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Breve manual de la SITCOM
Writing situation comedies isn’t really that hard. So much of what you need to know is already defined for you. You know that your script needs to be a certain short length, with a certain small number of characters. You know that your choice of scenes is limited to your show’s standing sets and maybe one or two swing sets or outside locations. You know how your characters behave and how they’re funny, either because you invented them or because you’re writing for a show where these things are already well established. Sitcom is easy and sitcom is fun. Sitcom is the gateway drug to longer forms of writing. It’s a pretty good buzz and a pretty good ride, a great way to kill an afternoon, or even six months. And now, thanks to comedy writing guru John Vorhaus (author of THE COMIC TOOLBOX: HOW TO BE FUNNY EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT), writing situation comedy is easier than ever. In THE LITTLE BOOK OF SITCOM, you'll find a whole trove of tools, tricks and problem-solving techniques that you can use -- now, today -- to be the sitcom writer of your wildest dreams. Ready to write? Ready to have fun? THE LITTLE BOOK OF SITCOM is the big little book for you.
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2011
25 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
John Vorhaus
54 books43 followersJohn Vorhaus is known to one and all as the man who brought Radar Hoverlander – con artist extraordinaire – to life in the “sunshine noir” mystery novel, The California Roll, and its acclaimed sequel, The Albuquerque Turkey.
John is also well known as the author of The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You're Not, and its acclaimed sequel, The Little Book of SITCOM, which continue to be definitive sources of information and inspiration for writers from Santa Monica to Scandinavia.
An international consultant in television and film script development, Vorhaus has worked for television networks, film schools, production companies and film funding bodies in 28 countries on four continents. He recently worked in Bulgaria, recruiting and training writers for that country’s adaptation of Married… with Children, and in Tel Aviv, consulting on the Israeli version of The Golden Girls. He also travels regularly to Nicaragua, where he co-created the social action drama Contracorriente to provide positive role modeling for the poor, young and disenfranchised of that embattled country.
And oh by the way, he has written more than three million words on poker, just in his spare time.
Vorhaus is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Writers Guild of America. He has taught at such institutions as Northwestern University, the American Film Institute and the Writers Program of the UCLA Extension. He is the author of a dozen books, including Creativity Rules! A Writer's Workbook, the novel Under the Gun, the Killer Poker series and, with Annie Duke, the bestselling Decide to Play Great Poker.
He sells everything but his soul through his Amazon author page,
http://tinyurl.com/jvauthorpageamazon, tweets for no apparent reason @TrueFactBarFact, and secretly rules the world from www.johnvorhaus.com.
John is also well known as the author of The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You're Not, and its acclaimed sequel, The Little Book of SITCOM, which continue to be definitive sources of information and inspiration for writers from Santa Monica to Scandinavia.
An international consultant in television and film script development, Vorhaus has worked for television networks, film schools, production companies and film funding bodies in 28 countries on four continents. He recently worked in Bulgaria, recruiting and training writers for that country’s adaptation of Married… with Children, and in Tel Aviv, consulting on the Israeli version of The Golden Girls. He also travels regularly to Nicaragua, where he co-created the social action drama Contracorriente to provide positive role modeling for the poor, young and disenfranchised of that embattled country.
And oh by the way, he has written more than three million words on poker, just in his spare time.
Vorhaus is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Writers Guild of America. He has taught at such institutions as Northwestern University, the American Film Institute and the Writers Program of the UCLA Extension. He is the author of a dozen books, including Creativity Rules! A Writer's Workbook, the novel Under the Gun, the Killer Poker series and, with Annie Duke, the bestselling Decide to Play Great Poker.
He sells everything but his soul through his Amazon author page,
http://tinyurl.com/jvauthorpageamazon, tweets for no apparent reason @TrueFactBarFact, and secretly rules the world from www.johnvorhaus.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 11, 2024
A quick read that’s full of insight, helpful tips, and useful exercises.
August 18, 2021
Great tips, easy to understand. Added bonus: it's a fun read!
April 18, 2024
The first thing I’d like to say is that I was initially put off by the authors, insistence on trying to be funny. He keeps making “wacky“ side remarks and jokes in order to keep the tone lively and upbeat… but I just found it distracting and annoying, as if he was writing for a bunch of six-year-old with short attention spans. I actually considered giving up and returning the book, but decided to power through instead. I’m glad I did. He really does have good advice on strategies and technique in there, so after a while, the silly dad jokes were not quite as annoying anymore.
