How to Write a Comedy Sketch
A stand-up comedian can travel the country for a whole year doing a single one-hour set, but a sketch comedy show or live production most likely has several skits and might demand new content every week. With that amount of work, it might be better to split the responsibility and consider hiring comedy writers to help create sketches and share ideas.
Finding Inspiration
Keep Up With Current Events
The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense. Reality, on the other hand, can offer us some truly absurd scenarios on a daily basis. Borrowing ideas from real events and twisting them is a fantastic way to keep your audience in stitches.
Try People Watching
Spend a Saturday in the mall or at the park and keep your eyes and ears open. You’re likely to find awkward situations and a few crazy people along the way. These everyday scenarios turned upside down often make for excellent laughs.
Use Personal Experiences
You don’t have to witness someone else’s public embarrassment to get ideas for the page. Your own experiences can provide plenty of material that’s both relatable and comedic.
Know Your Audience
Age is an important factor to consider, and if you have a diverse audience, try and have something for everyone.
Structure Is Key
Once you have the idea, the next step is to build the sketch. This involves a few key steps:
Set the Scene
Anything from aliens invading the USSR to politicians gone wild is on the menu, but you have about thirty seconds to let the audience know what’s happening and where we are.
Escalate the Situation
Once you’ve set the scene, it’s time for people to start making preposterous and ridiculous statements. Taking the ordinary to its most hyperbolic can be great for bringing out endless giggles.
Wrap it Up
A good sketch is three to five minutes long. Ludicrousness has its limitations, and if the sketch is based around one zany character’s quirky behavior, more than five minutes might tire the audience.
Find a way to wrap up the story or simply exit while your zany character repeats his signature line over and over while the lights fade. Either way, timing is important.
Comedy Gold for Hire
Doing this all yourself is so tough that many people wonder whether or not comedians have writers to help them out! If you’ve hit some writer’s block or you just want some help writing a few sketches to fill in your weekend performance, Guru has plenty of experienced, freelance comedy writing professionals for hire.
Browse through writer profiles and check out portfolios of their past work. Regardless of your own sense of humor, Guru is sure to have that perfect fit to hit your audience’s funny bone. Check out our freelancers or post your free job listing today, and let qualified comedy writers come to you!
