3 surprising lessons for crafting memorable stories, courtesy of Sheldon and the Gang
Sheldon in “his” spot. lol. Photo by Ben Griffiths on Unsplash
My wife falls asleep watching The Big Bang Theory.
Everynight.
It’s not Citizen Cane, but I like it. It’s funny and we’ve seen it enough that we can drift off without worrying about missing something.
But she doesn’t use a sleep timer, so I’ve caught not only episodes, but scenes within episodes (when I drank too much water before bed) dozens of times. (I know. A terrible sleep routine — the things you do for love, right?)
We’ve run through the entire twelve seasons seven or eight times by now. In all that time with Penny, Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Howard, Bernadette, and Amy, I realized that their otherwise banal banter can teach valuable lessons.
Lesson 1: Have a Laugh Track (Supportive Community)
Big Bang Theory was filmed before a live studio audience. However, the laughs were always on point. You can’t convince me there wasn’t laugh track editing going on after the fact.
She was always in the studio audience if the laugh track can be believed. Photo by Olivia Hutcherson on Unsplash
I don’t think I would have even smiled at half the jokes without that laugh track. Someone else is laughing. It must be funny.
For writers, having a supportive community is like having a laugh track. It could be ARC readers who give those excellent reviews a writer needs to get the hype train started.
On Medium, maybe its that publication editor who consistently provides feedback and support.
If your tribe supports you and cheers you on, others will take note.
Lesson 2: Create Interesting Characters
The cast of characters, all eccentric in their own way.
Sheldon Cooper — a brilliant physicist with an eidetic memory that lacks basic social skills.
Raj — the son of a rich gynecologist in India who can’t speak to women without alcohol (at the beginning of the series).
Penny — the girl-next-door that can’t make it as an actress.
Howard — the sex-crazed Jewish character that lives with his mom.
And Leonard — the character meant to be most like the audience, but he still pines for Penny and has terrible mother issues.
As writers, our characters must be interesting. Just from the small traits I’ve mentioned above, one could draft seasons of content.
I’ve looked back on my fiction WIP and noted some characters are flat. I’ll be heading back to give them their personality.
AI’s version of The Big Bang Theory. At first glance, I was like, “Yeah.” One second look, no. Just no. Look closely at these people. I dare you. It gets nothing but worse. lol. Image created by Author on Canva.
Lesson 3: Balance Story with Heart
Beyond paintball wars (with Sheldon self-promoting himself to the rank of Major, posthumously) and battle bots, The Big Bang Theory wasn’t afraid to combine them with heartwarming moments of friendship, love, and those awkward fumbles towards adulthood.
A few episodes stand out: Sheldon’s reaction to the death of Author Jefferies, Professor Proton, Howard’s launch into space, when Burnadette tells the audience she is pregnant after the rabbit-biting incident; the Finale (oh the finale. Tears. I’ve only watched this one once.)
This is the magic we have to bottle: weaving our stories with heart. Readers don’t read for my wit. They read for how I can make them feel.
In the end, The Big Bang Theory is just a sitcom. But twelve years on the air suggests they did something right. I think I’ll go take a nap. Who knows what else I’ll learn from those quirky nerds while I sleep?
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