Tag Archives: LA13SCBWI

“Comedy Comes From the Heart” & Other Tips From the Fabulously Funny

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Fiction, Humor, SCBWI, Writing

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A Workshop with Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

This year’s SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles (August 1-5) was the ultimate blend of inspiration, guidance, and professional advice for children’s authors and illustrators. All the workshops were amazing, but one was particularly memorable for its advice and inspiration: Comedy Comes from the Heart, with Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver.

  • Henry Winkler is an actor, producer and director, who is best known for his role as “the Fonz” in the 1970’s television series “Happy Days”. Though he is quick to tell you that he’s most proud of writing books for young readers.
  • Lin Oliver is the co-founder of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a long-time television writer, and a well published children’s author.

LinOliver_HenryWinkler_LA13SCBWI

Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver are two of the funniest people on the planet. Put them together in the same room and it’s no wonder things spiral virally into the hilarious.

This dynamic duo teamed up to write 17 books in the Hank Zipzer: World’s Greatest Underachiever series, and have completed four books in the Ghost Buddy series. They are both are hilarious, and they know how to translate that humor onto the written page. You can read my review of Ghost Buddy ~ Zero to Hero here.
Hank Zipzer and Ghost Buddy covers

The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Comedy

Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver earned their Fabulously Funny street creds on the page as well as the screen. They know what works, and what doesn’t, when it comes to comedy. Here are some of the comedic secrets they shared with us:

  1. Write what makes you laugh. If you think something is funny, someone else will think so too.
  2. Write what you know is true. Don’t try to write what you think will be funny for a particular audience. Young readers know when humor is not authentic.
  3. There are different types of humor, such as character humor, physical humor, observational humor. Write the type of humor that works for you, what you think is funny.
  4. What makes you laugh the most, also makes you cry the most. Good comedy always has a cringe-worthy (pathos) moment.
  5. Write from your own experience. Mine your own life for “most embarrassing” moments.
  6. You have to love the character you’re putting in comedic jeopardy, or else it comes off as being mean. You want your audience to laugh with the character, not at him.
  7. Good comedy must have tension, just like good drama.
  8. Specific details are almost always funnier than generalizations. For example: Principal Zumba has a mole. Or… Principal Zumba has a mole shaped like the statue of liberty that looks like it’s doing the hula whenever he talks.
  9. Don’t edit yourself on the first draft. Go with your first impulses. Craft the humor afterward.
  10. Use improv to get into the character’s voice. Henry Winkler showed us how a slouch and a tilt of the head, brought out “the Fonz” in his voice.
  11. Titles are very important to young readers. Take the time to craft a terrific title.
  12. “Trying” to be funny is a formula for death. Write down 25 things that made you laugh, then analyze each instance for the elements that made it funny.

Henry Winkler embellishes an explanation for the audience [photos by moi]…

Henry Winkler acts out advice to writers

The following advice from Henry Winkler was particularly inspiring:

There’s many ways to do things. You have to be courageous enough to do things your way.

For information on some of the other amazing workshops at the LA13 SCBWI Summer Conference, you can read the official SCBWI blog.

Ghost Buddy ~ Zero to Hero by Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver

26 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in Book Reviews, Ghosts, Middle Grade, MMGM, Paranormal

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Ghost Buddy - Zero to HeroBilly Broccoli is starting middle school at the same school where his mother is the principal. As if that’s not bad enough, he’s also dealing with a new step-father, a bratty older step-sister, a new house—that’s really old–a new neighborhood away from his old friends.

What were the chances things could go that wrong? Apparently, a lot. Because they get worse.

His step-sister took the best room in their new-old house, leaving Billy with the lavender and pink bedroom. He soon discovers that the rainbow and pony wallpaper is the least of his worries, when a ghost materializes insisting it’s still his room, and that he’s Billy’s personal ghost.

You can see me because I’m your ghost. To everyone else, I’m invisible.”

“You’re not my ghost!  I never asked for a ghost. I asked for an iPod, I asked for my own cell phone, I asked for a red BMX bike with black trim. But never, on any list, at any time, anywhere, did I ever ask for a ghost,” said Billy.

“Lucky you. I show and you didn’t even have to ask. You hit the jackpot, ducky.

Hoover Porterhouse II is a fourteen year-old ghost—going on 114—with a tweaked sense of humor and a whole lot of attitude. So much ‘tude, he’s failed his celestial progress reports for 99 years. The thing is, if he doesn’t clean up his spirit-ual act fast, he’ll be haunting the same plot of ground for eternity. And the Hoove would rather die again than let that happen.

So when an obnoxious school bully sets out to trash Billy’s reputation, the Hoove swoops in with an action plan for revenge. The Hoove helps Billy find the courage to set things right, and the Billy shows the Hoove the honorable way to stand up to a bully. In the end, the Hoove’s grade in Helping Others shows improvement, Billy rules the school, and it all comes down to the Hoove’s Rule Number Forty-Two: Stay cool.

