Humor Writing Mini-Class: Overview and Recommended Reading

This is an online-friendly version of a four-week course I taught through The Center for Writing and Literature at Miami-Dade College. The class was a great chance to spend time with other writers and use my nerdly passion for studying what makes things funny. It will probably be a long time before I’ll teach the same class again, so I’m putting them online for other people who want to learn to make their writing funny. You can use the menu below to navigate through the examples and activities (I’m in the process of uploading them now, so you may have to check back in for later activities) or sign up here to receive the most current versions of activities and exercises once a week for four weeks. 

Making It Funny: The Art and Science of Humor Writing

Instructor: Roxanna Elden

Course Description: The class begins with a short overview of popular humor theories, then moves onto more concrete aspects of humor, including the setup-punch structure used by standup comics and how to use “comic timing” on paper. We will also read and discuss excerpts of funny writing done well, followed by writing exercises and recommended reading for followup. Will this workshop make you funny? No. Only a lifetime of using humor to cope with emotional pain can do that. But this workshop will teach you use the techniques of professional funny people to enhance the humor in your own writing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed teaching it.

Week 1: What Makes Things Funny?

Examples/Discussion Topic: What makes these funny?

Overview of Four Main Humor Theories

Video: The Benign Violation Theory (A TEDx Talk by Tim McGraw)

Assignment: Tune Your Mental Radio to the Humor Nerd Station

Week 2: Using Detail to Add Humor to Your Writing

Examples:

Writing Exercise: Microscope/Telescope

Week 3: Using The Tools of Standup Comedy to Make Your Writing Funnier

Week 4: Self Editing Tips for Humor Writing

Followup: Finding Humor Writing Buddies / Tips For Writers

Recommended Reading and Excerpts Used In Class

Funny Books Used As Class Examples (Plus a Few Other Personal Favorites)

Surviving your Stupid, Stupid Decision to go to Grad School, Adam Ruben

I’m Down, Mishna Wolff

Promise Land: My Journey Through America’s Self-Help Culture, Jessica Lamb-Shapiro

We Learn Nothing: Essays,Tim Kreider

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Mindy Kaling

Bossypants, Tina Fey

You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas, Augusten Borroughs

Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits, Dave Barry

Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris

Studies of humor and humor writing:

The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner – A book that combines humor theory with an international road trip to see what is funny in other countries. The author is the psychologist who gave the TEDx Talk on Benign Violation Theory.

Poking a Dead Frog, Mike Sacks – A collection of advice and interviews about the craft and business of comedy writing

Humor 101, Mitch Earleywine, PhD – A book on the psychology of humor, written by a psychology professor

Advice for Standup Comics (and others who want to be funny while speaking):

Zen and the Art of Standup Comedy, Jay Sankey – A book that talks about all the delicate balances a person has to strike when trying to make an audience laugh. I’ve also found this one helpful as a teacher.

Truth in Comedy, Charna Halpern and Kim Howard Johnson – a short book about improv comedy that also offers insights into what makes things funny.

Step-by-Step to Standup, Greg Dean – A book that breaks down joke structure to help with joke writing.