This is what ChatGPT has to say about the book:
"The Little Book of Sitcom" is a practical guide that offers insights into the art and craft of sitcom writing. It covers various aspects of creating successful sitcoms, from developing characters and crafting dialogue to understanding the structure of a sitcom episode. Whether you're a budding writer or just a fan of sitcoms looking to gain a deeper understanding of the genre, it could be quite useful.”
I have found a good breakdown of some of the key ideas he goes over in the book:
https://funnyshmunny.wordpress.com/th...
Here are a few I found particularly useful:
SCENE STRUCTURE
It seems like he approaches each scene as if it were a mini story in itself. Here are the elements of a scene the way he sees it:
1. The "want" or "intention": This is the character's goal or desire in the scene, which drives their actions and decisions.
2. The "in handle": This is the beginning of the scene, often featuring a quick joke or humorous exchange that sets the tone and grabs the audience's attention.
3. The "pre-turn beat": This is the setup or buildup to the main comedic moment or turning point of the scene.
4. The "turn": This is the pivotal moment where the scene takes an unexpected twist, often reversing the character's fortunes or revealing a surprising piece of information. The turn is usually the main source of comedy in the scene.
5. The "post-turn beat": This is the immediate reaction to the turn, showing how the characters respond to the new situation.
6. The "out handle": This is the end of the scene, often featuring a final joke or a resolution that sets up the next scene.
This structure is designed to create a clear and efficient narrative arc within each scene, with a focus on generating laughs and keeping the audience engaged. By breaking down a scene into these specific components, writers can ensure that each moment serves a purpose and contributes to the overall comedic effect.
I notice that he has the same approach as Robert McKee in his book “Story”. McKee advises that if a scene does not “turn”, there’s no point to it and you should cut it. For example, if the character enters the scene on a positive note, then it should exit the scene on a negative note (or perhaps a positive). The reverse is also true. If the character enters the scene on a negative note, he should exit the scene on either a positive note or a double negative. For example:
At the beginning of the scene, the character comes home after losing his job (negative). By the end of the scene he has discovered his wife has left him for his supervisor, the one who fired him… And he’s all out of TV dinners (double negative) - or alternatively, his wife could tell him he won the lottery (positive).
Whatever the case may be, the characters fortunes have to “turn” during the scene so I so as to advance the overall plot.
SET GLUE
The things keeps characters together and makes them interesting. Money (Roommates), Blood (Family), Work. “Im right and youre wrong”
When you have two characters committed to the same goal, you’ve got set glue. When you pit an innocent against a cynic, you have two people, who are essentially trying to sell each other their point of view.
Think past money, blood and work. Think about what your characters are trying to prove. Ask that of each of your characters and you’ll discover something fundamental about who they are and how they fight.
CONFLICT
Sitcoms need conflict. Breaking down conflict into three competent parts: Global Conflict, Local Conflict, and Inner Conflict.
Global Conflict is the character’s war with his world. The enemy can be anything from cops to snowstorms to landlords to rats. The essential characteristic of global conflict is that while the character cares passionately about the conflict, the enemy has no emotional investment in the character.
Local Conflict is direct interpersonal war between people who have genuine emotional stake in one another’s lives. Parents and children, husbands and wives, lovers, co-workers, roommates and cellmates all routinely engage in local conflict. Their lives are intertwined.
Inner Conflict is the character’s war with himself. This can manifest itself as self-doubt, as conflicting desires, divided loyalty or confusion about life’s big questions. Anything that makes the character feel uneasy is inner conflict, and it’s here that the real richness of situation comedy lies.
CHARACTER KEYS
When we first meet characters we want to know two things right away:
How will they act?
How will they be funny?
A package that will not only make someone laugh, but also make them say “Okay, I get this. I see why this will be fun.”
As you introduce your characters, introduce each one with a good, solid slice of comic synecdoche. Give one of their signature moves.
DISCOVERING CHARACTER THROUGH STORY
You do not have to write character descriptions. Discovering character through story is more efficient and revealing.
Ask things like, “How does your character cross a busy street?”, or “How does your character paint a house?”. Set your character down on a busy street corner, now suddenly they have a goal and obstacles (get to the other side and avoid traffic). How your character meets challenge tells us worlds more about then than their political leanings, where they went to school, or how they feel about cats.
