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CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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~` General Comedy – The Tools `~
By: Doom 5500
There are several basics when writing in comedy; the first, most important and blatantly obvious is that you want to make your reader laugh. This, however, is not as easy as it may seem. To produce such mirth you’ll need to use several tools provided in your writers’ arsenal. Irony, for example, is a device used in both serious and comedy stories. In both types of stories it is implemented for plot twists and character development. Let’s say your protagonist is a dragon; you’ve got the whole “fearsome, vicious, generally evil” bit that comes with these sort of characters, but to mix things up you can make your dragon a pacifist or a vegetarian. This creates some originality and as an added bonus you can glean a laugh or two.
Another useful tool is the whole “cliché” business. Clichés are traps that many serious authors fear, but in comedy they can be extremely helpful. They allow you to parody things that most stories take for granted. For instance, a typical cliché of adventure stories is the evil antagonist; a villain who’s just so downright nasty that it's practically unbelievable. When writing comedy you may take something like this, tweak it to fit your story and use it for humor. You’ll be parodying characteristic mistakes while working it into your predetermined plot.
Contrast and unbelievably are good devices as well. The concept that a story needs to be “realistic” does not necessarily apply to comedy. There are two typical cases of this: a normal character in an overdone world, or the reverse. Try not to do both at once, however. It doesn’t turn out the same way.

03-Jun-2008 22:54:51 - Last edited on 28-Dec-2008 22:23:45 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

Posts: 35,595 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~` Prose Comedy – An Overview `~
By: Capt Chekaka
If you choose to write comedy, you should have a good sense of humor and be able to forge intelligent jokes that are actually funny, instead of some sort of unfunny fart joke, some sort of joke relating to shouting out random things, or just an unfunny statement in general. Creating a solid joke can be hard, but, if you have a good appreciation for comedy, too, then it may be easier than first thought.
Prose comedy is one of the two forms normally used on the forums, while the other would be scripted comedy. Some say that prose comedy is harder than scripted comedy because you need to focus on description and the like instead of just raw comedy, and they may be right about that. On the Stories Forum, prose comedy normally takes the shape of a **** story, which would normally be written in script. This explains why there is such a lack of prose comedy on the forums today.
Prose comedy is considered the intelligent side of the entire genre, but the only true comparison can be made to scripted stories, which are overrun by, what many consider, to be “spammish” noob stories. The noob story genre is filled with stories that fall under that description, but there is also the small percentage of them that are respected. Prose comedy stories are, usually, a few of the respected comedy stories on the forum, and writing them can be both fun and enjoyable.
So, prose stories can be a great addition to the Stories Forum, but, at the time, there seems to be something of a lack of a noob stories in the form of prose, or comedy stories in the form of prose on the forum. However, we hope to rectify that situation in the future and bring a good, strong generation of stories into the forum. In the following posts, you will learn about what it takes to write a good prose comedy story.

03-Jun-2008 22:54:52 - Last edited on 28-Dec-2008 22:22:31 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

Posts: 35,595 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~` Prose Comedy `~
By: Capt Chekaka
Prose comedy can easily be considered one of the toughest genres on the forum today, and there aren’t very many of them on the forum, either. Most comedy stories take the form of a scripted noob story, but the genre is so much more than that. Comedy has potential to have a great impact on the Stories Forum, but lately the quality seems to have degraded terribly, and the lack of prose comedy on the forum could be used to represent that.
Now, there are two main types of prose comedy on the forum: noob and non-noob. These two types are fairly basic, but both are rather rare in the Stories Forum as of today. Most people, when working in the comedy genre, take a part in the mass of noob stories that are created and don’t bother attempting the prose version of humor. However, prose comedy can be a great way to relieve yourself of stress, while improving your writing abilities at the same time.
The first section of the genre we’ll discuss will be the noob side of prose comedy. Noob stories that take the form of prose normally do not follow the same guidelines set by the stereotypical noob story that one would see in scripted form – the ones with an unoriginal plot, terrible grammar, and bad humor. Instead, they are either highly original or just find ways around the unoriginal aspects. To create a noob story like this, one must have a good sense of humor, a good grasp of grammar, and a fairly good attitude about writing as a whole.
Noob stories that are prose are some of the few that can become respectable, if not following the unoriginal path that many noob stories take. To forge a story like this, you must first develop a plot. What’s your story going to be about? Who will your noob meet? Where will your noob go? You must ask yourself any questions that readers might ask themselves while reading and then answer those queries in your writing. The genre may be difficult, but planning ahead can make things considerably easier.

