A ‘game’, in comedy, is anything that happens more than once. In this workshop we will explore how the simple act of repeating and developing a single idea can add hilarity to your story, and help you troubleshoot common problems. Above all, you will have a chance to experience how ‘playing games’ allows you to be surprised by your own ideas!
We will look at:
- Basic game – what it is and how to do it well
- Games to the rescue: troubleshooting common problem scenes
- Games to gloss time
- Games for crowd scenes
- How to find the right game
There will be ‘sketchbook exercises’ throughout the class, followed by group discussion to share our experiences of trying out these tools.
Examples will be from junior fiction, and as we will discuss, repetitive games tap into a form of humour that develops at a very early age. However, it can be used in any prose, and all writers are welcome!
Note: This event is two hours long but will include a short break partway through.