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DEVELOPING YOUR SITCOM STORY

GETTING STARTED

Congratulations! If you have decided to try your hand at comedy writing, you have chosen an area of television that’s really fun. It’s also really hard. Not to scare you, but writing smart, funny jokes is more than difficult. Still, once you are up and running and get hired, you will be constantly surrounded by funny, quirky people and your days, while intense, will be loaded with laughs.

Now that you have decided that comedy writing is the path you want to take, you already know that your first step will be to write a spec script for an existing show. Once you have chosen the show you want to write, the next step in the writing process is to study that show. One of the more foolish questions I get asked time and time again is, “I don’t ever watch such-and-such a show, but can I write a spec script on it anyway?” The answer is a resounding no! You cannot write what you do not know. It is impossible to write a good spec script for a show you don’t watch. You must commit yourself right here and now to watching whatever show you have chosen faithfully each and every week. This will help you get a feel for who the characters are, what they are up to in the current season, what storylines have already been done as well as what sets are used each week. As we discussed, if you want to really be diligent, I would suggest that you regularly DVR the show and watch each episode a few times. You will be surprised what you miss — or even want to go back to when constructing your own story. Having episodes at your fingertips will also be extremely useful later on when it is time to write the dialogue.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD STORY

Once you have picked a show to write and studied that show, finding a good story is key. I cannot emphasize this enough. Without a good story, you simply cannot have a good script. Think of it this way: when was the last time you walked out of a movie proclaiming, “That was the best movie I have ever seen. The acting was great, the directing brilliant, the cinematography superb — the story stunk, but still it was the best movie I have ever seen.” My guess is that you have never uttered those words. The reason being that story is the heart of every script. If your story isn’t good, it will be the domino effect: everything else will ultimately fall. This is true in all scripts, whether for television or film. Coming up with a good story may sound easy, but most writers will tell you that story is the hardest part of a script. With that in mind, please heed this important warning: take time coming up with and constructing your story. In fact, take lots of time.

A common mistake new writers make is that they tend to go with the first idea that comes to mind. The reason this usually doesn’t work is that if you can think up a story idea in ten seconds, most likely a thousand other writers have thought up the same idea a thousand times before you. In fact, there are probably already many spec scripts floating around with that same idea. To take it a step further, it is very likely that the show’s writing staff has also come up with a similar idea. This will become even more important when you get to the point of pitching story ideas because if the writing staff has heard the idea, they have either rejected it or allowed someone else to write it.

HOW TO CREATEAN ORIGINALSTORY

The best stories for sitcoms often come from personal experience. Again, sitcoms are about funny people in humorous situations. Usually, they take place in the character’s personal life (at home) or professional life (at the office) — or a combination of both. If you look at your own life, you can probably recall a number of funny things that have happened to you as well as to your family and friends at home and/or at work. These stories are unique because they don’t happen every day to everyone. This means that when incorporated into a pitch or a script, they will sound fresh — something producers haven’t heard before. Don’t misunderstand me; this isn’t to say that everything funny that happens in your life is worthy of a television episode. However, personal experience is always a good jumping off point.

And, since you no longer live in a bubble, and you are doing lots of reading, don’t forget to look at what’s going on in the world around you. Are there any current trends that might be appealing to any of the characters on the show?

Speaking of which, when constructing stories, it is critical that you look at the show’s characters; specifically the main characters. Where are they in their lives? Then, think of things that have happened in your own life that might be a good fit for a story. Next, see if it’s possible to adapt your reallife experience to fit the show.

MAKING ORIGINAL STORIES WORK FOR EXISTING SHOWS

When I was first coming up with story ideas to pitch for Full House, I immediately looked at the show’s premise. This was a show about three little girls (whose mother was deceased) being raised by three grown men. After studying the show, I decided I wanted to do an episode where one of the girls might need her mother for something that you really need a mother for. But, since the girls don’t have a mother, one or all of the guys would have to step in. I looked at the ages of the three girls and then thought back to my own childhood. What was going on in my life when I was about the same age as D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle? One story in particular came to mind.

When I was about 10 or 11 — Stephanie’s age on the show — we had a memorable event at my school. The class was separated by gender: the boys went off with the male gym teacher, while the girls were sent to the auditorium with the school nurse and our mothers. There we watched a movie about our bodies, and all of the wonderful changes we could expect during puberty. After the movie, there was a mother–daughter “tea” (actually juice and cookies), during which the school nurse led a discussion and answered embarrassing questions.

