Writing a Sitcom: It's no joke!

While many of the sitcoms you've seen look like they could have been written by a chimp with a typewriter, it goes to show that sitcom writing may actually be the most difficult writing style in existence. Why? Well, not only do you have to know how to write a script which means you need to understand plot, but you need to be funny, concise, and do it all with a sense for where the commercial breaks come.

So before you start cranking out your masterpiece, here are a few rules to keep in mind.

1. Follow proper formatting. A sitcom script is formatted differently than a screenplay or stage play and even an hour long television drama. The formatting also depends on whether you plan for you sitcom to be shot single camera or multi-camera (and yes it matters). A sure sign that you don't know what you're doing is to use improper formatting. Find your favorite show, get a copy of that script, and follow the formatting. It's just that easy.

2. Never have a misspelled word or major grammatical error on your first page. You want to make a good first impression. Rarely will you find a script with no misspellings. Everybody makes mistakes, but to do it on your first page tells the reader that you didn't pay attention to detail and they can expect several errors on the following pages... even if it isn't true. So read, reread, and re-reread that first page. Then do that for the rest of your script.

3. Puns are not funny. Try to avoid them at all costs.

4. Sitcoms are about characters. These characters have a way of getting into situations that allow the comedy to come out. That's why they are called "situation comedies".

5. Sitcoms are about story. So once you have believably flawed characters, you need to develop a storyline that has all the essential elements of good storytelling. Sitcoms are not just sketches or gags. They are real stories that are infused with comedy.

6. Don't try too hard to be funny. The funny will come if you've created excellent characters and put them in compelling situations.

7. Be willing to cut your funniest joke. Usually, you've written that one for yourself. Enjoy it. Laugh at it. Then cut it.

8. Learn to accept criticism. Writing is a torturous business. Writing is meant to be read (at least initially with scripts). So once we've written something, we usually ask someone we respect to read it and share their opinion. Of course, what we really want is for someone to say how great it is and tell us we've created the next "Friends" or "Cheers", but if someone tells you that, they're a liar. The person that says that just doesn't want to hurt your feelings. Instead you need to get a thick skin, find a person who will tell you the hard truth and then take the advice and begin rewriting.

9. Rewrite. Any kind of writing is about rewriting. Don't fall in love with your first draft. The first draft is just the tip of the iceberg. There is always room for improvement.

10. Know how long a sitcom script should be. If you are writing a multi-camera script it will be longer than a single camera script. A multi-camera script will be around 45 pages long. Think two pages per minute of screen time. Sitcoms (especially multi-camera) are dialogue intensive so the pages can turn fast. A single camera script will be closer to 30 pages. Both scripts have the same amount of words. They are just formatted differently. The best thing to do is get a sample script of the type of show you are writing. This way you will see why one type of script is longer than another.

11. Only use two brass brads. When binding your script, use three hole punched paper, but put brads only in the top and bottom holes. Why? First, that's what they do in Hollywood. Second, it saves you money. Third, it's good for the environment and people in Hollywood love to look like they support that cause. In Hollywood, appearance is half the battle, so even your script needs to look the part.

1. Watch the show. if you want to write a spec script for a current show, you need to watch it over and over. DVR all the episodes so you can go back and note all the catch phrases, how often they're used and who says them. You'll also want to know where all the doors lead and what set pieces are where.

2. Get a list of all the episodes. You don't want to write a story that has already been done.

3. Brainstorm. I like to go to the library and pull a stack of magazines off the shelves. Avoid the entertainment related mags and pick some that maybe the characters from your show would read. What I do is look through the pages at the articles and advertisements and see what ideas come to mind. Many of the images tell stories that are perfect launching pads for your sitcom plot. The goal as with any brainstorming is to come up with a ton of ideas so that you have enough options. With every script there are at least two and often more storylines so you want a lot to choose from.

4. Pitch your story ideas to a friend. A trustworthy second opinion will greatly benefit you writing and hopefully help you avoid writing a script with no appealing "A" story.

5. Create an outline. Before you start scripting, you need to know your ending and your act breaks. If you are writing a two act sitcom, you need to have a big turn, preferably with a big joke at the end of your first act. This is called "the blow". If you outline your story before scripting, you'll save yourself a lot of headaches later in the scripting process. You won't have everything mapped out in your outline, but you'll at least know where you're going.

6. Write. Creativity in general and writing specifically are like muscles. You have to work them out. Put all your effort into writing your first script and be ready to rewrite once you've passed it by some of your honest friends for feedback. But once you've done that, it will probably be time to move on to your next script. The more you write, the better you will get, which is obvious, but the more you write on different projects the better critic you will become of your own work. One of the best things you can do with your work is set it down for a while and then come back to it. You'll see the flaws more clearly and be ready to make the script better.

1. No One Will Want Your Pilot. If you want to be a sitcom writer, chances are you'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Rarely, if ever, has someone written a pilot handed it to an agent or producer and found it in the fall line up for any of the major networks. Normally a pilot is produced by an experienced sitcom writer who moved to Los Angeles and somehow found an influential person to read their spec script (more about that later) and was then hired as a Staff Writer. After a season or two as a staff writer, you may be promoted to Story Editor and next the Associate Producer. Eventually, you become a Producer and/or Executive Producer and this all leads to the opportunity to create your own show.

2. Don't lose hope. Anything worthwhile is going to be challenging, and working in the entertainment industry is just that. Thanks to the Internet and YouTube, you don't have to have a big budget and a Hollywood studio pushing your script. If you have the passion and a quality project, be creative and put it online.

3. Write a Spec Script. If you want to go the traditional route, you first need to move to the Los Angeles area because almost every sitcom is shot in L.A. Now, to get noticed, you need to write a spec script for a show that is currently on the air and is experiencing some success. Sometimes the best shows to choose are the ones that are good or maybe okay, but not the most popular. If you pick the most popular sitcom on, you are most likely joining thousands of others who have written specs for that show, which makes it that much more difficult to stand out from the crowd. Also, just think if you write an episode that is better than anything that show has put on the air. You'll look like a genius.