Hey Riddle Riddle Patreon Preview #360: Improv Starters
Jan 30, 2026
They riff on an improv scene-starter book and how to structure character conflicts. They sort scene ideas by relationship tensions like teen vs parent and student vs teacher. They pick objectives for improvised scenes and play a wild family scene about permission to attend a party. Absurd sponsor bits are woven into the performance for extra surreal humor.
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Structure Of The Scene Starter Book
- The book organizes scene starters by character conflicts and then by contrasts like dialogue, body language, and environment.
- Adal highlights conflicts (teen/parent, student/teacher, salesman/customer) as a strong place to begin improv scenes.
Complaint About Reused Content
- John and Adal joke about a purported "1,000 scene starters" book and question the integrity of filler content.
- John tells a personal gripe about a children's "100 animals" book that repeats animals like penguins and frogs.
Begin Scenes With Clear Objectives
- Start improv practice by playing with objectives before dropping them to simplify scenes later.
- Adal suggests trying secret objectives texted to actors to keep scenes surprising and teachable.
