Guest post #3: Paula Finn

This is the third and final post from Paula Finn's tips from her book, " Sitcom Writers Talk Shop: Behind the Scenes with Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and Other Geniuses of TV Comedy". As a reminder her book is available on Amazon and through Rowman.com. If you haven't read her other tips, be sure to check out the previous posts. You'll like them! So without further ado, this is what she wrote: 

5) The rules aren’t for them: these writers trust their instincts.

When I asked Carl Reiner if he uses any rules or formulas for joke construction, he responded, “No, I think the seat of your pants. If you’re a real writer, you don’t worry about the technique of it; you go by the seat of your pants.”

Leonard Stern spoke of the undefinable: “There’s a formularization for many jokes, but it’s very hard to explain. Suddenly you have that humorous insight into something. I’ve discussed this very often with Larry Gelbart, who is probably the most gifted writer and satirist by nature. He’s extremely articulate, and he couldn’t stop the flow of humor. He often said, “I wish I could just write this straight, I’d like to see how I think” — because his writing always had that surprising twist. And he himself was surprised by the direction his thoughts took him. So it’s always been hard to define that. . . that odd perception or perspective of life . . . the capturing of a moment of absurdity. I never could define it; I just knew it existed.”

Ken Estin agrees: “I’ve read rules but I never worked that way, and I’ve never known anyone who did. We all just go by what our gut tells us. I don’t think you can do it by mechanical means. You have to do it by instinct, and experience, and intuition — and all those kinds of vague feelings you have as a human being. When I write a scene, I have to put myself in the situation. And although I won’t laugh out loud, I can feel the difference between something that’s funny and something that doesn’t sound quite right. The formulas don’t really work because comedy is based so much on rhythms. Sometimes just the right word is funny, and you’re not sure why.”

And Arnie Kogen surprised with this comment: “The set-up comes before the punch line. That's the rule I use. And you can take that to the bank…whatever banks are left!” 

So there you have it! Some great comedy people with great ideas. Do you follow your gut instinct? Does it work for you? I think I'm more of a rule follower but I can say sometimes I follow my gut too. So maybe I do a little of each. 

Well, hope you've enjoyed learning Paula's tips. And if you have, be sure to buy her book and let her know. 

After the meeting

So I went it to meet with the producer on a script I was writing for him. I thought I'd have to pitch it to him, but turns out, he actually wants to read another script of mine now. He thinks that one might be closer to being ready. I'm on a 3rd rewrite. So I should be happy right? For some reason I'm feeling kind of panicked over the whole thing. Maybe because this whole script has been sort of tricky. It's a comedy, so you'd think it would be easy. But I guess if comedies were easy, everyone would be writing them. I'm at the midpoint and solved a huge issue I had with it. Now, to write it. The easy part. Not!

My writer friend gave me advice to go in to the meeting with ideas to pitch. So luckily I brought in a couple ideas with me. If he hadn't told me I don't know if I would have known to do that. So if you have a meeting, always bring in other ideas! The producer is interested in a new idea of mine that I pitched. So who knows, could end up working with him on other ideas. That's what these meetings are all about. Working with people you want to work with. And so far, he seems willing to work with me. And definitely, I him.

So there you have it. Always bring in other ideas to any meeting. Now, to finish my rewrite. Wish me luck!

Find the "happy" in the New Year!

So we wish everyone a Happy New Year today but do we really know what we're saying when we speak those words. Happy. It means, "Be Happy". Sometimes easier said than done though, huh? But what I've realized in my years of late is that it's not so hard to do. It doesn't mean ignore the things that bother you, it just means there are so many more reasons to be happy. If we use this in our writing, we can focus on the positive in our career, even if we're not successful yet. Ask yourself, what have been your successes this past year? Did you make new contacts? That's good. Did you reach out to new producers? That's good. Doesn't even matter if they said they'd read your script or if they said they'd produce it. If you got farther in your career, then you're making strides. So focus on that. Do not focus on how far you have to go. Did you write one new script this year? Two? Three? Then that's a lot to be happy about! Maybe you didn't have a strong writing year, but jotted down new ideas, then be happy about that! It's something. It's always something. See, there are always things to be happy about. Even if you have a computer you can write on. Fingers to type on the keyboards. A brain to come up with ideas with.Those are all reasons to be grateful. What you might take for granite, some people might not have at all. So just remember, you can focus on what you can be thankful for and the universe will bring you more to be thankful. Or you can be bitter your career isn't as you hoped it would be yet. And the universe will bring you more of that. I'd rather choose to be happy and watch as the universe brings me more to be happy about. And let me tell you, it's working. The good things are coming. So this year, listen when someone says, "Happy New Year". And mean it when you say it. And by the way, have a Happy New Year. Seriously.

