About
the Book:
Everyone loves a good "rom-com".
Writing the Romantic Comedy is an easy-to-understand
guide, which teaches that making a romantic comedy work is about much
more than mastering the boy-gets-loses-gets-girl formula. It shows
how all the best "rom-coms"
follow a finely tuned seven-point plot structure and share elements
that keep viewers watching and surprised even though the ending is
usually clear.
From the slapstick shenanigans of Katharine Hepburn and
Cary 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, an intermediate marooned in the rewriting
process, or a professional wanting to explore the latest genre
trends, this thoroughly charming and insightful guide to the basics
of crafting a winning and innovative script will take you step by
step through the "seven
essential plot beats" from
the infamous "meet cute" (the unique way you get them
together) all the way to "joyous defeat" (the sexy
complication turning point). You'll
learn the screenwriting secrets behind some of the funniest scenes
ever written; setting up an interesting and inventive story concept;
how to create characters that get sparks flying, laughs that go deep,
and dialogue that gets right to the heart; why some bedroom scenes
sizzle and others fall flat; and much more. While the book is written
with screenwriters in mind, the elements work for any type of
romantic comedy story, whether that is a novel, novella, or short
story.
When Billy Mernit proposed teaching a course on romantic
comedy at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, he was surprised to
find that no textbook existed that specifically spoke to the
mechanics of writing Hollywood's most enduring genre. So after
teaching the course for a few semesters, he wrote one. Writing the
Romantic Comedy was published in 2000 and it's been the
definitive "rom-com"
screenwriting text ever since. While the book is written with
screenwriters in mind, Billy Mernit has also published twenty
romance novels for Harlequin and Berkeley/Jove under a female nom de
plume, so the elements work for any type of romantic comedy story,
whether that is a novel, novella, or short story.
Written in a refreshingly
accessible style, Writing the Romantic Comedy is a
lively guide to the essentials of character, theme, and plot
development. It features case
studies drawn from classic and contemporary 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.
What people say:
"I had the story, but I was
really struggling with the cinematic structure of it ... Then my
friend said you should read this book Writing the Romantic
Comedy by Billy Mernit, and it just
unlocked the whole of the romcom structure for me. I had a moment of
sudden understanding that I needed the seven beats within a romantic
comedy that Billy has come up with. It's actually a book all
screenwriters should read." — Tess Morris, writer:
Man Up
"Writing the Romantic
Comedy is so much fun to read it could pop a champagne
cork." — Alexa Junge, writer-producer: Friends
"Moving well beyond generic
pronouncements and 'rules', Billy Mernit's
specific, well-tested exercises guide writers to create real,
personal, credible characters and plots that speak to the romantic in
all of us." — Linda Venis,
Director, UCLA Extension Writers' Program
"Insightful, thorough, and
easy to use, this step-by-step guide expertly balances the craft and
the art of writing the romantic comedy. Billy Mernit
really knows his stuff, and after reading this book, you will too."
— Stephen Mazur, Co-Writer: Liar, Liar and The
Little Rascals
About the Author:
Billy Mernit is known as "the guru of rom-com"
for his best-selling screenwriting textbook, Writing the Romantic
Comedy. He was a Distinguished Instructor at the UCLA Extension
Writers' Program, and is a frequent guest speaker at writing
conferences. 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.