Wholesome Hilarity & A Lot More…

They had me at Ghost Buddy, and Zero to Hero clinched the deal. I had to read this book. Since I’ve already gushed written a lot about this story, I’ll keep this briefer. Here’s what makes this story special:

  1. The quirky characters: The cast of secondary characters are as quirkily fun as Billy and the Hoove. There’s the geeky dentist step-father with his “teeth ties”, the diva older step-sister with her own rock band, and the school-bully neighbor who has a secret you won’t believe.
  2. The family conflicts: The interactions between Billy, his mother, step-father, and step-sister all ring true. It’s easy to empathize with Billy and his adjustment to the new family dynamics and his new neighborhood, home, and school.
  3. The blast-from-the past culture clash: The colloquial language gap between the Hoove—who turned 14 ninety-nine years ago—and Billy adds an amusing layer of texture.
  4. The gender-neutral fun: Billy’s anxieties and dilemma’s will be as appealing to girls as they are boys. I bought this book for my eight year-old niece, and I know that she’ll love it.
  5. The lesson without a lecture: This story does an amazing job of addressing the topic of bullying—along with the appropriate way to stand up to a bully—with ease and grace.

Luckily, we don’t have to wait to find out what happens next…

About the Authors

Henry Winkler and Lin Olver are the New York Times Bestselling authors of the Hank Zipzer: The World’s Best Under-Achiever series.

LinOliver_HenryWinkler_LA13SCBWI
Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler have accomplished some amazing things in their exceptional careers, but they’re most proud of the books they write for young readers.

They gave a workshop on Writing Humor at the recent Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Annual Summer Conference, that I’ll do a blog post on soon. Promise! In the mean time, you can read the Official LA13SCBWI conference blog here. [Photo by moi]

Demystifying the Logline with the “ACME Instant Logline Generator”

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Blake Snyder, Save the Cat!, Story, Writing

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The Illusive, and Often Anxiety Inducing, Logline

We writers spend months, sometimes years, slaving over a novel in order to get the story just right. Then we’re told we have to boil down our labor-of-love—with its three-dimensional characters, intricate plot and subplots, and dynamic dialog—into one sentence (of 25 words or less).

This is known as a logline, or elevator pitch. Some say it is what you have to have to get your dream agent / book deal. Yeah, no pressure there. Right. Tell it to this guy.

Believe it or not, publishing gremlins did not spend months dreaming up loglines as a new and entertaining way to torture writers, both published and pre-published. Hollywood has been using loglines since Hollywood became… well … Hollywood. That’s because, loglines are a quick way to test out story ideas.

The secret, I learned from Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat!” approach to story structure, is to perfect your logline BEFORE you write your 400 page tome. This is because…

If you don’t have a solid logline, you don’t have a solid story.

 

Loglines Aren’t Just for Hollywood Anymore

At the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Annual Conference in Los Angeles (check out the #LA13SCBWI blog), the topic of loglines came up in several workshops. Children’s authors are not immune from needing a good logline anymore.

Blake Snyder aptly described the value of a good logline:

A good logline is the coin in the realm of Hollywood and can be traded like currency with those who appreciate it.

“How do you grab that illusive gold logline coin for your story?”

Generator with light bulbs and knobsIt’s easy! Use the ACME Instant Logline Generator.

I’ve come across several logline formulas, but the easiest and the most fun is the ACME Instant Logline Generator.

I wish I could take credit for the genius behind the ACME Instant Logline Generator. But this unique and humorous one-from-column-A and one-from-column-B method of demystifying the process for creating a logline was devised by M.J. Wright, an author whose blog I follow. You can view the originial blog post here. Or, read the reblogged version here…

The ACME Instant Logline Generator

All novels need a logline, sometimes also known as a hook line – a single sentence that describes the plot and acts as a sale pitch to agents and publishers.

The form is usually “[Character name], [character description] has to [action] in order to [result].”

The result usually has an emotional content. Hard to winnow your story down to it? Try this. Begin with the logline instead. All you need, in fact, is a six-sided dice. Roll once for each variable and complete the sentence:

1. Roger Dodger the old Codger,
2. Peregrine Hyphen-Hyphen Folderol,
3. Snoot,
4. Adele,
5. Eric,
6. Heinz Dasistwirklicheinesehrdummelangeswortistesnicht von Abernatürlichistesjaabsolutichdenkeso of Sehrgutwerdeichgehenundhöreaufmeinekraftwerkalben,

1. a world-renowned horologist,
2. a rock god,
3. an up-and-coming railway enthusiast,
4. a truck driver specialising in cab-over series Macks,
5. an unemployed random-generator writer,
6. a rodent exterminator,

has to

1. win a challenging drag race
2. build a box-girder bridge with a toothpick
3. write a vampire fan-fic novel
4. learn how to sing and dance
5. cook a souffle
6. defeat the evil Thog monsters from Planet Zil

in order to

1. become the Ruler of the Universe.
2. rescue beloved from certain doom.
3. be home in time for tea.
4. get to Buckingham Palace and receive a knighthood.
5. audition for ‘America’s Got Talent’.
6. finish up at the beginning again, only better for it.

Have fun.

Copyright © Matthew Wright 2013

If you need more intel before tackling a logline, no worries! Nathan Bradford wrote a great post on How to Write a One Sentence Pitch that you can read here.

Easy peasy? You know it!

Your dream agent/book deal is just a logline away.