I thought, what a fabulous idea for a Full House episode. Stephanie has to go to the movie, but she doesn’t have a mother to go with, so therefore one or all of the guys would have to go instead. I could see the men crunched into small chairs, wanting to be invisible while the female discussion went on all around them. The underlying moral of the story — Full House always had one — was, of course, that even though Stephanie didn’t have a mother, she had three guys who loved her so much they would do anything for her.

A few days later, I took that story idea along with five others, drove to Warner Bros. and pitched it to the producers. Of the six ideas, the one they liked the most was the one that came directly from my childhood. They bought the story “in the room,” telling me that it was original, something they hadn’t heard before. They said that they could easily see the humor and where the jokes would come from.

I left the Full House offices that day having sold my first network script. I remember feeling awfully cool. Little did I know that my coolness would be short-lived.

About a week later, I returned to the Full House offices where I worked with the entire writing staff to beat out the story. I went home and wrote the outline, and after that, the first draft. Then, I got the call that every writer dreads. It was Marc Warren, one of the show’s executive producers. He was calling to tell me that they had decided against doing my script. Apparently, Jeff Franklin, the show’s creator and executive producer had read my script and gotten cold feet. Franklin felt that a storyline that dealt with changing bodies was far too sophisticated for the Full House family audience. I was crushed.

In retrospect, Franklin was 100% right. I had made a huge mistake. I hadn’t completely done my homework. While I had studied the characters and knew all of the sets on Full House, I failed to study the show itself. If I had, I would have understood that it was the lead-in to ABC’s TGIF lineup. It was an 8 o’clock show that was a clean family comedy — the kind of show that mothers sat down and watched with five-year-olds. While the show had a lot of hugging and a little kissing, that was as far as it went. Therefore, an episode about “changing bodies” was not right for the show, and probably would have gotten complaints from viewers had it made it on the air.

Though the producers at Full House scrapped my script, they reworked the original idea and came up with another story that had the gist of what I had wanted to say. The episode is called “Slumber Party.” In it, Stephanie is invited to the Honeybees’ (the Full House version of Girl Scouts) mother–daughter slumber party. Obviously, she can’t go because she doesn’t have a mother. So one of the guys — Joey — ends up taking her. In his Ninja Turtle pajamas. Comedy ensues.

Because of the Writers Guild of America’s rules that only allow a writer to write a certain number of drafts, the producers had to rewrite my episode from scratch. Horrible as it is for me to admit, my first network script was a page-one rewrite, which is not a good thing. As I mentioned, when this happens, the show’s writing staff has to step up to the plate and take over. When a writer submits a script that ends up being a page-one rewrite, the showrunners usually won’t hire the writer back again. In fairness to me, it wasn’t completely my fault. After all, the producers bought my original story idea in the first place. Looking back, I think it’s because the story I pitched sounded fresh and original — it was something they hadn’t heard from the thousand writers who had come in and pitched before me.

I was lucky. The producers were extremely kind to me. They could have taken me to arbitration and asked the Writers Guild to split the credit (see Chapter 27). Instead they gave me sole writing credit on the script and even let me come back and pitch more episodes, some of which they bought. But, if the painful truth be known, not one word nor one joke in the “Slumber Party” script is mine. The lesson I learned was huge. When adapting personal experience, it is imperative to make sure the story works, not only for the characters, but also for the overall feeling and concept of the show.

STUDY UP

As you work on your own story, you should be watching as much comedy as you possibly can. Inhale it all. Watch the sitcoms that are on now, and you will get a good feel for the current trends in programming. And don’t turn your nose up at past hits that you probably think were written in The Dinosaur Age. Believe me when I tell you a lot of really great television came out of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. And there is a heck of a lot you can learn from these programs. They are called “classic” for a reason — they have stood the test of time. 30, 40, 50, even 60 years later, and some of them are better in reruns than a lot of what’s being produced today.

Every autumn during Parents’ Weekend at Emerson College, I run a mini class in comedy writing for parents where I regularly screen an episode of I Love Lucy. Afterwards, I break the episode down, demonstrating the importance of story, structure, and all of the other elements that go into a good comedy. The episode, titled, Hollywood at Last is hilariously funny and perfectly structured. As I look around the darkened room while the episode is playing on the big screen, it always amazes me how many people have smiles on their faces, many laughing out loud, upon hearing jokes that were written nearly 60 years ago.

