nickdouglas's review against another edition
5.0
This is the closest I've seen to a straight-up comedy writing manual outside of improv. I especially appreciated the "ultra-specific comedy advice" that's hundreds of times as practical as the typical vague reruns of "rewrite a lot!" and "good scripts will get noticed!" It's much more helpful to read comedy writers analyze specific jokes and why they worked or not in their particular situation.
lesliethewanderlust's review
4.0
And that's all you can hope for: to lose track of time and to get into a zone to produce writing you're happy with. So I'd recommend that to all young writers. Just write. Lose yourself. And when you look up, maybe you'll be somewhere you always wanted to be. - James L. Brooks
I don't find myself particularly funny and I'm not sure if I would ever have the chops to write comedy but any tips on writing is a benefit when you're an "aspiring" writer. What initially drew me to Poking a Dead Frog was Amy Poehler's name. I think she's hilarious and although I was slightly disappointed she wasn't a main feature in the book, I enjoyed reading it. I learned a lot about television shows I had never heard of before, writers I hadn't known were behind some of the shows that I watch, and the behind the scenes experience of writing for television, radio and film.
Something I didn't realize before this book was how many writers have an ivy league background. I'd heard of and even watched Lampoon films but I didn't know anything about its history at all. At times, a lot of the writers featured in this book made it feel like in order to be a successful writer you need to be a part of an exclusive club, that the average writer without the pedigree would not be able to join. I think it was Henry Beard who said rebellion was going to Harvard instead of Yale. Very rebellious! But I digress, there are writers in the book who didn't come from an ivy league education and they seem to be doing quite well, so there's hope!
Poking a Dead Frog is filled with interviews with numerous writers from all spectrums of the writing world. Through antidotes and tips the consensus seems to be that there is no format to success. Some of the writers love and sing the praises of the Lampoon and some detest it. Some say move out to LA, some say get an agent, some say an agent will find you. Through it all hard work and loving what you do is a big theme. It seems like a no brainer but it's true. Writing can be lucrative for some, but isn't for many, and if you aren't it because you're passionate about it, what's the point? I've been an editor at a magazine and website for about six months but my goal is to write books and write for television. This has definitely given me a look into the hard work that is done and sacrifices that are made to be successful in these fields. It's a lot of work. A lot of writing. And as a master procrastinator, I have a lot of work to do to get there. Definitely pick this book up if you have writing aspirations—it's not a "how-to," more of a "how I did it" type book.
Random thought while reading a specific part of the book. Dan Gutman said he wasn't sure if kids watch shows like Colbert. They are. Get on Tumblr. Kids are way more aware than those in different generations may give them credit for.
Happy reading!
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
3.0
This book was an amusing collection of interviews with great comic writers. It is interesting how quickly some of it aged, as this book is from 2014. Reverence to Bill Cosby. Also it was too heavy on dude writers. Some women interviewed, but not enough. Definitely not an advice book for aspiring comic writers in spite of its intent; each writer seems to contradict the next.
woodlandglitter's review
4.0
I specifically bought this because of the Tom Scharpling interview (which is great, of course), but ended up really liking the whole thing. Lots of great anecdotes.
tmatysik's review against another edition
4.0
An essential read for fans of comedy. So many great insights in the interviews here that I'm pretty sure my Kindle is out of virtual highlighting ink. If you're even remotely interested in how comedy is made, read this book. (My favorite interview was the one with [a:George Saunders|8885|George Saunders|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1355356844p2/8885.jpg], who provides some great insights on how to be a decent human being.)
linda22e's review against another edition
3.0
Poking a Dead Frog is too focused on advice giving. After reading the book description I expected a good mix of history, advice, and insight into the minds of Comedy Writers but, this book did not deliver that.
daviddavidkatzman's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. A lot of gossip and very little writerly advice. I became bored halfway through.
kristina4109's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it! Interviews with a very diverse group of writers, comedians, actors and more. So entertaining!