I used to think it was interesting to that video stores had comedy sections but bookstores didn't. And I've seen authors singled out as bad writers on the basis of writing wannabe movies instead of proper books. It also seems that dialogue in books can be hard to get right. And I'm usually annoyed by comedy that mugs for the audience or laughs at it's own jokes. What I'm asking about is at the intersection of these ideas.
What I'm thinking of is a classic Bill Murray type character. He's had some great scripts in his career but, at the end of the day, what makes his characters great is the man himself. His vocal intonation, facial expressions, body language, etc.
None of those things are available to a writer and it can be really cringe when they try to write dialogue that mirrors a performance like that.
What do authors do to represent the subtle queus that mark a glorious smartass? Can you please suggest comedy stories/books that use the qualities unique to literature without straying into hacky, self-indulgent scriptment territory?
by longgonepawn