How to write a romantic comedy
Writing a good romantic comedy is more complicated than it seems. Indeed, the risk of falling into a cliché or a plot is high. To generate a roller coaster of emotions and make our reader go from laughter to tears, we need endearing characters, with flaws and fragilities that make them human, humor, lightness, but also real emotions, rhythm and reversals of situation. Here are some tips on how to write a romantic comedy.
1) When you write a romantic comedy: think outside the box
The formula for romantic comedies has proven itself. There’s the set-up, the meeting, the complication, things escalate and finally, everything is resolved. People are in love, we all go home! If you can detach yourself from what the audience expects, it can make the film even more exciting. Maybe a character acts in a way we didn’t expect, or an outside force causes something to happen, but it’s essential to think of ways to deviate from the expected path of a romantic comedy!
2) Boy meets girl
The first characteristic of a romance is that the main plot is centered on the love relationship between two characters. So, as you write a romantic comedy, make sure your main plot is the love relationship between two characters.
3) Location, location, location
Choose the setting for your script. Make sure the setting you choose is appropriate for your story or the theme of your screenplay. Make a list of at least three or four settings your characters will find themselves in to keep your script interesting.
4) Here come the waterworks
Imbue your scenes with an emotional charge that would be difficult to experience in real life, often subject to a reserve towards one’s emotions or to a censorship of one’s emotions.
5) When you write a romantic comedy: break out each scene
Think about the importance of each scene. During your first draft, ask yourself questions such as, “What is the main purpose of this scene?” or “Does this scene advance the story?” Review each scene to see if it adds something to the story or if it just fills the gap. If it has no purpose and does not advance the story, you can probably remove it.
Remember to finish with a happy ending. The more bombastic the final scene, the better you’ll be at writing a romantic comedy.