03-Jun-2008 22:54:52 - Last edited on 28-Dec-2008 22:22:12 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

Posts: 35,595 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Also, developing a character that relates to your readers and following up with good, thought out humor will make your story one to remember.
The second section we will look at is the non-noob side of the genre, which is incredibly rare – you barely ever seem them on the forum. To create a story like this, you must possess all the qualities above, along with a fantastic imagination. Writing a story like this can be quite tough, so prepare yourself for one heck of a ride while writing it. This side of the genre can be very difficult, but also very rewarding.
First, form the base of your plot. What’s your story going to be about? What’s the Runescape reference that’s needed? Who will your characters be? What kind of jokes will you focus on? All these questions, and their answers, are needed in order to be ready. Think about what the readers might wonder about, and use what you discover to your advantage. If you’re planning to write a non-noob story, remember to cover everything and try to create a good assortment of balanced characters, a strong plot that you can work well with, and a nice number of jokes that you can use to fully get the reaction you want.
Overall, the prose comedy genre is very weak at the moment, which is probably the result of it being so underused by the regulars of the forum. However, there are also some great examples of writing within this genre that can be excellent for showing you how to go about writing prose comedy. One of these in particular would be "Dreamweaver's Assorted Tales". Search for it in your search bar if you want a good example of prose comedy in action.
If you want to earn a respectable reputation, and you have a good sense of humor, then the prose comedy genre is where you want to write in. The genre is small as of now, and it's up to you to make it grow.

03-Jun-2008 22:54:53 - Last edited on 28-Dec-2008 22:21:48 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

Posts: 35,595 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~` Scripted Comedy – An Overview `~
By: Capt Chekaka
If you’ve read my prose comedy section, then you should know what it takes to write a solid comedy. However, scripted stories bring an entirely new subject to the table: pure dialogue. Okay, maybe some description of actions thrown in, but this story is practically built for comedy. The scripted styles makes for an easy fashion to incorporate the raw portion of jokes.
However, a good sense of humor is highly recommended. Comedy is hardest here, for the sacrifice of description in prose must be made up for by comedy in script, along with developing a solid plot. Some may say prose is harder, but each have their pros and cons. Relationships must be built with characters for the best jokes to be pulled off, and a good cast of supporting characters helps, too.
Scripted comedy, in noob style, may be looked down upon on the forums, but a great noob story – filled with intelligent humor that’s funny – will definitely earn you some well-deserved respect. However, unoriginal qualities and other serious problems plague the genre, so you must be willing to teach yourself the basics of scripted comedy, and make yourself be able to forge a strong plot.
Sorry, I’m a little bit lacing of encouragement there. Still, scripted comedy is hard to gain respect with, but it may gain you popularity whether it is a strong story or not. Help with this genre can be found on another thread, too: “Noob Story Reviews and Tips”. This thread, which offers noob story writers advice and used to offer reviews, is an excellent source.

03-Jun-2008 22:56:20 - Last edited on 04-Jul-2008 00:26:51 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

Posts: 35,595 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~` Scripted Comedy `~
By: Capt Chekaka
Scripted comedy is the genre of beginners, or at least that’* what many would say. Most newcomers to the Stories Forum start off with a noob story when they see how popular the authors are, and they want that popularity, too. Well, I’m here to teach you how to write a strong noob story and how to earn the respect of countless writers. So, let’s begin.
The reason I focus on noob stories when discussing scripted comedy is because scripted comedy normally takes the form of a noob story, but there are but a few that do not. So, I’m going to go with the majority and discuss the qualities needed for a good noob story instead of purely script, since, well, it’s easier.
The first requirement for a strong noob story is a good title, a good name for your noob, a strong personality for this noob, and a strong cast of supporting characters. Make sure that you don’t copy anyone else’s title and that you are original in naming your noob. An example of an unoriginal name would be: noob. Sadly, many use the word noob and name their noob just that, which is just silly.
The creation of a nice, welcoming title is also needed. Make sure that you capitalize the beginning of all main words in the title, but you always capitalize the first word. Such as, “The Noob of Noobs”. This title is already taken, but notice how “of” is not capitalized. A title that shows good grammar is an eye-opener for many, and it will bring some of the more grammar-wanting readers to your side.

03-Jun-2008 22:56:21 - Last edited on 04-Jul-2008 00:27:23 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

Posts: 35,595 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Next we need a personality. Make sure that your noob is not just another idiot who likes pie, kills the guides, and then tortures the mainlanders when he leaves Tutorial Island. Why? Because it’s unoriginal and, frankly, stupid. If you’re going to start on Tutorial Island, give it your own spin. Please, give your noob a personality that, while stupid, also possesses some other likeable quality to make your readers love him/her.
The final thing is a good group of supporting characters. No, not *Noob 1, Noob 2, Noob 3...” I mean characters that also have personalities that match up well with your noob’s. Also, do not make this a “three noob story” in which there is the stupidest noob, the less-stupid noob, and then a brilliant noob. It’s been done a million times and is generally unappealing.
Using the guidelines above, form your beginning and then work it like you want. Form a plot that you like to write and can make some good comedy off of, and use it to your full advantage. Take criticism from readers and improve on what they say. Do not just say, “If you don’t like it, leave,” because that’s not helping anyone, especially not you.
For my final piece of advice, I suggest hanging around on the Story Discussions sticky and getting to know your fellow authors. They can offer you tips and advice on what to do next, which can be very, very helpful. So, use this information to your full advantage and write some awesome noob stories. However, don’t forget that there’s always prose writing to try, too! Good luck.

03-Jun-2008 22:56:21 - Last edited on 04-Jul-2008 00:27:48 by CaptChekaka

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