Introduction to Humor and Comedy Writing

Making it Funny: The Art and Science of Humor Writing

This is a 5-10 day unit on humor writing for secondary English, college writing, or creative writing students. It’s meant to teach the theory and structure that go into humor writing.

Humor writing takes a specific set of writing skills, and it can translate to a well-paying job for those who are especially good at it. Even students not destined for standup stages or sitcom writers’ rooms will benefit from studying the elements that make writing funny. This unit will reinforce other writing skills, like choosing words carefully and arranging details so they’re immediately clear to readers.

The syllabus below is a recommended progression for these lessons. However, the unit is flexible. You may want to rearrange it, stretch it out over a longer period, or even use specific lessons in isolation. For that reason, many of these materials are available as individual downloads.

You can also access versions of these materials for free as part of my email mini-course, which walks writers through the humor writing process in one email a week. You can learn more or sign up at http://roxannaelden.com/2018/03/free-six-week-humor-writing-mini-course/ (There is no charge, and lessons will arrive in your inbox once a week, along with some bonus material especially for writers.)