Misery Review; Comedy: Day 1

After the last 5 minutes of the Misery, please review the film in regards to King's (Reiner and Goldman's) use of suspense. In your review on YOUR BLOG, please post a short comment about the film and how the writers used suspense to create an effective horror/suspense film.

At 9:30 or 9:35, please put away your horror toys and let's skip over to comedy writing. To help bridge the gap, take a look at this:

Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies & The Unstrung Harp.

“Being gloomy is easier than being cheerful. Anybody can say, “I’ve got cancer” and get a rise out of a crowd. But how many of us can do five minutes of good stand-up comedy?” — P.J. O’Rourke

After reading "The Unstrung Harp," think about what is funny about this story. In your journal, write down your favorite comedy films, stories, novel or TV series, or comedians.

Then, let's pick up Woody Allen's Without Feathers from the library. Put that to the side a moment and please join the class in reading the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber.

• What makes the story funny or humorous?

Tips on Comedy Writing & Writing Prompts:

• Use your notebook to record your dark, evil, sad or angry thoughts. Comedy often comes from a dark or hurt place in the human psyche. Start with what makes you cry, what makes you angry, or what makes you scream in frustration. Make a short or long list in your notebook. We'll mine this later for ideas.
• Let's read "Selections from the Allen's Notebooks". Writers, as you know, often write down their thoughts or ideas for stories, poems, or plays in their journal. Sometimes daily observations or diary-like entries get mixed into your journal. Much of comedy comes from incongruity or nonsense. Note how Allen sets up a typical situation, then pokes fun at himself or starts with a sensible or logical thought, then derails this logic with a ridiculous or incongruous or absurd statement.  

HOMEWORK: Write in your journal (you might even attempt to write a similar piece to Allen's "Notebook"); Complete the famous short story "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry. You will be asked to write about the story next class, so please read it. I might even throw in a test.

Please bring your Woody Allen books back with you to our next class. We will be using them.