So do make a habit of studying iconic shows like All in the Family, I Love Lucy, M.A.S.H., and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. You will find rich, multidimensional characters. Notice the original stories — they all come from character. The same is true with jokes. The challenge I put before all of my students is to write comedy that isn’t just funny today, but will be funny in years to come…to generations that aren’t even born yet. Trust me, this is not an easy thing to achieve.

BEATING WRITER’S BLOCK

It happens to all writers at one point or another — writer’s block sets in. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to come up with anything good. In fact, you can’t even come up with anything bad. You stare at your computer screen or the blank pages of a notebook. Nothing. So, what do you do? All writers handle writer’s block differently. Some blast music or watch T V, some take walks — some even resort to mindless work like dusting and vacuuming. You have to find what works for you. Rather than a mindless activity, I recommend you choose something more proactive — something that might actually jump-start your story. I suggest you journey to the places stories reside — meaning a trip to your local bookstore or library. Here, as you wander around, you may well come across a book or an article that gives you an idea.

The season following the “Slumber Party” episode, I was invited back to pitch at Full House. I was more than a little gun-shy, since my last experience there had been so disastrous. This time, I really wanted to come up with a story that worked. But, nothing was coming to me. I realized that staring at blank pages hour after hour was getting me nowhere. So, I went out to get some air and clear my head. I soon found myself in a bookstore. I went to the TV section and began to browse. I came across a book about The Brady Bunch. The similarities between that show and Full House were incredible. Like Full House, The Brady Bunch was a Friday night, 8 o’clock show on ABC about a non-traditional family (in the 1960s, stepfamilies were not nearly as common as they are today). Like the Tanner family, the Bradys were squeaky clean, and there was usually a small but important lesson to be learned each week.

As I began to browse the book, I noticed there was an episode guide at the back. I began to skim it. One show sang out to me. It was a story about Bobby, the youngest male Brady, who, fell out of a tree and, developed a fear of heights, so the family had to help him overcome it.

I knew Full House was looking for some stories for Michelle. I thought about where little Michelle was in her life and what kinds of things she might be doing. At the time, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were about five years old. Mmmm…might they be learning to ride a bike? What if Michelle was learning to ride a two-wheeler, fell off the bike, and was afraid to get back on? Bingo. That’s how the Easy Rider episode of Full House was born, which perfectly coincided with the Olsen twins learning to ride bikes in real life, which they did for my episode.

Let me be extremely clear. I did not steal from that Brady Bunch episode. Nor do I advocate plagiarism in any way, shape, or form. If you were to put the Brady Bunch episode next to the “Easy Rider” episode of Full House, you would see that there is nothing similar about them, except perhaps the underlying theme, which comes from an age-old adage: if you fall off the horse, you gotta get right back on.

Which brings me to my next point: Bartlett’s Book of Quotations is also a good cure for writer’s block. It will open up your mind to lots of different story themes. Again, we are not stealing; we are simply jump-starting our minds.

STORIES TO STAY AWAY FROM

There are some story ideas that you should avoid both in a spec script and in a pitch. First, and most importantly, you don’t want to do a story that changes any elements of the show. Don’t write a spec script where you marry off two of the main characters. Likewise, don’t have any of the main characters become pregnant. There are two main reasons for this. First, if these kinds of milestones are going to occur on a show, it is the decision of the producers. They are discussed in-house at considerable length — and then, because it’s a special episode, the story and script are usually given to a staff writer, and the episode will almost always air in a Sweeps month.

You should also stay away from stories with obvious endings. One I hear pitched regularly is that the X family is contemplating moving. What’s wrong with that story? It’s completely predictable, as I know how the story ends before it even begins. The family is not going to move. Why? Because as a freelance writer, you know better than to write a spec script that would, in reality, mean the show had to pony up the money for brand new sets. And if your story ends with the family actually moving when producers read your spec, it won’t make a lot of sense because they will know that the family hasn’t moved. They are still in the same old house with the same old sets.

