The Key to Writing Romantic Comedies

Here's an excerpt of an article written by one of my favourite gaming writers. He used to be in the writing team of the popular early 90s comedy : Roseanne. neways, his views on writing rom-coms pretty much hits the spot.

The KEY to writing Rom-Coms = Follow the same' ol Boy meets Girl Formula

The KEY to writing GOOD Rom-coms = Follow the formula + sprinkle some unique angle

Eg:
When Harry Met Sally:(unique angle)Friends CAN fall in love after all

Notting Hill & Love Actually :Brits aren't stuffy after all when it comes to love

There's Something About Mary : More gross out comedy THAN romantic

Closer & Wicker Park : The dark side of romance from an adult point of view

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By Mark Rosewater of www.magicthegathering.com (Once More With Feeling)

The first thing you learn when you set out to learn about sitcom writing is the format. And by format, I mean the very elaborate structure. Sitcoms are very short (twenty-two minutes in prime time) three act plays. Not some sitcoms. All sitcoms!

The same is true no matter what medium you choose. Formulas are an intrinsic part of the creative process. For example, let's say you want to write a romantic comedy. Guess what, a lot of it is already planned out for you. You're two main characters are going to meet sometime during the first act. They are going to have a horrible first meeting and hate each other.

There will be a major obstacle for one or most often both of the characters. One, most likely both, will be in another relationship. But something isn't quite right. They're not fulfilled. And the very thing they want, the other person has it.

I'll stop now, but this formula goes all the way through until the end.

(Hint: They've broken up but they each come to realize that they miss that very thing that the other person had that they were lacking in the first act in their old relationship. There will be some physical distance that is covered where one of them can proclaim this realization to the other.)

Why can't someone write a romantic comedy and not follow the formula?

Because it's what the audience expects.

And yes, there is a little room to fiddle, but as I said above, everything else has to be by the book. Audiences like comfort. They want to have an understanding what to expect. And here's the most important piece.

Having a formula doesn't restrict creativity.

Aha, my favorite theme. Yes, restrictions breed creativity. True creativity comes from working within the formula. Think of your favorite romantic comedy. Odds are they followed the formula. But they found ways of making it their own and using the formula to create something bigger and better.