2009 Other Network Comedy Contest Winner Announced

Get your foot in the door

The Winner of the Other Network Comedy Contest for 2009 is…

Richard Lucas
(“Jim Hill’s Double-Breasted Suit” Standup Performance)*

Honorable mentions go to…
Mark Staufenberg (“Black Hitler” 30 Rock Spec)
Howie Kaplan (“Prince Barry” original pilot)
Abby Cohen (“Bad Habits” pilot for “Dr. & Mr.” original pilot)
Austin Hice (“Sweet Dee Blows a Dog” It’s Always Sunny… spec)

We wish we had time to give individual notes because some of the submitted material was not bad. There were some good premises,

Six Different Ways to Write

Beth considers the alternatives

Having a hard time writing? Do you feel stopped by writers block or overwhelmed by too many different ideas? In a rut or under-producing? Sometimes a different angle on, or a different way in, to the material can help your creative output, so Beth Lapides and I have formulated at least 6 different ways of writing. I’m not talking about different forms or genres, but different ways of actually generating creative material.

If one approach isn’t productive, try another. Different methods are more effective on different days and in different phases of the project. And, as Beth says in this excerpt from one of her raps at the Un-Cab Lab Writing & Performance Workshop, some projects may require that you use all of them: “Six Ways of Writing” Beth Lapides @ Un-Cabaret

Do Overs (8 Rewrite Notes for Any Comedy Script)

Opens Doors to Comedy Writers

Even without seeing your first draft, I can give you these notes for your rewrite:

1 – Put at least one solid laugh on every page. Not witty banter or zany behavior. A laugh. Not just your opinion, but based on other people’s reads. You are having other people read it, right?

2 – Double-check your story structure and make your act breaks strong to keep an audience interested (and surprised) to the very end.

3 – Make sure every scene has a a comedic high point (character-based) and a dramatic high-point (story beat) that advances the plot, hopefully in a funny turn.