Always carry a notebook. Some snatched dialogue on a street-corner, an amusing image, a weird character; it’s all potential material. Make a point of writing something into your notebook every day. Don’t worry about whether it’s any good.  No-one is going to see it apart from you anyway. Notebooks aren’t expensive but all the great comedy writers have them in their back pockets. If it’s good enough for them: it’s good enough for you.

When it comes to creating great concepts, simplicity is key. Concepts that cannot be explained in a few sentences usually make for the meekest screenplays. If you feel yourself becoming bogged down by plot or structure, remind yourself why the idea initially excited you. Don’t make matters harder for yourself by over-complicating things.

There is no real mystery to writing jokes. Aristotle talked about stories in terms of beginnings, middles and ends. When writing gags, the rule is set-up, complication and pay-off. You’d be amazed at how many writers fail to set-up their jokes, then scratch their heads when their punch-lines fall flat. A nice side-effect of successfully setting up your jokes and paying them off is that it will give your screenplay professional form. On the other hand, if you fail to do so then your screenplay will probably descend into an impossible series of bizarre co-incidences.

Create a believable story world, and once you have done so, break the rules of that world at your peril. This doesn’t mean your setting has to be mundane or un-original. On the contrary, the settings of some of the best comedies out there are outright weird. Notice however, that the writers never break the rules that they have set-up at the start.

Make your characters three-dimensional. Many place too much emphasis on what their characters say. Smart one-liners are great. But the real beauty of comedy characters is what they think, how they act and what they do. Ask yourself how your character would react if a bomb exploded. Del Boy would look for a way to make a quick buck out of the carnage. Basil Fawlty would make sure his distinguished guests were safe and let the rif-raf fend for themselves. Notice that both reactions have comedy story potential. That is when you know that you have created fully-rounded comedic characters.     

Teach yourself to watch comedy as a writer. How are your favourite comedies structured? What makes the characters funny? Who creates the conflict? Learn to isolate the story-beats and better still, write them down. Why not learn your craft from the comedy masters? Especially as the lessons are only a video-store away.

Next time you find something funny; try to break down what made you laugh. Sure, this doesn’t sound like fun, but it’s a great way to discover the tone of comedy you might like to write.

Take some time out to read the comedies which have won a Best Screenplay Oscar. Look  at the writing style. Is there anything you could use to improve your own work? This is not an invitation to rip-off another writer’s style, but it should give you some useful pointers. On a practical level, reading the best screenplays will also show you how to format a professional script.