{"product_id":"funny-on-a-sentence-level-comedy-writing-seminar-online","title":"Funny on a Sentence Level, a Zoom Seminar with Elissa Bassist on Sunday, October 11th, 2026","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSunday, October 11th, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLive Seminar via Zoom from 2:00PM - 5:00PM Eastern \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA recording will be provided if you cannot attend live.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e🌍 \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Times by Time Zone: \u003c\/strong\u003eLos Angeles (PDT): 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM \/ Chicago (CDT): 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM \/ New York (EDT): 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM \/ London (BST): 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM \/ Berlin (CEST): 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAny questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElissa Bassist is the editor of the “Funny Women” column on \u003cem\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/em\u003e and the author of \u003ca title=\"Hysterical by Elissa Bassist\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/hysterical-a-memoir-elissa-bassist\/18687565?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh3KOJnQB25_SDN0m2OftIJJSRbgZz2_nxE22qNpD8Vk1EbOCdskaG4aAiQDEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eHysterical\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, a semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. As a founding contributor to \u003cem\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/em\u003e, Elissa has written cultural and personal criticism since the website launched in 2009. INSIDE JOKES, a humor writing craft book, co-written with Caitlin Kunkel, is forthcoming from Grand Central Publishing in 2026. Elissa teaches humor writing at The New School and elsewhere, and she is probably her therapist’s favorite. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: white;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis online writing class is for anyone who wants to write funnier, whether you're already funny or aren't funny yet. It's open to writers of every level and every form: nonfiction and fiction, long-form and short, tragedy and comedy. All levels are welcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this three-hour seminar, we'll turn regular sentences into jokes using comedic and stylistic tools. To write funny, you don't need to write about something that's funny or someone who is funny — because you can write jokes if you can use a dictionary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComedy writing isn't writing joke after joke. It's a series of syntactical decisions and rearranging sentences until they end on a punch line. It's also learning and practicing comedic tools like wordplay, profanity, absurdity, contrast, contradiction, and neologism, alongside style tools like diction and syntax, imagery and figurative language, rhythm and punctuation, voice and tone. Humor writing — and its tools and hacks — is a skill, not an innate talent, so we'll practice to perfect it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect an informative and entertaining lecture style (think TED Talk but make it stand-up), no-fail brainstorming exercises, and the longest handouts in the game. We'll write from scratch and \"punch up\" a work in progress by pushing sentences to their full potential. The endgame is to write more specifically, and to write more specifically like you. Our goal is to say goodbye to clichés, generalities, and purple prose, and to rewrite every boring line so readers get one surprise or treat per sentence. This creative writing workshop delivers one semester of an MFA in three hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this course, students will generate new material through a series of in-session comedy writing exercises and leave with many new jokes to fold into works in progress. Each writer will also bring one work in progress to \"punch up\" live in class, leaving with a funnier, more specific draft. Students are invited to share what they write during the session; this is a generative seminar, so there is no formal written critique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReadings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReadings may include excerpts from INSIDE JOKES: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers by Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel (Grand Central Publishing). The book publishes October 20th, 2026 — just after our seminar — so this class is your first look at the material. Excerpts and handouts will be provided by the instructor; no purchase is required to participate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis three-hour seminar is built in four parts:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart One: Lecture \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e— the comedic and stylistic toolkit, including wordplay, profanity, absurdity, contrast, contradiction, neologism, diction and syntax, imagery and figurative language, rhythm and punctuation, and voice and tone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart Two: In-session writing exercises\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — no-fail brainstorming and generative prompts designed to produce new jokes on the page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart Three: In-session revising\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — bring a work in progress and \"punch up\" it live, pushing sentences to their full potential.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart Four: AMA \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e— an open conversation about comedy, craft, and the writing life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn concrete comedic tools — wordplay, absurdity, contrast, contradiction, neologism, and more — and how to deploy them at the sentence level\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePractice style tools including diction, syntax, imagery, figurative language, rhythm, punctuation, voice, and tone\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenerate a batch of new jokes you can drop directly into works in progress\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeave with one funnier, punched-up work in progress, revised live in class\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReplace clichés, generalities, and purple prose with specificity — one surprise or treat per sentence\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake away the longest handouts in the game for reference long after the seminar ends\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block-content\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTESTIMONIALS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I loved this class. Elissa was an extremely generous teacher\/storyteller. I think listening to her talk about her experience\/struggles to get words on the page was the most valuable part. I was amazed with Elissa’s ability to focus and maintain passion and energy for 3 straight hours. I was completely engaged in her personal writing journey and was satisfied with spending 3 hours listening to her speak.\" -former student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This was a fun class! I found Elissa's personal takes and experiences in both the process and in finding a home for her writing most valuable. The process seems much more manageable to me now, and I would take another class with Elissa.\" -former student\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I heard about WritingWorkshop.com via \u003cem\u003eHippocampus Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e. I'm so happy I found Elissa's class, which was filled with many small insights that added up to a lot. I left the class feeling inspired. Thank you.\" -former student\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Elissa's seminar exceeded my expectations! She provided real-world solutions for rejection and included so many thought-provoking prompts. This class was so rich with information it could have easily been a 6-week course.\"-former student\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This class was SO, SO GOOD!!!! By far, my favorite ever of the many many I have taken with Catapult, Grubstreet, Porch, CFF, and WritingWorkshops.com. Big compliments! Thank you!!! Learned a lot and was furiously taking down notes; what marvelous advice and stories you have. Can't wait to read HYSTERICAL and the books that will come after that.\" -former student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Funniest writing class ever, 11\/10 would definitely recommend.\" — Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I've taken a lot of writing courses, and Elissa's was one of the most informative and entertaining.\" — Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I've taken a variety of online writing classes and the amount of content Elissa was able to organize and provide was truly so impressive and genuinely helpful. Also she is a real-life comedy show.\" — Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I love Elissa's teaching style, and I love that I walked away with clear tools to immediately start incorporating into personal essays.\" — Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It is so refreshing to take a course and think, 'This is exactly what I was looking for.' Learned a lot, laughed a lot, and felt inspired to keep going in my pursuit of writing funny things. I hope to take more of Elissa's classes, and her spirit is now part of the writing shrine in my head where I burn David Sedaris prayer candles, recite lines from Patricia Lockwood, and cry.\" — Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"That was the greatest 3 hours I've spent in a long time!\" — Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS\u003c\/strong\u003e: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eTuition is $99 USD. You can pay for the course in full\u003ci\u003e or\u003c\/i\u003e use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eSunday, October 11th, 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eLive Seminar via Zoom from 2:00PM - 5:00PM Eastern\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTuition is $99 USD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50093807796472,"sku":null,"price":129.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/ElissaBassistHeadshot2025.png?v=1757622875","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-sg\/products\/funny-on-a-sentence-level-comedy-writing-seminar-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}