The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You're Not

I bought this book because I had never read anything on what the elements of comedy are and I thought it would be interesting. Definitely the book provides an approach to comedy that is very clear, practical and engaging. On this basis alone the book is an easy five-star read. Also, Mr. Vorhaus does a great job keeping the reader entertained and chuckling along the way.

As a surprising bonus, there is a lot of life wisdom in here too. The author is a very positive, humane, and encouraging person. With an awareness of human weaknesses and fears, he constantly encourages the reader to practice, to not get down if something is not perfect the first time (or the second or third), to focus on the process and journey, believe in oneself, and to strive for excellence. All-around, this is a beautifully done and very useful book that will stand the test of time.

I haven't read all of the books on comedy writing, but I have read more than I care to remember. The unhelpful ones suffer from the same malady as most unhelpful books on creative writing: they come off like a second-rate self-help guru, full of encouragement, platitudes, fluff, and just about nothing in the technique department.

The short and sweet of The Comic Toolbox is this: This book does not wallow in sugar-coated theory and "You CAN do it!" cheerleading (I'm not a teenager, and I don't like to be patronized). It was written by a man who has traveled the world helping people from many countries launch sitcoms, and he has been very successful. He sat down one day to organize his thoughts to share them with a wider audience. And he filled his 185-page long book with more USEFUL AND HELPFUL TECHNIQUES than I have found in any seven other comedy writing books.

Think about it. Have you ever been frustrated in your writing, then bought some highly praised book on "YOUR SHINING CAREER AS A WRITER," gone back to your work full of enthusiasm and encouragement, only to be faced with the very same frustration that made you seek out advice in the first place? That's what lousy writing books do to you; they take your time and money and fill you with bogus encouragement (see my 1-star review of "Writing Down the Bones" if you want to know how I loathe cheap advice).

If you only buy one book on comedy craft, let it be either this one or The New Comedy Writing Step By Step by Gene Perret (also full of technique rather than BS). It won't tell you everything you need to know or turn you into another Jerry Seinfeld. But it will put you on course, telling you the primary characteristics that make comic stories and comic characters successful. It's "Comedy 101" and after reading it, you can watch Frasier, Arthur, Tootsie or read P.G. Wodehouse or Chris Buckley and go, "Aha! That's how it works!" It will give you X-ray eyes to see the interior architecture and mechanics of comedy on its deepest level.

An okay book (I guess) for aspiring sit
com writers and that's about it. The
Comedy Bible covers a lot more ground
(genres, etc) with many more useful tech-
niques, examples, and tips. As others
have noted, Vorhaus is about as funny
as Norm Crosby. Buy The Comedy Bible (and
no, I am not related to the author). Any
one who says this is the best book they
have read on comedic writing must have
read only this one. It's WAY down my
list.

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.

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