Writing Funny

Instructor: Younis B. Azeem

 

Writing is hard—this is an uncontested fact. Writing humorously, though, is downright painful.

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Memorable characters and a great plot can override bad writing. Writing’s innate subjectivity also allows poor prose to get a pass more often than it should. Humor, on the other hand, is significantly more black and white. Subpar satire, misplaced wit, or flat jokes are near impossible to overlook and can derail a reader from persisting with an otherwise good story.

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In this workshop, we will consider both aspects of humor writing: (i) writing well and (ii) writing funny. We’ll be talking about all the elements that make for good writing and good stories: compelling narratives, fleshed-out characters, crisp prose, smart use of setting, an original voice, inherited wealth that supports poor career choices, and various other components that come together to form a memorable piece.

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We’ll also read humor writing from authors such as Mohammed Hanif, Miranda July, Fran Leibowitz, and David Sedaris, and try to understand what makes some stories funny. We’ll discuss the differences between being funny on the page and off it, writing with an audience in mind, the basics of joke writing, and, of course, what exactly is a piece trying to achieve by being humorous. And while there’s merit (great merit) in being funny for the sake of being funny, we’ll also discuss how humor can be a powerful political weapon.

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You’ll leave this workshop thinking humor is wow-really-oddly-pretty serious business, and maybe, hopefully, have a few laughs along the way.

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