From Punchline to Pathos: Writing Comedy – 2017

Who: Luke Ryan
When: 
Saturday 11 November, 10am-4pm
Cost: Full Price:
$180; Member: $125; Conc Member: $110
Level:
Beginner/Intermediate

Comic writing is an art unto itself, but one sorely missing from contemporary discussions of how we write.

This workshop will cover the how, what and why of comic writing – from misdirection, to analogy, to the rule of threes and beyond – and transform your everyday anecdotes and observations into razor-sharp, Sedaris-style routines.

Starting with a general introduction into the types and forms of comedic writing, we’ll focus primarily on the mechanics of comic memoir: how to spot comic anecdotes in your own life; how to draw out the beats and empathetic heart of a story; how to find the punchline and impart the message. We’ll focus on joke form and construction.

By the end of the day, you should have a new appreciation of the complexities of and opportunities afforded by writing funny – both as a legitimate (and enjoyable) literary form and also as a component of your everyday writing practice.

Learning Outcomes

  • Taking an idea from unpopped kernel to fully fleshed comedic gem.
  • Come to grips with the basic structure and types of comic writing.
  • Identify and draw out the comedic beats of a story.
  • Spot opportunities for jokes and make them work both on the page and out loud.
  • Find the empathetic comic core in even the most personal of material.

Participant Requirements
Bring a maximum 1000-word story/excerpt of your writing for workshopping (time permitting).

About the tutor
Luke Ryan
is a Melbourne-based freelance writer and comedian. He is the editor of the Best Australian Comedy Writing series and author of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Chemo, a comedy memoir about having had cancer a couple of times, out through Affirm Press. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Best Australian Essays, the Guardian, Quartz, Smith Journal, The Lifted Brow, Junkee, Crikey, Kill Your Darlings and many more.

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