While we are on the subject of sets, be sure to avoid stories that will take the characters out of their usual environment. Part of writing a spec is to prove that you can write the show as it is. The challenge of writing for a sitcom — especially multi-camera — is using existing characters and existing sets. Even if you are doing a single-cam show, there are still certain sets that are used each week. The audience gets comfortable with these sets. If your spec relies on too many new sets, producers might think twice about hiring you as they may doubt your ability to tell a story within the confines of their show. It may seem like no big deal to add a new set here or there, but actually it is. Sets cost a lot of money — especially if they are only going to be used for one episode. So, if, in the back of your mind you were thinking about a spec that sends the show’s characters on vacation, or to a marriage retreat or any place that would require the main action of your script to take place away from the standard sets, you should probably rethink that idea.

I suggest that in a multi-camera show, you should use no more than one swing set. A swing set is a set that is not used regularly, but rather constructed for a particular episode. The temptation here may be for you to argue with me. You are probably thinking, “But the show I want to write often uses more than one swing set.” This might be true. When you get on the staff of that show, you can use as many swing sets as the producers and the budget will allow. For now, you have to remember that you are writing on spec. Part of that job entails showing producers that you can write for existing sets and characters.

You will sometimes hear that you should stay away from writing a spec that revolves around a holiday. I don’t entirely agree with that. I think people say this because they assume that any so-called “special” episode will be written by the staff writers. Of course, this is true. But, remember, you aren’t writing a spec with the idea it’s going to be produced. You are writing a spec to show you can write for existing characters and existing sets. Over the years, a few of my students have written some ROFL specs that revolved around one holiday or another. So, if you have a really funny idea for a holiday episode, I wouldn’t nix it. Just be sure you don’t take the characters away from their regular surroundings. Your spec needs to look like it could fit right in with all of the other produced episodes. Which means, if you write a script revolving around Halloween, having the cast spend the entire episode in a haunted house won’t cut it.

MAKING SURE IT HASN’T BEEN DONE

Before you start to construct your story idea, I recommend checking out the show’s website to see if it lists episodes that have already been done. If not, look for another reputable web site where you can see every single episode that has aired since the pilot. The last thing you want is to invest the amount of time and energy that it takes to write a good spec script, only to find out that your story idea has already been produced. If you write a show that has already been done it won’t feel fresh to readers, even if your episode is slightly different, which it would be. But, more than that, there is sometimes a tendency when producers, agents, or executives read a script that’s similar to a produced episode to think, “the show already did that!” The implication is that the writer sat down and copied the show that aired.

If you do your homework and study the show and know it like the back of your hand, it is possible that you will come up with an idea that is so right-on that halfway through the writing of your script (or even once you have finished) you turn on your TV and boom…they are airing a similar episode. I have seen this happen several times with students in my writing classes. And the question is…should they throw out what they have and start anew. In this case, unless you have just barely started writing, I say no…keep going. Once the script is finished and you are looking for an agent, just be sure to mention to the agent that your script was written well before the show did a similar story. When the show for which you are writing a spec does an episode similar to your idea, it’s unfortunate and there’s not much you can do about it. (Except pat yourself on the back, because it proves you know the show and were on the right track.) Of course, you can minimize the chances of this happening, by taking the time to review every episode that has aired before you start constructing your story.

PHYSICAL COMEDY

Whenever possible, it is good idea to incorporate physical comedy into your story and script. But, here is the hard part. Physical comedy has to work for the characters and for the show. It can’t be slapsticky. What worked for The Three Stooges, while funnier than funny, simply won’t translate to most of today’s shows.

The key to writing good physical comedy is to keep it simple. Many new writers tend to over-think physical comedy and it comes across as convoluted and, in the end, not very funny. Another common mistake I see is for a writer to add physical comedy just for the sake of a laugh. The action has nothing to do with the story. If your story doesn’t naturally lend itself to physical comedy (and not every story does), it is better to leave it out. Putting it in just to say you did will ruin the track and flow of your story.

Still, if you can think of a way to add some physical comedy that feels natural to your script, you increase your chances of having a really funny spec, which in the end will make you stand out as a writer. Learn to write physical comedy well, and actors will love you. Actors tend to like physical comedy as it challenges them to do more than just deliver funny lines.

SIGHT GAGS

A sight gag is something that is funny simply by being. For example, an actor dressed in a hilarious costume. He or she walks onto the stage dressed as a banana or a hot dog. The actor doesn’t need to say a word, but the audience howls. Sight gags aren’t required in scripts, but like physical comedy, if you can think of any that are a natural fit for your story, you will be one step further ahead of the pack.

