TODAY'S 2nd NUGGET: Comedy Done With Excellence

Today I read a three quadrant comedy script that had me smiling 1/8 page in.

By 1/4 page, I was grinning like a loon.

By page 1, I knew the entire movie. That's how it's done, folks.

I. Loved. It. Sublime. Classic. My butt didn’t move as I read from top to bottom. Quite simply, these folks can write.

The keys:

1st - The story came first, and the funny parts second. This script was grounded in a well crafted story. The jokes had more punch & impact b/c they didn’t have to do the heavy lifting.

2nd - Strong conflict in each scene. The writer knew precisely what every character wanted, what beats the character needed to hit, & brought to the forefront. (Not every script does that.)

3rd - Good character traits. Each had a flaw & an arc. I was rooting for these people from p. 1 and it didn’t end until the last page.

4th – Clean. Everything about this script was clean and uncluttererd. The flow was forward, and at a crisp pace. It allowed me to easily vertically read. I couldn’t wait to turn the page.

This movie feels like chicken soup and apple pie and the American flag all rolled into one. I was so sad that the story ended, I wanted to re-read it for fun. FOR FUN.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: This script was so good I wanted to bronze it.