Stand-Up Comedy Writing Intensive
The Stand-Up Comedy Writing Intensive happens in a short time span (1 day in NYC, or 2 days on Zoom). The course includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s open to writers of any level. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.
Comics say it’s the greatest high. You step into the light, take a swig of water, pick up the mic, then reduce a crowd of people to a mass of helpless laughter. Sure, the risks are great—silence, heckling, humiliation—but on a good night a stand-up feels richer than Notaro and Rock combined.
You “kill” or “die” depending on your material. Here you will learn techniques for writing and performing stand-up comedy, as well as how to market yourself.
Whether you favor shtick or sophistication, we’ll show you how to write standup material that makes ‘em laugh, and laugh some more.
The course was all around worthwhile even if you never get into "the business."
Lauren Werner
TV news video editor
Upcoming Classes
Check back soon. You'll likely see options when we finish our next schedule.
Syllabus
This course gives an overview of the basics of writing stand-up comedy. Course components:
Brief lectures
Writing exercises
Topics:
What Is a Joke?
Point of View
Ways to Improve a Joke
The Audience
The Performer
The Stand-Up Scene
Note: Content may vary among individual classes.
