Writing the Romantic Comedy: From "Cute Meet" to "Joyous Defeat": How To Write Screenplays That Sell

Billy Mernit

Harper Collins, Jul 31, 2001 - Performing Arts - 304 pages

From the slapstick shenanigans of Hepburn and Grant in Bringing Up Baby to the sexy repartee of Shakespeare in Love, romantic comedies have delighted filmgoers -- and challenged screenwriters -- since Hollywood's Golden Age.

Whether you're a first time screenwriter, or an intermediate marooned in the rewriting process, this thoroughly charming and insightful guide to the basics of crafting a winning script will take you step by step from "cute meet" all the way to "joyous defeat." You'll learn the screenwriting secrets behind some of the funniest scenes ever written; how to create characters and dialogue that set the sparks flying; why some bedroom scenes sizzle and others fall flat; and much more. Writing the Romantic Comedy features case studies drawn from beloved romantic comedies such as When Harry Met Sally, Annie Hall, Tootsie, and The Lady Eve, as well as field-tested writing exercises guaranteed to short-circuit potential mistakes and ensure inspiration.

Contents

• The Romantic Comedy Story Concept: 11
• A Brief History of Romantic Comedy: 32
• Into the Thick of: 53
• Developing Theme: 87
• Structuring Conflict: 107
• Keeping It Credible: 125
• The Finer Points: 145
• Being Sexy: 169
• Designing Dialogue: 190
• ImageryThe Movie in Your Minds Eye: 205
• Deepening Your Craft: 227
• Romantic ComedyToday and Tomorrow: 248
• Appendix B: 265

About the author

Billy Mernit teaches "Writing the Romantic Comedy" and four other courses at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. During his many years in the entertainment industry, he has worked as a script consultant and served as a story analyst for Universal Studios, Sony, and Paramount; written for NBC's Santa Barbara; and composed songs recorded by Carly Simon and Judy Collins. With his wife, Claudia Nizza, he is the coauthor of That's How Much I Love You.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Writing the Romantic Comedy: From "Cute Meet" to "Joyous Defeat": How To Write Screenplays That Sell
• Author: Billy Mernit
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Harper Collins, 2001
• ISBN: 0060935030, 9780060935030
• Length: 304 pages
• Subjects: Performing Arts / Film / Screenwriting; Performing Arts / Screenplays