Ben Yagoda lists seven tricks of the trade from stand-up comedy and explains how writers can apply them: "For a comic, a punchline is the funny part. For writers, it's a word, phrase, or detail with impact: could be funny, could be dramatic, could be shocking, or it could merely have an emphatic sound. Because of the impact, the temptation is to put it at the front. Comedians teach us to wait." Also, what writers can learn from Goodnight Moon.
August 3, 2014
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