The Exciting Writing for Laughter course was aimed at creative writers who wished to explore the subject of comic writing in greater depth.

Teaching covered diverse aspects of the subject rather than being focused on any single medium.

For example, topics included the constituent elements of jokes, techniques for generating funny ideas, timeless v. topical writing, word play, sustaining/building comic effect in an extended story or scene, and so on.

Class processes are not recorded here, but the topic sheets distributed to students during the course are as follows:

• The molecules of humour: language, human nature and surprise
• Humorous characters (including situation as a source of humour)
• Language for laughter (including use of sound patterns and selected rhetorical techniques)
• Telling the story (including, set-ups, punch-lines and the use of patterns & embellishment)
• Topical humour
• Writing comedy for specialist audiences
• Situation comedy
• Dealing with difficult subjects

Alternatively, use the arrows below to work forwards or backwards through the course: