Ok look. Here’s a tiny lil sketch writing lesson.

Sketch writing is all about structure. There aren’t that many sketch structures. You probably already know them. What makes sketches different are the premise and the jokes.

Here’s an easy example of same structure, dif sketch

Here’s the Smack The Pony water bottle sketch

Here’s the Key and Peele hat sketch

These are the same structure, but different premises and jokes. You could write a hundred versions of this. Your version would be different from either of theirs.

SO, theoretical baby writer, don’t worry about looking at the jokes and premises of the sketches you love.

If you’re funny, you can do those. The thing that takes time and practice and study is seeing and understanding the structures, and then replicating them in a new and fun way. It’s an evolution, but evolution always comes from a previous step.

Here’s another sketch I love, the mothers from Goodness Gracious Me (everybody go watch Goodness Gracious Me, it’s the show that taught me how to write)

This sketch structure is so great because it’s a machine that lobs jokes back and forth. It’s so efficient. At its core, it’s two people who loathe each other, who need to one-up each other every time they bump into one another. Relatable! Everyone has experienced this!

So, think of the two people that YOU would write this sketch about. Think of the jokes that they would say with every line. You’ll probably end up with a very different sketch with very different jokes, using this exact structure.

You can do this with any sketch that you love. Especially when you’re starting out, it’s a great way to get a feel for the writing, and figure out what your voice is. Stand on the shoulders of the idiots that came before you.

Oh and for the love of god, read your sketches out loud as you’re writing. You need to hear the flow to know if it works. This is true for all script writing tbh. Remember that humans have to say the words, the stuff on the page is just a middle step