THEME
The point of a show or story. The spine of the story. A journey of denial to acceptance of a theme.
Theme = The Main Instruction of the Story.
Some theme examples: Mock politicians, help people think for themselves, to watch a dysfunctional family self destruct, demonstrate the awesome power of love.
Thesis and antithesis. If the point of the story is “Stand up for yourself” it will need to pass through “let others boss you around.” Find the thesis at the end of your story and the antithesis somewhere around the middle.
Know yourself
Find someone to love
surf strange waves
if it’s your trip, take it
have faith
Theme life sucks is really accept that life sucks. Because life sucks is just an opinion. It doesn’t tell the audience what to do.
After a theme is created, you can use that to write stories for the sitcom. You must ask, does this story connect to the theme? Episodes can have sub-themes to fir the A, B, and C stories.
Theme is “grow up”, episode sub-theme is “take responsibility for your actions”
A-plot takes your character to a very funny place, rich in emotion and discovery. This plot should resonate the theme of the series.
B-plot can be just a light-weight problem for a secondary character.
C-plot can be just a running gag.
__________________________________
Those are just a few of the points that jumped out at me (mostly cut and pasted from the website and mentioned). This is all very good. I’m going to begin applying these immediately to several scripts I am in the process of writing.
I especially like the blueprint for scene structure. I have always been pretty obsessed with the whole 3 act structure of the entire script, the specific moments at which key events need to happen to move the story along (I always use KM Wieland’s blueprint for outlining a script), but it had not dawned on me that each specific scene also has its own internal template to follow.
Overall, an enthusiastic, thumbs up, in spite of all the dad jokes.
This is what ChatGPT has to say about the book:
"The Little Book of Sitcom" is a practical guide that offers insights into the art and craft of sitcom writing. It covers various aspects of creating successful sitcoms, from developing characters and crafting dialogue to understanding the structure of a sitcom episode. Whether you're a budding writer or just a fan of sitcoms looking to gain a deeper understanding of the genre, it could be quite useful.”
I have found a good breakdown of some of the key ideas he goes over in the book:
https://funnyshmunny.wordpress.com/th...
Here are a few I found particularly useful:
SCENE STRUCTURE
It seems like he approaches each scene as if it were a mini story in itself. Here are the elements of a scene the way he sees it:
1. The "want" or "intention": This is the character's goal or desire in the scene, which drives their actions and decisions.
2. The "in handle": This is the beginning of the scene, often featuring a quick joke or humorous exchange that sets the tone and grabs the audience's attention.
3. The "pre-turn beat": This is the setup or buildup to the main comedic moment or turning point of the scene.
4. The "turn": This is the pivotal moment where the scene takes an unexpected twist, often reversing the character's fortunes or revealing a surprising piece of information. The turn is usually the main source of comedy in the scene.
5. The "post-turn beat": This is the immediate reaction to the turn, showing how the characters respond to the new situation.
6. The "out handle": This is the end of the scene, often featuring a final joke or a resolution that sets up the next scene.
This structure is designed to create a clear and efficient narrative arc within each scene, with a focus on generating laughs and keeping the audience engaged. By breaking down a scene into these specific components, writers can ensure that each moment serves a purpose and contributes to the overall comedic effect.
I notice that he has the same approach as Robert McKee in his book “Story”. McKee advises that if a scene does not “turn”, there’s no point to it and you should cut it. For example, if the character enters the scene on a positive note, then it should exit the scene on a negative note (or perhaps a positive). The reverse is also true. If the character enters the scene on a negative note, he should exit the scene on either a positive note or a double negative. For example:
At the beginning of the scene, the character comes home after losing his job (negative). By the end of the scene he has discovered his wife has left him for his supervisor, the one who fired him… And he’s all out of TV dinners (double negative) - or alternatively, his wife could tell him he won the lottery (positive).
Whatever the case may be, the characters fortunes have to “turn” during the scene so I so as to advance the overall plot.
SET GLUE
The things keeps characters together and makes them interesting. Money (Roommates), Blood (Family), Work. “Im right and youre wrong”
When you have two characters committed to the same goal, you’ve got set glue. When you pit an innocent against a cynic, you have two people, who are essentially trying to sell each other their point of view.
Think past money, blood and work. Think about what your characters are trying to prove. Ask that of each of your characters and you’ll discover something fundamental about who they are and how they fight.