“A” STORIES, “B” STORIES, AND THE OCCASIONAL “C” STORY AND “D” STORY

The main story that you choose to explore in your sitcom is known as the “A” story. It is the primary story of your episode. Think of this as the blurb that will appear in the TV Listings. In addition to a strong “A” story, most sitcoms have “B” stories as well. A “B” story is a secondary story that runs throughout the episode. Depending on the sitcom and the number of main characters, there may be “C” stories and “D” stories as well.

There are a few reasons that sitcoms utilize secondary stories. First, if you look at the opening credits of a sitcom, you will see the entire cast. In some sitcoms, this can be a fair number of people. All of these actors are being paid hefty salaries to be on the show. Therefore, it would be foolish not to use all of them each week. Second, the television audience is primed each week to welcome all of these characters into their homes. It’s what they tune in for. Imagine if you turned on New Girl expecting to see the usually gang, but the only two characters in this particular episode were Jess and Cece. No Nick, no Schmidt. Wouldn’t you be a tad disappointed — perhaps even feel a bit ripped off?

It is extremely difficult, especially in shows with larger casts, to incorporate everyone into one large, dynamic “A” story, thus the reason there are “B” stories. Secondary stories can also help heighten the tension by presenting another story to cut away to.

In addition to your “A” story, you will likely have to write a “B” story — and depending on whether or not your show calls for it, a “C” story and a “D” story. Be sure that each story utilizes different characters. If you are going to write a spec The Big Bang Theory and your “A” story centers on Sheldon and Leonard, then you might want to think of a “B” story that focuses on Raj or Penny. See how easy that is?

Now, you try it. Write one sentence that encompasses your “A” story. Then write a sentence for your “B” story, and, if applicable, your “C” and/or “D” stories.

CONFLICT IS KING

Once you have an idea for your story, you now need to jot down what the basic story beats will be. In other words, what are the main points of action that are going to propel your story forward? When I read comedy scripts from young writers, a question that comes up repeatedly is, “where is the conflict?” It seems that many of these scripts are going along and everything is way too hunky-dory. Characters sit around and chitter-chatter, and everything is nicey-nice. While nicey-nice might be a great thing in the real world, in television it’s deadly. Well-constructed scripts have conflict in every single scene. Comedy is born out of conflict and opposing points of view. A character should start out with an immediate problem or dilemma. It should then escalate. The character should be proactive and with a plan in hand, go forth and try to solve that problem. But other characters or events conflict with the plan, making the problem go from bad to worse until the resolution. Each scene should be filled with tension. Also, don’t forget to raise the stakes. What happens if your character doesn’t succeed in getting what he or she wants? By adding consequences you add urgency, which only adds to the tension. Trust me on this.

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE WRITING FOR

Here is a lesson I learned early on when working as a writer’s assistant on Charles in Charge. When writing or pitching an episode, don’t forget who the central character(s) is. Don’t forget who the show is about. On most shows, this is fairly obvious. You can often tell just by looking at the title. Two Broke Girls. New Girl. Archer. Bob’s Burgers. The list goes on. If it’s not in the title, it’s still pretty easy to figure out. In the case of Charles in Charge, obviously the central character was Charles, played by Scott Baio. Yet, I can’t tell you how many times the showrunners would hear a pitch and complain after the writer left that he or she didn’t know the show. Why? Because the name “Charles” wasn’t uttered once throughout the meeting. At one point, I remember them saying that every pitch for every story should start with the word “Charles” and if it didn’t, they weren’t interested in working with that writer. That may seem hard-core to you, but really it isn’t. In fact, it’s downright smart advice. When coming up with story ideas you have to know who the show is about. You must create stories that revolve around the central character(s). And be sure that the central character(s) is not only prevalent, but proactive.

GETTING FEEDBACK

Once you have your story ideas, it is always good to get some feedback before proceeding. The best people to ask for feedback are people who know the show. Whatever show you have decided to write, my guess is that you know other people who watch it. In fact, you probably already discuss the show with them every now and then as a topic of conversation.

Feedback can be a godsend in a couple of ways. First, it can let you know whether or not you are on the right track. Do the people you are telling the stories to think they are funny and right for the show? Second, as you discuss your ideas, you will be surprised how people will chime in and offer you different ways to go that will vastly improve your story. It’s the old “two heads are better than one” theory.

CHECKLIST FOR STORY

If you answered “yes” to all of the above, fasten your seat belt. We are ready to move on to the difficult task of structuring your story.