Humor Writing is a ten-week intensive workshop combining lectures, structured writing exercises, and constructive critique of student work. Designed for those new to the form as well as experienced writers seeking to strengthen their fundamentals, this course includes a detailed syllabus available for review below.
The joy of humorous literature is undeniable. Consider essays, memoirs, articles, short stories, and novels written with wit and levity. The possibilities range from genuine personal narratives about the complications of parenthood to imaginative tales of quixotic adventures. As Mark Twain observed, the most effective way to brighten your own mood is to make another person smile.
Crafting humorous prose demands all the elements of excellent writing plus an additional ingredient: the ability to make readers laugh. This course explores diverse categories of prose humor, teaches essential comedic techniques, and provides guidance on marketing and selling your work.
Whether your ambition is writing humorous fiction or nonfiction, short or long-form, you'll develop the ability to transform ordinary sentences into moments that make readers smile.
This program provides essential training in humor writing fundamentals and enables you to develop a short piece or extended work. Program components include:
- Comprehensive lectures on humor theory and practice
- Hands-on writing exercises and assignments
- Student project workshops (each participant presents twice)
Online Format
- Week 1: Introduction to Humor Writing and the fundamental elements that create laughter; exploration of fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid humor forms; techniques for identifying and developing humorous ideas; understanding the elusiveness of humor
- Week 2: Principles of Humor, including exaggeration, juxtaposition, surprise, extreme situations, linguistic effects, irony, attitude, and absurdity; examination of humor categories and types
- Week 3: Character Development, including human foibles and idiosyncrasies; techniques for creating round and flat characters; showing versus telling; methods for character revelation; strategies for depicting groups humorously
- Week 4: Structural Approaches, including the rule of three, escalation patterns, identifying dramatic tension, constructing compelling beginnings, middles, and endings, and breaking conventional structural patterns
- Week 5: Point of View and Voice, including various perspectives and vocal styles; tips for discovering and refining your unique authorial voice
- Week 6: Descriptive Techniques including sensory richness and precise detail; creative approaches to language; finding the ideal word choice; integrating description with perspective; capturing humor through specific description and intentionally flawed description
- Week 7: Dialogue and Scene, including the importance of scenes in narrative; creating authentic-sounding dialogue; proper formatting and stage directions; summarized dialogue; character revelation through conversation; miscommunication as comedy
- Week 8: Point and Purpose, including strategic use of humor to advance themes; using humor for purely entertaining effect
- Week 9: Revision and Polish, including navigating early drafts; selecting precise language and achieving concision; strengthening comedic techniques; identifying peaks and valleys; testing humor effectiveness
- Week 10: Publishing and Marketing, including manuscript formatting standards; identifying and approaching appropriate publishers, magazines, journals, and literary agents; professional submission practices; crafting effective query letters
Program Notes: Course content may vary depending on individual instructors and terms.
About This Online Program
- Classes bring together participants from around the world to study with faculty from Gotham, New York City's premier writing school
- Classes operate asynchronously, not in real time, allowing flexible participation day or night, with structured weekly progression and weekly completion expectations
- Online instruction is accessible from any location with internet access; while most students are U.S.-based, we welcome participants from virtually every country
- Comprehensive technical support is provided throughout
- Students maintain a complete record of all class materials, which can be downloaded and retained as reference materials (content is text and image-based, not video)
