Humor & Comedy Writing
Weird But Normal: An Interview With Mia Mercado
The humorist talks about putting together a book proposal, leaving Hallmark for freelance writing, and where she finds her writing ideas.
Jerry Seinfeld's 5-Step Comedy Writing Process
Former WD staffer Jess Zafarris crossed paths with Jerry Seinfeld, who shared his comedy writing process. His tips are not only useful for aspiring standup comedians, but also have broader applications for writers looking to add comedic elements to their own work.
Reddit for Writers: 47 Writing Subreddits to Explore
This supplement to the 2019 edition of our 101 Best Websites provides a guide to writing subreddits—destinations across Reddit where writers can find useful information, community, and resources.
How to Write Funny Dialogue: 5 Tips for Making Readers Laugh Out Loud
Playwright and author Stephen Evans explains how to write funny dialogue with these five key tips informed by neurology, rhythm, and theater.
Playing with Common Horror Tropes for Comedic Effect
The horror tropes you often see in movies can be fun, but they can also be totally ludicrous. If you're looking to add a comedic edge to your horror fiction, try bending these common tropes.
18 Ways to Write Funnier Fast
We're not all comedy writers, but many of us want to write a funny story or incorporate funny scenes into a novel. In this excerpt from The Byline Bible, Susan Shapiro offers 18 quick and easy ways to improve at eliciting laughs from your readers.
An Illustrated Guide to Book Expo 2018
Bob Eckstein illustrated the happenings at the reimagined Book Expo 2018. Explore his observations here.
Comedy Writers and Satirists of the #MeToo Movement
In this second in a series about the impact of the #MeToo movement on how and what women write, Leigh Anne Jasheway focuses on women who write and publish comedy and satire.
The Writer's Digest Podcast, Episode 4: Deconstructing Humor — Interview with Laurie Kilmartin
In this episode of the Writer’s Digest Podcast, author and comedian Laurie Kilmartin discusses writing comedy and jokes that keep your audience laughing, balancing the specific tug-of-war between writing for your job and writing for yourself, and combining humor and death in a way that’s both funny and poignant.
George Saunders: The WD Interview
George Saunders dishes on inventive structure, reveals why he’s wary of outlines, and talks novel-length success with Lincoln in the Bardo.
Comedians Laurie Kilmartin, Andy Kindler, Gary Gulman and Nikki Glaser Share Their Best Writing Tips
The latest issue of Writer’s Digest features four veteran comedians who shared their thoughts on what writers of every genre can glean from stand-up. To explore just a few of their comedy writing tips and see their joke-telling acumen in action, we’ve included some of their advice here, plus a video clip of each comedian in action.
American Psychos: The Onion Founder Scott Dikkers Discusses Writing Satire During Dark Times
Scott Dikkers, founder of the satirical news publication The Onion, is the master of writing satire. Here, he discusses the role of in today's challenging sociopolitical atmosphere.
Interview: The Oscar-Nominated Writers Behind The Disaster Artist (Part Two)
Screenwriters Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter describe their creative process and the decisions that went into writing their Oscar-nominated comedy, The Disaster Artist.
Interview: The Oscar-Nominated Writers Behind The Disaster Artist (Part One)
Screenwriters Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter dig into details about the development and writing behind their Oscar-nominated comedy, The Disaster Artist.
10 Rules of Writing a Novel From a Copywriter
Here are a few things author Helen Klein Ross learned along the way to writing a novel between stints as a copywriter from how to manage time to handle inspiration and more.
7 Reasons Writers of Serious Novels Should Use Humor in Their Fiction
Purely comic fiction may not sell well, but many novels that tackle serious topics with flashes of humor (like The Fault in Our Stars, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and more) do spectacularly, for good reason.
7 Serious Tips for Writing a Humor-Filled Novel
Writing humor can be tricky. Use these tips to humor writing in your novel to make your readers laugh so hard milk squirts out their noses.
7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel (& How to Avoid Them)
You can doom your debut novel from the start with these 7 (tongue-in-cheek) strategies for flailing, and failing—or, you can do just the opposite.
How to Write Better Using Humor
It may sound funny, but it’s true: Humor is a great way to hook readers, no matter the subject. Here's how to write better nonfiction simply by lightening the mood.
7 Reasons Writing a Book Makes You a Badass
Author Brian A. Klems explains why writing his book, OH BOY, YOU'RE HAVING A GIRL: A Dad's Survival Guide to Raising Daughters, made him feel like a complete and utter badass.
Reject a Hit: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Let’s step once again into the role of the unconvinced, perhaps even curmudgeonly or fool-hearted editor: What harsh rejection letters might the authors of some of our favorite hit books have had to endure? This contribution comes from Chris Gay of Manchester, Conn., who found Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol to be as tedious as a bowl of plum pudding.