Even Funnier Business: Finding Humor 2

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It is highly recommended that students complete Funny Business: Finding Humor before completing this course.

Required Books:

• How to Add Humor to Your Novel by Lisa Wells

• The Best American Nonrequired Reading (2006)by Dave Eggers

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Leveraging Humor

• Learn about humor through class texts and media observations
• Class discussion on the evolution of humor 
• Figure out why you are drawn to certain types of humor
• Learn more about your particular type of comedy

Lesson 2: Choosing Your Moments

• Identify not only what you want to write about but the reason for it
• Harness moments and memories rife with humor 
• Humor surrounds us so why can’t we see it?
• Avoid ideas that deviate from your subtext

Lesson 3: What’s Your Joke?

• Learn how to create and sustain a joke
• Finesse your joke beats (like writing scene beats)
• Connect your writing with your intended audience
• Stay focused on the story you set out to tell

Lesson 4: Accessing Your Comedy

• More on avoiding comedy cliches
• The comedy escalator
• Draft your way to funny
• Don’t slow down – warp speed ahead

Lesson 5: It’s a Funny World 

• Learn by real world examples
• Discover the importance of titles
• Create your idea stages
• Figuring out humor as main character

Lesson 6: Moving Beyond Curtain Time

• Stick with your themes
• Simplicity vs complicated
• Sustaining humor
• Moving beyond the workshop

Learner Outcomes

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Define their own style of humor
• Enhance their existing comedic toolkit
• Create beats of jokes
• Determine how to leverage humor in their narrative
• Submit a longer narrative for workshop
• Apply comedic tools for a longer-term writing project after the course conclusion

COURSE SCHEDULE