Skit Writing Exercise...Let's Finish Up

By now the dialog is flowing freely and you are close to finishing your skit. The next step is to edit what you have written. I’m not talking grammar and spelling, I mean edit for content and story flow.

First, evaluate every sentence to see that it is crucial for moving the story along. Also, see if there are any “wordy” statements and if they may be rewritten in such a way to clarify and simplify the idea. Remember: Do no use large words when a diminutive one will suffice.

Second, check the humor content. Most skits are designed to be funny so make sure that they are just that. A few one-liners and ha-ha jokes are great to have, but don’t allow the message to be lost in the humor…it defeats the purpose. Make sure the humor is more than just a bunch of gags. Witty banter and funny situations give a great skit its legs.

Third, remove anything that doesn’t add to the story or (worse) detracts from the skit. If you feel something is unnecessary, take it out—a literary appendectomy of sorts. If the change allows the skit to retain its meaning and understandability, it is more than likely a good change.

Give your new skit a title and determine what props you may need. Now you are ready to try it out. I'll tell you how to do that tomorrow.

Thanks for participating and keep spreading the word about puppetminister.com.

This is the same type of information available in Wanna Bite of Elephant?