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Humor Writing

Online Jan 20, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 24, Mar 3 (5 Monday Afternoons)5:00pm - 8:00pm Pacific$425Limited Spots

10 Spots Left

Do you dream of publishing a short humor piece in McSweeney’s? If so, this 5-week online humor writing class is perfect for you! Rebecca Saltzman (New Yorker, McSweeney’s) will help you hone your comedic voice and find the format that speaks to your strengths, whether it’s political satire, comic monologues, faux opinion pieces or hilarious lists. Through fun in-class writing exercises, engaging craft talks and rigorous sample analysis, you’ll develop your stellar piece and workshop it to completion.

McSweeney's Cover Rebecca will address the principles of comedy writing, how to turn a topic into a premise, and revising and punching up a draft. By the end of the class, you’ll have an 800 word, publication-ready humor piece as well as a solid plan for how to approach writing these pieces in the future. Experienced and beginning writers welcome. Searing wit not included. Before you know it, you will be ready to join the ranks of the 158 students who have published short pieces after taking fiction class at Writing Pad.

Rebecca Saltzman

The New Yorker 3x, McSweeney’s 30x

Rebecca Saltzman’s humor writing appears in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, The Belladonna Comedy, Weekly Humorist, and elsewhere. Her work was selected for the print anthologies Keep Scrolling Till You Feel Something: 21 Years of Humor From McSweeney’s Internet Tendency (McSweeney’s Books, 2019), and Embrace the Merciless Joy: The McSweeney’s Internet Tendency Guide to Rearing Small, Medium and Large Children (McSweeney’s Books, 2023). Rebecca’s fiction and essays can be found in The Missouri Review, The Idaho Review, Liber Review, Women’s Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has an MFA in creative writing from NYU. MORE

“Rebecca is a great teacher--super nice, insightful, helpful. She has a great way of articulating comedic concepts that I've not heard from other teachers.”
“She's very knowledgeable about humor writing. She gave great examples and feedback on assignments.”
“She had lots of great tips and the class was well-structured. I learned a lot from her experiences and felt like I got great information.”
“She clearly enjoys teaching, and the subject matter, and her enthusiasm was infectious, without being over-the-top. Rebecca gave clear presentation of the materials and helpful, practical advice.”
“I loved this class! Rebecca gave us very clear, simple tools to structure stories, like a skeleton. These were presented not as absolute rules to follow but as tools at our disposal. This combination of support and freedom was very powerful and encouraging. In addition, she shared invaluable advice on the publishing industry, the process of writing and her own experiences. She was very honest and generous with her knowledge and compassion.”

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