Oh my gosh, it's a pitch!

So tomorrow is the big meeting I've been waiting, probably pretty much my whole life for. I feel like I've been working towards this moment most of my adult life, taking classes, learning the craft, writing, writing and more writing. The producer I'm meeting with is already sold on the idea, and all he wants to hear is the details and my take on it. So all my friends who know the situation and know the business tell me, "you're going to do fine! He loves the story, it's going to be easy!" But of course, it doesn't feel that way to me! It doesn't help that I was sick most of this weekend, so when I'm usually going over my pitch, I was either resting or too tired to even read over it and memorize it. But maybe that's better? Maybe it will seem more natural that I didn't memorize the whole darn thing. I sure hope so! But what I'm trying to do is remind myself, that this is my destiny. This is what I know I'm meant to be doing with my life. I write every day, so what's the difference with telling someone my story? There really isn't any. It seems like more of a big deal because now he can actually hire me to write the story. But that's why I've been writing specs all these years! And he's already told me he thinks I'm a talented writer. So it's not like I have to prove that to him. We were just looking for the right project to work on together. And now we've found it. And truthfully, as I was writing this pitch and this story, I felt that all the ideas just came pouring out of me. That the story really wrote itself. And really, I felt that it was sent to me from my muses, and I was just the conduit to get it on the paper. Even my husband, who's very critical of ideas of mine in an honest and truthful way, has told me "This idea is great. You're going to do great." And no, he's not like my mom who would say that about any old idea. So he is a really great sounding board. So I guess that's why I needed to write this post. I needed to validate that I know my craft. And I know the pitch enough to get the story across. I do like the story, a lot, in fact. I can't wait to see it as a script and get the chance to write it for this huge producer. So really, there's nothing I should worry about. It's all meant to be. I am meant to have this meeting. I feel like this is all happening as it should. I was listening to Wayne Dyer, one of my favorite authors, on Oprah's OWN today. And he said that when you want something to happen, you just say, "I am..." and answer with whatever you want. Like I am healthy. I am successful. I am debt-free. That when we say "I am" it tells the universe to bring you more of that, instead of saying what you don't want, because then it brings you more of what you don't want too! So, since tomorrow, is the day I've been waiting for my whole life. Then I will say, "I am a successful screenwriter." and I will believe it and keep repeating it. I think you should say it too, until you see it happen for you too.

You can never have too many screenplay ideas

How many ideas do you come up with for screenplays? Do you do new ones each week? Or just when they come to you? Well, I read somewhere recently that this writer submits a new screenplay idea to her managers each and every day. Every day! Sure they're not all great. But it's wonderful practice to have to force yourself to keep coming up with new ideas. So I've decided to adopt that as my daily practice too.

If I'm reading a news article I like, I jot it down into something that could be a film. Or if someone mentions something funny I could see as a germ of an idea, I jot that down. I keep an ongoing list of ideas that might be my next script, or who knows, even something I could pitch to a producer. I've had many screenwriting teachers tell me to keep a list of ongoing ideas you can write or pitch. So I've always been good about it. But now I'm really getting good at it.

And you never know how or when you'll need it. For instance a working screenwriting friend of mine had a pitch meeting for certain comedy talent. And these talent were so specific, that most of the other writers that went in all pitched the same ideas. But my friend had such a list of ideas in his back pocket that they were the only ones that pitched something truly original that these guys could be in. And guess, what? They got the project and it was his first film actually made and put in the theaters.

So it just shows you how important it is to have a plethora of ideas. Even in advertising, my day job, I spend my whole day coming up with new ideas, seeing things in new and interesting ways. And when I worked with a TV producer on docudrama ideas, I had so many for him, he didn't know what to do with them all. But it's because I've had years and years of practice of always coming up with more and new ideas. And guess what? He loves working with me. And now it looks like we're going to start producing things together. So it just goes to show, keep germinating those ideas. You never know if you'll use them. But somehow, somewhere, you will.