The Principles of Comedy

[Excerpt from ‘The Cheeky Monkey – Writing Narrative Comedy’ – Currency Press] For as long as it’s been recorded (the earliest known satires date back to ancient Greece), comedy has been comprised of a range of elements and principles that have not changed. Comedy may have a thousand skins but its bones remain the same….

The Hope Principle

“It’s hard enough to write a good drama; it’s much harder to write a good comedy; and it’s hardest of all to write a drama with comedy, which is what life is.” —Jack Lemmon Excerpt from ‘The Cheeky Monkey – Writing Narrative Comedy’ There’s an ancient principle that underpins many comic stories. Ever since Homer…