CONFLICT
Sitcoms need conflict. Breaking down conflict into three competent parts: Global Conflict, Local Conflict, and Inner Conflict.
Global Conflict is the character’s war with his world. The enemy can be anything from cops to snowstorms to landlords to rats. The essential characteristic of global conflict is that while the character cares passionately about the conflict, the enemy has no emotional investment in the character.
Local Conflict is direct interpersonal war between people who have genuine emotional stake in one another’s lives. Parents and children, husbands and wives, lovers, co-workers, roommates and cellmates all routinely engage in local conflict. Their lives are intertwined.
Inner Conflict is the character’s war with himself. This can manifest itself as self-doubt, as conflicting desires, divided loyalty or confusion about life’s big questions. Anything that makes the character feel uneasy is inner conflict, and it’s here that the real richness of situation comedy lies.
CHARACTER KEYS
When we first meet characters we want to know two things right away:
How will they act?
How will they be funny?
A package that will not only make someone laugh, but also make them say “Okay, I get this. I see why this will be fun.”
As you introduce your characters, introduce each one with a good, solid slice of comic synecdoche. Give one of their signature moves.
DISCOVERING CHARACTER THROUGH STORY
You do not have to write character descriptions. Discovering character through story is more efficient and revealing.
Ask things like, “How does your character cross a busy street?”, or “How does your character paint a house?”. Set your character down on a busy street corner, now suddenly they have a goal and obstacles (get to the other side and avoid traffic). How your character meets challenge tells us worlds more about then than their political leanings, where they went to school, or how they feel about cats.
THEME
The point of a show or story. The spine of the story. A journey of denial to acceptance of a theme.
Theme = The Main Instruction of the Story.
Some theme examples: Mock politicians, help people think for themselves, to watch a dysfunctional family self destruct, demonstrate the awesome power of love.
Thesis and antithesis. If the point of the story is “Stand up for yourself” it will need to pass through “let others boss you around.” Find the thesis at the end of your story and the antithesis somewhere around the middle.
Know yourself
Find someone to love
surf strange waves
if it’s your trip, take it
have faith
Theme life sucks is really accept that life sucks. Because life sucks is just an opinion. It doesn’t tell the audience what to do.
After a theme is created, you can use that to write stories for the sitcom. You must ask, does this story connect to the theme? Episodes can have sub-themes to fir the A, B, and C stories.
Theme is “grow up”, episode sub-theme is “take responsibility for your actions”
A-plot takes your character to a very funny place, rich in emotion and discovery. This plot should resonate the theme of the series.
B-plot can be just a light-weight problem for a secondary character.
C-plot can be just a running gag.
__________________________________
Those are just a few of the points that jumped out at me (mostly cut and pasted from the website and mentioned). This is all very good. I’m going to begin applying these immediately to several scripts I am in the process of writing.
I especially like the blueprint for scene structure. I have always been pretty obsessed with the whole 3 act structure of the entire script, the specific moments at which key events need to happen to move the story along (I always use KM Wieland’s blueprint for outlining a script), but it had not dawned on me that each specific scene also has its own internal template to follow.
Overall, an enthusiastic, thumbs up, in spite of all the dad jokes.
September 17, 2021
Déjame decirlo más claro: Es de puta madre ser escritor, y si todavía no lo sabes, lo descubrirás con el tiempo, así que simplemente sigue con ello. Cuando se te haga difícil seguir con ello, haz lo que hago yo e invoca la ley de los 20 años. La ley de los 20 años dice que si dentro de 20 años no tendrá importancia, tampoco la tiene ahora.
Es un libro super corto, más si lo comparamos con su otro libro "Cómo orquestar una comedia" que me parece una pasada.
Pero el hecho de que sea breve solo lo ha vuelto más bueno.
Es un libro, aunque de no ficción, muy feelgood.
Me ha querido sacar hasta una lagrimita porque, aunque estoy leyéndolo para una comedia romántica, recordé que cuando tenía 13 años y maratoneaba sitcoms (en ese tiempo ni sabía que se llamaban así) me ilusioné con la idea de crecer y trabajar para la WB haciendo comedias.
Tenía una libreta rosa en donde solo apuntaba chistes (muy mal apuntados, ya que estamos, porque ahora los releo y como no puse el contexto ni los entiendo, btw) pero era muy feliz viendo sitcoms.
