Does anyone have insights into storyforming choices for comedy?
I’m fairly certain storyforming choices are going to be the same, and encoding and weaving are where the magic happens.
There is a chapter in the dramatica book about aligning the OS with the type of comedy as well.
Yes, Prish, that chapter suggests, for example, that if you’re writing a situation comedy, then in Dramatica your Overall Story domain choice should be Situation/Universe.
And if you’re writing a slapstick/physical comedy, then your Overall Story domain choice should be Activity/Physics.
If you’re writing a comedy of manners, then your Overall Story domain choice should be Fixed Attitude/Mindset.
And if you’re writing a comedy of errors, then your Overall Story domain choice should be Manipulation/Psychology. (All this is under “Dramatica Genres” in the Dramatica Theory Book, which now comes as a PDF Help file included with the Dramatica Story Expert software.)
I’m remembering now hearing Chris say something along the lines of the Consequences can’t be that dire in a comedy, or we worry too much.
I also read a thing yesterday (Wikipedia, I think) about the “idiot plot” – in short, people hate the idiot plot, but forgive it for certain comedies. That might be worth looking into.
Have you made any discoveries of your own?
I like the concept that consequences can’t be too dire, which could be interpreted as the MC having confidence to call the shots, manipulate things and refuse dangerous routes. The dire consequences could make the MC choices a no-brainer, so to speak. Thanks. That can be a package for comedy, building up the consequences in the Mc/Ic dialogue.
So far, my main discovery is the natural comic has a feel for how it should go. I am working on something that happened in my husband’s youth. There is a delicate balance needed to get to production, when working with another person. A while back I asked him if it should be a thriller, a mystery–he jumped in with “comedy”, saying something about it dealt with extremes and people not believing unless it was a comedy. He has a natural feel for comedy and joking, so that got me on this comedy track. Now, when I talk about it, “Well, it was pretty serious.” is his remembrance. So, I am looking to combine the two, and the film Nadine comes to mind. The usual difficulty from having to change dynamics so living persons are not indicated, slows the flow.
To cite Steve Kaplan: “Comedy is about an ordinary [idiot] guy or gal struggling against insurmountable odds without many of the required skills and tools with which to win yet never giving up hope.”