A step-by-step guide to humor writing that will convert anyone into a funnier writer and person.

INSIDE JOKES is a masterclass in a book that teaches you how to write anything funnier, from short humor and satire to essays and memoir to psychiatric intake forms.

Each chapter has technical and practical instruction to turn comedy outsiders into insiders and non-funny readers into funny writers.

Included at no extra cost: brainstorming and writing exercises, prompts, and pep talks that will take your writing from nonexistent to shitty first draft to award-deserving. The book covers the basics—finding topics to write and joke about—and actually writing jokes and joking about what you “shouldn’t” joke about.

And there are interviews with almost 100 professional comedians, published authors, screenwriters, and speechwriters sprinkled throughout.

*

Part writing guide, creativity bible, and therapy session, INSIDE JOKES tells secrets most writers learn through trial, error, and professional humiliation. It’s for:

• People who are funny already

• People who worry they can never be funny

• Writers who work across genres—fiction, nonfiction, long, short, serious, absurd—or would like to

• Anybody who wants the confidence to make fun of themselves and society

Basically, INSIDE JOKES is The Artist’s Way for the funny soul.

*

Authors/editors/teachers/perfect 10s Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel have taught thousands of classes to thousands of students at thousands of institutions,
and here they share their experience, lectures, tricks, replicable processes, and no-fail techniques that make comedy writing accessible for anyone with something
to say.

Anyone can read INSIDE JOKES: students, aspiring writers, your mom. It’s a perfect fit for colleges and universities, writing communities, graduate programs, gifts, and personal use.

Please get in touch about craft talks, book clubs, and writing clubs for lectures, gossip, and curriculum based on the book.