Product Description

The Comic Toolbox is a straightforward, often humorous workbook approach to creative problem solving. Vorhaus offers writers and comics, the tools of the trade -- "clash of context, " "tension and release, "the law of comic opposites, " "the wildly inappropriate response" and more. Readers will learn that comedy = truth and pain -- the essence of the comic situation -- and that fear is the biggest roadblock to comedy. Kill your ferocious editor within, and rich, useful comic ideas will flow.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44461 in Books
• Published on: 1994-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 191 pages

About the Author
Vorhaus

Customer Reviews

Comic Toolbox? These pretzels are makign me thirsty!
An excellent read, er um exercise, um toolbox, yeah that's it, toolbox. I've written for a few comedians and never had access to this information. This book really is a toolbox that takes you step by step in creating comedy, whether you're creating characters or situations. The Toolbox offers helpful exercises to create comedy. If you ever have writers block, this book can help unlock the creativity in you. John writes with a comedic look and comment to his instruction. He had me laughing out loud as I read his anecdotes.

This book is a good read, an easy read, and informative read. Do the exercises and you too can learn the process of comedy. I've used his tools and suggestions in creating a funnier script for my movie.

Funny or Not, Here You Come
Petruchio and his favorite shrew, Kate. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Harry and Sally. Ross and Rachel. Carrie and Mr. Big. What do these iconic romantic couples have in common? Will they, or won't they? How hard will they make us laugh before they finally do? And why, oh why, am I answering my own questions with yet more questions? The answers to these and other laughable ponderings can undoubtedly be found in The Comic Toolbox: How To Be Funny Even If You're Not by John Vorhaus. I consider it my go-to humor primer whether I'm writing a full-on comedy or merely want to lace my romance characters' sexual chemistry with some fun banter or a humorous twist. After all, love and laughter go together like Sam and Diane.

Vorhaus is my comedic answer to Strunk and White, had they been a vaudeville act. Since I have A.D.D. when it comes to writing reference books, they must be entertaining or succinct, preferably both. Vorhaus delivers up a rapid, droll textbook that elicits chuckles thanks to his engaging prose that practices the comic rules it preaches. He gives us such handy dandy comedy tools like "jokes vs. jokoids", "the comic set up and pay-off", "four facts about the comic character", "the rule of three", "wince factor", "comic callback", and how to "avoid clichés like the plague". Even his chapter on practical jokes turns out to be an actual practical joke.

In Toolbox, Vorhaus guides our big clown feet through the ABCs of "comedy hell" and encourages us to lower our sights, thus giving us permission to take risks until the good stuff flows. Moreover, Toolbox offers helpful information regarding basic plotting that is surprisingly accessible for all writing levels. Vorhaus peppers many chapters with effective writing exercises, so budding comedy writers may begin throwing figurative pies in faces post-haste.

Giving the reader a clear, practical method of organizing and structuring comedy writing that is oh so useful, Vorhaus teaches writers who don't believe they were born funny how the funny happens, and gives them the tools to begin firing their own comic plots and characters out of a cannon with confidence. As one testimonial by a sitcom producer on the back cover of Toolbox asserts, "I don't think people should read this book. They're liable to learn all our secrets and take my job."

I use the serviceable tools I learned from Toolbox every time I sit down to write romance because my paranormal alpha males desire exceptional heroines who provide them with both love and laughter throughout their preternaturally long lives. We never tire of the sport of courtship in the game of the love. There are probably petroglyphs on a rock wall somewhere depicting the timeless romance formula of "caveman gets cavegirl, caveman loses cavegirl, caveman drags cavegirl back to his cave by her hair, and they all live HEA."

[...]

Belle Scarlett
Romance author
www.bellescarlett.com

Almost Creepy
I have been doing some of my own writing but I've never read a book about organizing jokes, or ever cared about those books. A play writer talked me into reading "The Comic Tool box", and it was more then a little odd to have my jokes explained and defined. John Vorhans book has been great for new ideas, along with new ways to arrang humor in my writing.