{"product_id":"how-to-write-funny-fiction-comedy-writing-workshop-online","title":"How to Write Funny Fiction: A Generative Comedy Craft Seminar (Zoom) with Caitlin Kunkel on Saturday, August 1st, 2026","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-pre-wrap leading-[1.7]\"\u003eBegins Saturday, August 1, 2026\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-pre-wrap leading-[1.7]\"\u003eClass will meet once via Zoom on Saturday, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e🌍 \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Times by Time Zone\u003c\/strong\u003e: Los Angeles (PDT): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM \/ Chicago (CDT): 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM \/ New York (EDT): 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM \/ London (BST): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM \/ Berlin (CEST): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eNow Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstructor Bio\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eInstructor Caitlin Kunkel's writing has been featured in \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times, The New Yorker, McSweeney's\u003c\/em\u003e, and on public radio. She co-founded the comedy site \u003cem\u003eThe Belladonna\u003c\/em\u003e, created the online satire writing program for The Second City, and co-created the Satire and Humor Festival. Her first co-written book, NEW EROTICA FOR FEMINISTS, was published by Penguin Random House and named one of the 10 best comedy books of the year by \u003cem\u003eVulture\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eNY Mag\u003c\/em\u003e). INSIDE JOKES, a humor writing craft book, co-written with Elissa Bassist, is forthcoming from Grand Central Publishing in 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThis online writing workshop is for fiction writers at all levels who want to make their novels and short stories funnier — from premise to protagonist to the sentence on the page. Whether you're drafting a comedic novel, trying to bring more humor into your literary fiction, or looking for tools to sharpen a short story you already have in motion, this generative seminar will give you a working comedy toolkit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eIn this two-hour generative Zoom seminar, Caitlin Kunkel — co-author of the comedy craft book \u003cem\u003eInside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers\u003c\/em\u003e — will break down how to make your fiction laugh-out-loud funny, from your premise to your protagonist to your line-level writing. The class opens with an overview of comedic novel subgenres: speculative, hyperreal, satirical, dark, and absurd. From there, you'll move into the elements of a high-concept comedic premise and learn the questions and techniques that help bake comedy into a novel or short story idea from the start.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe seminar then turns to comedic protagonists in fiction, with a focus on how contradiction and irony can wring comedy out of your characters' thoughts and actions. The final segment zooms in on the levers you can pull to write funny at the scene and line level: setpieces, character interiority, description, and dialogue. Throughout, Caitlin draws on advice from the interviews she conducted with comedic novelists for \u003cem\u003eInside Jokes\u003c\/em\u003e, along with examples from contemporary comedic novels and short fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThis creative writing workshop runs live via Zoom, with a recording provided for anyone who can't attend in real time. Expect concrete craft takeaways, generative exercises, and a practical framework you can apply to work you're already developing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eIn this course, students will leave with a working comedy toolkit for fiction: a sharper premise for a comedic novel or short story, a clearer sense of how to build a comedic protagonist, and a set of line-level techniques for punching up scenes, description, and dialogue. Students will participate in generative discussion and craft prompts throughout the seminar and take home reference material they can apply to drafts in progress.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReadings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eReadings may include excerpts from \u003cem\u003eThe Husbands\u003c\/em\u003e by Holly Gramazio, \u003cem\u003eLess\u003c\/em\u003e by Andrew Sean Greer, \u003cem\u003eTemporary\u003c\/em\u003e by Hilary Leichter, \u003cem\u003eMy Sister, the Serial Killer\u003c\/em\u003e by Oyinkan Braithwaite, \u003cem\u003eYellowface\u003c\/em\u003e by R.F. Kuang, \u003cem\u003eLike This, But Funnier\u003c\/em\u003e by Hallie Cantor, and short stories by Simon Rich and Jen Spyra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass is recorded if you cannot attend live.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSegment 1: Comedic Novel Subgenres and High-Concept Premise — \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAn overview of speculative, hyperreal, satirical, dark, and absurd comedy in contemporary fiction, followed by the elements of a high-concept comedic premise and the questions and techniques that help you bake comedy into a novel or short story idea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSegment 2: Comedic Protagonists — \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eHow to build characters who are funny from the inside out, using contradiction and irony to generate comedy from their thoughts, decisions, and actions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSegment 3: Writing Funny at the Scene and Line Level — \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThe specific levers that make individual scenes and sentences land: setpieces, character interiority, description, and dialogue. Includes advice from Caitlin's interviews with comedic novelists for \u003cem\u003eInside Jokes\u003c\/em\u003e and examples from modern comedic novels and short stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA framework for identifying and sharpening a high-concept comedic premise for a novel or short story\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTechniques for generating comedy from a protagonist's contradictions, irony, and interior life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eScene- and line-level craft tools for writing funnier setpieces, description, and dialogue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA working map of contemporary comedic novel subgenres and where your project fits\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eReference examples and takeaways from Caitlin's interviews with working comedic novelists\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eTuition is $99 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eInstructor: Caitlin Kunkel\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBegins Saturday, August 1, 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eClass will meet once via Zoom on Saturday, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eClass is recorded if you cannot attend live.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTuition is $99 USD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48280125604088,"sku":null,"price":85.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/CaitlinKunkelHeadshot2025.png?v=1757622903","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-it\/products\/how-to-write-funny-fiction-comedy-writing-workshop-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}