous results!

Perret makes the reader feel as though they knew him personally, and I highly recommend this wonderful work to anyone with aspiring hopes as a comedy writer.

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Summary: To write great one liners, take this book... please
Review: Mr. Perret teaches traditional comedy writing through word association exercises. Reading this book won't make you funny, but doing the excercises might. The best beginner book I've seen.

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Summary: Step by Step Writing Comedy
Review: This book generates good ideas...but you have to do the exercise to be creative. Published in 1982 but it still provides basic principles of comedy writing in year 2002 and beyond.

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Summary: Probably the best book on writing stand up comedy I've read
Review: This is probably the best book about writing stand up comedy I've read. It really explains to you in detail not only how to write stand up comedy material, but how to write for sketch comedy and sitcoms. You can also get more jokes per topic with Gene Perret's method than any other joke writing method I've seen. This book in my opinion even surpasses Stand up Comedy the book by Judy Carter, because you can get more jokes with Perret's mehod and it tells you how to prepare and overcome the dreaded writer's block, even though I do reccomend Judy Carter's book, I suggest you read Comedy Writing Step by Step first.

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Summary: This book is a step by step process for writing comedy.
Review: When I was asked to write this book, I first thought that there is no real process for writing jokes. In my writing for Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Bill Cosby, Tim Conway and others, I just sat down and did it. Then, as I researched this book, I investigated the process that I, and other comedy writers went through to develop their comedy ideas. This book is that process. Many of my professional colleagues have told me it helped them to improve both the quantity and quality of their writing. It's not the ONLY way to write funny material, but is one way that has worked for many established professionals. And in writing this book, I learned a lot about the craft of comedy writing myself.