The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing

Front Cover
You've always known writing comedy was about more than just being funny. But how do you create a joke and work it into a script or a stand-up routine? Comedian, writer, and teacher Jim Mendrinos has the answers.

In The Complete Idiot s Guide to Comedy Writing, Mendrinos gives readers the principles he teaches in his popular courses, from understanding what funny is and how to find it, to how to actually construct comedy. Working through the basic constructions and forms including premises, points of view, and twists, he shows the variations of written, verbal, and physical comedy. With useful exercises, Mendrinos helps writers refine their writing, appeal to their audience, and even break writer's block by learning techniques for brainstorming, free association, lists, and finding infinite points of view.

 

Contents

I
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III
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IV
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V
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VI
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VIII
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IX
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XI
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CCIX
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CCXI
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CCXIII
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CCXIV
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CCXVIII
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CCXXI
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CCXXIV
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CCXXVI
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XIII
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XV
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XVI
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XIX
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XXI
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XXII
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XXIII
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XXV
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XXVII
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XXX
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XXXI
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XXXIII
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XXXV
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XXXVIII
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XXXIX
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XLI
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XLII
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XLIV
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XLVII
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XLIX
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L
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LII
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LV
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LVIII
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LIX
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LXII
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LXIV
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LXVII
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LXX
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LXXI
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LXXIII
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LXXVIII
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LXXX
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LXXXI
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LXXXIII
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LXXXVI
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LXXXVIII
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LXXXIX
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XCI
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XCII
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XCIV
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XCV
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XCVI
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XCIX
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C
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CI
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CII
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CIV
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CVII
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CVIII
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CIX
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CX
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CXIII
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CXV
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CXX
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CXXV
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CXXVIII
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CXXX
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CXXXIII
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CXXXIV
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CXXXV
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CXXXVIII
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CXXXIX
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CXLI
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CXLIII
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CXLIV
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CXLVI
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CXLIX
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CL
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CLII
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CLV
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CLVIII
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CLX
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CLXI
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CLXIII
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CLXIV
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CLXV
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CLXVIII
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CLXIX
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CLXXI
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CLXXII
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CLXXIII
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CLXXVI
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CLXXVII
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CLXXX
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CLXXXV
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CXC
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CXCI
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CXCIII
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CXCIV
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CC
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CCI
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CCII
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CCIII
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CCV
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CCVI
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CCVIII
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CCXXIX
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CCXXXI
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CCXXXIV
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CCXXXVII
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CCXXXVIII
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CCXXXIX
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CCXLI
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CCXLII
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CCXLIV
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CCXLVII
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CCXLVIII
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CCXLIX
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CCL
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CCLIII
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CCLXXV
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CCLXXXIV
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CCLXXXVI
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CCLXXXIX
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CCXCI
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CCXCII
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CCXCIII
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CCXCVII
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CCC
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CCCII
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CCCIV
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CCCVI
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CCCX
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CCCXII
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CCCXIV
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CCCXVI
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CCCXVII
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CCCXX
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CCCXXII
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CCCXXIV
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CCCXXVI
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CCCXXVII
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CCCXXVIII
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CCCXXIX
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CCCXXXI
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CCCXXXII
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CCCXXXIV
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CCCXXXV
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CCCXXXVI
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CCCXXXVII
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CCCXXXVIII
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CCCXL
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CCCXLII
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CCCXLIV
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CCCXLV
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CCCXLVI
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CCCXLIX
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CCCLI
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CCCLIV
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CCCLVI
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CCCLVII
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CCCLX
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CCCLXI
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CCCLXIII
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CCCLXIV
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CCCLXVII
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CCCLXXI
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CCCLXXV
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CCCLXXIX
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CCCLXXXI
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CCCLXXXIII
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CCCLXXXIV
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CCCLXXXVII
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CCCLXXXVIII
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CCCLXXXIX
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CCCXC
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CCCXCIII
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CCCXCIV
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CCCXCVII
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CCCXCVIII
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CD
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CDIII
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CDIV
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CDVI
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CDVII
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CDVIII
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CDIX
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CDXI
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CDXII
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CDXIV
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CDXV
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CDXVI
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CDXVIII
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CDXX
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CDXXII
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CDXXV
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CDXXVII
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CDXXIX
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CDXXXI
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CDXXXII
282
CDXXXIV
283
CDXXXVII
285
CDXXXVIII
291
CDXXXIX
307
CDXL
311
CDXLI
319
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About the author (2004)

James Mendrinos is a New York-based writer and comedian and long time comedy writing teacher for the Gotham Writer's Workshops. He is a former touring stand-up comic, working with Chris Rock, Colin Quinn, and Sam Kinison, and has appeared on Comedy Central. He was the sole writer for "USA Network Presents: The Problem Child," starring Gilbert Gottfried, and has written and contributed to numerous other network projects for MTV, NBC, and more. He is also an active writer for film and stage, including many film options and over 60 stage productions in New York City.

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