Leer este breve manual me regresó a esa época, me dio un impulso que a veces me flaquea con este género tan infravalorado y abucheado como es la comedia, el puro placer de hacer reír a tu lector y de que la pase bien con el dolor ajeno.
Muy muy recomendado siempre y cuando tengas su otro libro, porque sino se te quedará corto.
Este es un pequeño vistazo a los guiones de sitcom con muchas muchas verdades como puños para cualquier tipo de escritor ya sea de comedia o que aprecie los momentos cómicos en sus historias.
Es un libro super corto, más si lo comparamos con su otro libro "Cómo orquestar una comedia" que me parece una pasada.
Pero el hecho de que sea breve solo lo ha vuelto más bueno.
Es un libro, aunque de no ficción, muy feelgood.
Me ha querido sacar hasta una lagrimita porque, aunque estoy leyéndolo para una comedia romántica, recordé que cuando tenía 13 años y maratoneaba sitcoms (en ese tiempo ni sabía que se llamaban así) me ilusioné con la idea de crecer y trabajar para la WB haciendo comedias.
Tenía una libreta rosa en donde solo apuntaba chistes (muy mal apuntados, ya que estamos, porque ahora los releo y como no puse el contexto ni los entiendo, btw) pero era muy feliz viendo sitcoms.
Leer este breve manual me regresó a esa época, me dio un impulso que a veces me flaquea con este género tan infravalorado y abucheado como es la comedia, el puro placer de hacer reír a tu lector y de que la pase bien con el dolor ajeno.
Muy muy recomendado siempre y cuando tengas su otro libro, porque sino se te quedará corto.
Este es un pequeño vistazo a los guiones de sitcom con muchas muchas verdades como puños para cualquier tipo de escritor ya sea de comedia o que aprecie los momentos cómicos en sus historias.
April 6, 2025
un llibre super útil i super ben explicat que m’esta servint un munt estic segura que John Vorhaus i el meu tutor de tfg serien millors amics els estimo
January 26, 2021
I really loved this book. It has provided me so much insight into writing comedy, the book was very informative and also a fun and humours read. It has made me feel very optimistic and confident towards writing. Although this book is mainly focused on sit coms, some of the advice and tips have also been applicable to writing drama and other genres. Overall I would definitely recommend this book, I’m so glad I bought it.
February 24, 2019
Had no idea or expectation when I picked this one up. I was looking to read something different and tried this out. Must say, it's a well written book. It's a very good introduction of how SitComs are created. And at times, you could relate and apply the diligent process described in the book to almost any situation in life. I am glad I get to read this one.
March 30, 2023
Desperately needed a quick and pithy hit of sitcom advice to head back into a writing spell and this did the job beautifully. Packed full of helpful prompts and advice, it has sparked my brain into action and given me a simple framework to write my new pilot.
August 19, 2023
Libro corto y certero. Promete lo que da.
Como amante de la comedia, la escritura, el cine y las sitcom, me ha parecido interesante leer sobre los mecanismos básicos para conseguir que una historia funcione.
Aunque hacer reír es mucho más difícil que seguir unas pautas, por algo se empieza.
Como amante de la comedia, la escritura, el cine y las sitcom, me ha parecido interesante leer sobre los mecanismos básicos para conseguir que una historia funcione.
Aunque hacer reír es mucho más difícil que seguir unas pautas, por algo se empieza.
December 31, 2020
Better and shorter than most books on the subject
September 9, 2024
Brevity is the soul of wit, but this little book is a little too little.
September 9, 2013
One of the best books I've read, about writing in any form, although this is certainly geared towards situation comedies. This is a very inpsiring, practical and well written book, this author wants to share his wisdom and secrets with others and have an infectious enthusiasm. He's not an academic at all, but knows of what he speaks. I will seek out other books from this author very soon!
May 16, 2014
Jam packed and concise; A must read.
It is a very easy read with a ton of tips and techniques for your sitcom writing toolbox. Very Kindle friendly.
It is a very easy read with a ton of tips and techniques for your sitcom writing toolbox. Very Kindle friendly.
October 1, 2014
if you want to write, if you're currently writing on or trying to sell a sitcom, read this to sharpen your fundamentals. Simple and fun. Then keep it with your reference materials.
August 20, 2015
Short and sweet. Lots of good tips and advice without a lot of extra fluff.
May 7, 2015
Muito bom! Um nome melhor seria The Great book of sitcom.
Gosto muito.
Gosto muito.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews