Until you’ve consumed all of the best Sitcom Writing books, can you even claim to be a true fan?
1. Writing Television Sitcoms: Revised and Expanded Edition of the Go-to Guide (2009)
This new edition of Writing Television Sitcoms features the essential information every would-be teleplay writer needs to know to break into the business, including: – Updated examples from contemporary shows such as 30 Rock, The Office and South Park – Shifts in how modern stories are structured – How to recognize changes in taste and censorship – The reality of reality television – How the Internet has created series development opportunities – A refined strategy for approaching agents and managers – How pitches and e-queries work – or don’t – The importance of screenwriting…
2. The Eight Characters of Comedy: Guide to Sitcom Acting And Writing (2014)
The Eight Characters of Comedy is the “How-To†guide for actors and writers who want to break into the world of sitcoms. It has become a staple in acting classes, writers’ rooms, casting offices and production sets around the world. Now, in it’s exciting SECOND EDITION, renowned acting coach and bestselling author Scott Sedita gives you even MORE advice and exercises for breaking down comedy scripts, writing jokes and delivering them with comedic precision. Plus, you’ll find in-depth sections on Sitcom History, The Three Pillars of…
3. The Little Book of SITCOM (2012)
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….
4. Elephant Bucks: An Inside Guide to Writing for TV Sitcoms (2007)
Publisher Marketing: A comprehensive guide to writing a highly commerical and saleable spec sitcom script and launching your career as a TV sitcom writer. Includes detailed inside information on how to choose the right series to spec, how to pick the right story, and detailed, step by step instruction on how to write the scripts that will get you work. #319,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #390 in TV Shows #5564 in Performing Arts (Books) #295 in Screenwriting (Books) Would you like to ?If you are a seller for this product, would you like to ?…
5. Writing the Pilot (2011)
Television networks are so desperate for new voices and fresh ideas that for the first time in history they’re buying spec pilot scripts and turning them into series. Today’s aspiring writer can be tomorrow’s showrunner. But it’s not easy. Conceiving and writing a pilot that can launch a series is a complex assignment even for a seasoned pro. This book will take you through the entire process, from your initial idea through the finished script. You’ll learn how to identify a concept that can carry one hundred episodes or more; how to create characters who will…
6. The TV Writer’s Workbook: A Creative Approach To Television Scripts (2007)
Why is TV writing different from any other kind of writing? How will writing a spec script open doors? What do I have to do to get a job writing for TV? Writing for television is a business. And, like any business, there are proven strategies for success. In this unique hands-on guide, television writer and producer Ellen Sandler shares the trade secrets she learned while writing for hit shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Coach. She offers concrete advice on everything from finding a story to getting hired on a current series.Filled with easy-to-implement exercises and practical wisdom, this ingenious…
7. The Serious Guide to Joke Writing: How To Say Something Funny About Anything (2010)
How To Write Jokes for Fun & ProfitThis comprehensive joke writing masterclass has been devised for beginners and experienced joke writers alike. The techniques you will learn can be used again and again to write funny and original material for: Stand-u #199,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #256 in Comedy (Books) #56 in Screenplays #206 in Jokes & Riddles (Books) Would you like to ?If you are a seller for this product, would you like to ?…
8. The NEW Sitcom Career Book (2013)
From two veteran television directors, this is a comprehensive guide to the most popular form of comedy in the world; the television sitcom. Revealed are the rules, the language and the traditions of this popular art form along with a colorful, first person-account of what it feels like to be on the set. Includes insider information that guides many of the key players- actors, directors, writers, casting directors, costume designers, camera operators and editors. Also, information on salary, exercises to learn comedy structure, a comprehensive…
9. The Hidden Tools of Comedy: The Serious Business of Being Funny (2013)
While other books give you tips on how to “write funny,” this book offers a paradigm shift in understanding the mechanics and art of comedy, and the proven, practical tools that help writers translate that understanding into successful, commercial scripts. The Hidden Tools of Comedy unlocks the unique secrets and techniques of writing comedy. Kaplan deconstructs sequences in popular films and TV that work and don’t work, and explains what tools were used (or should have been used). #75,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #101…
10. Banging My Head Against the Wall: A Comedy Writer’s Guide to Seeing Stars (2018)
Seinfeld writer Andy Cowan’s 2018 comedy memoir, Banging My Head Against the Wall: A Comedy Writer’s Guide to Seeing Stars, foreword by Jay Leno, was recently acquired by The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, a 2019 USA Today Best New Attraction.“The Opposite” wasn’t just the classic Seinfeld episode in which George Costanza followed the opposite of his instincts to land success. The method behind the madness has been championed in industries worldwide and even likened to the rise of Trump. The award-winning writer who helped Costanza win, and first pondered “the opposite” in…
11. Write to TV (2014)
Learn to craft smart, original stories and scripts for a variety of television formats and genres, including comedy, drama, pilots, animation, made-for-TV movies, late night, and reality television. Hear directly from studio and network executives, agents, and managers on what they’re looking for in new writers and how to avoid common pitfalls. Gain access to sample outlines, script pages, checklists, and countless other invaluable resources that will help you break into the industry and put you on the path to immediate success. In Write to TV, Second Edition industry veteran Martie Cook offers…
12. Hot Pants in Hollywood: Sex, Secrets & Sitcoms (2017)
Hot Pants In Hollywood is a Show Biz memoir, and much more. It's a Baby Boomer's lifeon steroids. Susan Silver was one of the first female TV comedy writers with credits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Maude, Bob Newhart, among others. As the lyrics from the iconic Mary Tyler Moore Show said, "She made it after all!" From another Midwest town, Milwaukee, with all its Sixties' values and normalcy, Susan went on to fame and fortune in Hollywood, had a successful career as one of the first women in TV sitcoms, and reinvented herself in…
Best Sitcom Writing Books Worth Your Attention
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Genesis and download some sitcom writing books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
The Eight Characters of Comedy: A Guide to Sitcom Acting and Writing
Author(s): Scott Sedita
Publisher: SCB Distributors, Year: 2014, Size: 876 Kb, Download: epub
ID: 2550695
Television Writing: The Ground Rules of Series, Serials and Sitcoms
Author(s): Linda Aronson
Publisher: , Year: 2004, Size: 2 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 513505
Please note that this booklist is not errorless. Some books are really record-breakers according to The Wall Street Journal, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.