The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide this question feed

asked by formula on November 11, 2006 2:30 PM
Do you think you're funny?

Do you want to turn your sense of humor into a career?

If the answer is yes, then Judy Carter's The Comedy Bible is for you. The guru to aspiring stand-up comics provides the complete scoop on being -- and writing -- funny for money.

If you've got a sense of humor, you can learn to make a career out of comedy, says Judy Carter. Whether it's creating a killer stand-up act, writing a spec sitcom, or providing jokes for radio or one-liners for greeting cards, Carter provides step-by-step instructions in The Comedy Bible. She helps readers first determine which genre of comedy writing or performing suits them best and then directs them in developing, refining, and selling their work.

Using the hands-on workbook format that was so effective in her bestselling first book, Stand-Up Comedy: The Book, Carter offers a series of day-by-day exercises that draw on her many years as a successful stand-up comic and the head of a nationally known comedy school. Also included are practical tips and advice from today's top comedy professionals -- from Bernie Brillstein to Christopher Titus to Richard Lewis. She presents the pros and cons of the various comedy fields -- stand-up, script, speech and joke writing, one-person shows, humor essays -- and shows how to tailor your material for each. She teaches how to find your "authentic" voice -- the true source of comedy. And, perhaps most important, Carter explains how to take a finished product to the next level -- making money -- by pitching it to a buyer and negotiating a contract.

Written in Carter's unique, take-no-prisoners voice, The Comedy Bible is practical, inspirational, and funny.


Reviews

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I live in New York, and write stand up comedy.
I have a lot of friends who are pro comics on the NY circuit, and every one of them is aware of, and owns, this book.
It won't make you funny, it you are fundamentally not funny.
If you are occasionally funny, or regularly funny, then this book will help you structure you work, and tells you how to develop your work into a pro set that can get you noticed.
It tells you what not to do, it guides you on what works.
I own a fair set of comedy books, but this is one that keeps it's number one spot consistently. Even with year and years of practice, the comedians I know still know exaclty where their copy is!

If the pros own it, why don't you?

reviewed by megafan on November 17, 2006 2:44 AM

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I bought a few books on comedy after a lot of researching, and I was impressed by only three books. This is one among them.

You get a lot of laughs for the money, and some hints on making your own humor as well. Similar to John Vorhaus' The Comic Toolbox. But, if you have the cash, Stanley Lyndon's How to be Funny! at howtobefunny.net is the best buy for $49, as that tells you the complete techniques of generating humor. And these are the other two books, by the way.

Nevertheless, I greatly recommend this book and John Vorhaus' for all those on a budget as they provide good hints on the humor techniques and at the same time providing great laughs for the time you are reading the book.

I give it 3.5/5.
reviewed by cannoli on November 25, 2006 6:45 PM

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I just recently bought the book, love it. Made it past Part one and i'm writing material like a mad man, this book really does give you more confidence to go through with your ambitions to be a comedian. Right now i'm an Illustration student but comedy has always been a hobby of mine and I plan on mixing the two together some how..I got a good idea how to though so i'm gonna do it!
reviewed by scanner on November 26, 2006 10:20 PM

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I obviously started from scratch and unlike several other books I have read this one does actually what it says it will do. It helps. It's like a workbook for the serious comics. Plus all the help from her website. She makes it a point to actually tell you HOW to do WHAT you do. And what NOT to do. Like I said before I bought this book first and several after and I still use this book over all the others. If you are feeling down after a show this is the suicide prevention book for Stand up comics. I fall asleep after a bad show holding it in my arms tears weeping and somehow Judy makes it all ok. :)
reviewed by scoobie on November 27, 2006 9:53 AM

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