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Inside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers
A step-by-step practical guide to all types of comedy writing, filled with invaluable advice, exercises, interviews, tools, and jokes that will turn anyone into a funnier writer and person, from authors/editors/teachers/perfect 10s Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel.
Comedy writing is hard. Or is it?
Not with INSIDE JOKES.
INSIDE JOKES is a masterclass in a book that teaches you how to write anything funnier, from short humor to essays to psychiatric in-take forms. Each chapter has technical and practical advice to turn comedy outsiders into insiders, comedy readers into writers, and nonfunny nonwriters into funny writers. Included at no extra interviews with professional comedy writers, brainstorming and writing exercises, prompts, and assignments that will take your writing from nonexistent to shitty first draft to award-deserving.
INSIDE JOKES is a blend of writing guide, creativity bible, and therapy session with secrets that most writers learn through trial and error and professional humiliation. It’s for:
• People who are funny already
• People who worry they can never be funny
• People who’ve been asked to give a wedding toast (hot mention ex-partners in a list of 3, 5, or 17)
• Writers who work across genres or want to learn
• Employees who just want to get one solid laugh in their department meeting
Basically, INSIDE JOKES is The Artist's Way for the funny soul.
Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel have taught thousands of classes to thousands of students at thousands of institutions, including people who are now writers for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Onion, Reductress, The New Yorker, film, TV, their own books, and more, a lot more. They’ve taught nationally and internationally at universities, improv centers, writing conferences, and popular online schools. INSIDE JOKES collects their experience, lectures, step-by-step replicable processes, and no-fail techniques to make comedy writing accessible to anyone with something to say.
Comedy writing is hard. Or is it?
Not with INSIDE JOKES.
INSIDE JOKES is a masterclass in a book that teaches you how to write anything funnier, from short humor to essays to psychiatric in-take forms. Each chapter has technical and practical advice to turn comedy outsiders into insiders, comedy readers into writers, and nonfunny nonwriters into funny writers. Included at no extra interviews with professional comedy writers, brainstorming and writing exercises, prompts, and assignments that will take your writing from nonexistent to shitty first draft to award-deserving.
INSIDE JOKES is a blend of writing guide, creativity bible, and therapy session with secrets that most writers learn through trial and error and professional humiliation. It’s for:
• People who are funny already
• People who worry they can never be funny
• People who’ve been asked to give a wedding toast (hot mention ex-partners in a list of 3, 5, or 17)
• Writers who work across genres or want to learn
• Employees who just want to get one solid laugh in their department meeting
Basically, INSIDE JOKES is The Artist's Way for the funny soul.
Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel have taught thousands of classes to thousands of students at thousands of institutions, including people who are now writers for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Onion, Reductress, The New Yorker, film, TV, their own books, and more, a lot more. They’ve taught nationally and internationally at universities, improv centers, writing conferences, and popular online schools. INSIDE JOKES collects their experience, lectures, step-by-step replicable processes, and no-fail techniques to make comedy writing accessible to anyone with something to say.
- GenresWritingHumorNonfiction
416 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2026
About the author
Elissa Bassist
8 books126 followersElissa Bassist is the author of the memoir HYSTERICAL, a semi-finalist for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, and the co-author of INSIDE JOKES: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers.
She's also the creator of the “Funny Women” column on The Rumpus.
As a founding contributor to The Rumpus, Elissa has written cultural and personal criticism since the website launched in 2009. She’s worked in media and publishing since 2007, as an editor, a managing editor, a TV and film writer’s assistant, a producer, a performer, a speaker, and a barista.
Her writing has appeared in over 30 publications and anthologies, and she’s taught for over 20 writing programs. Her award-deserving newsletter about turning tragedy into comedy is Tragedy Plus Time (elissabassist.substack.com). Elissa is probably her therapist’s favorite.
She's also the creator of the “Funny Women” column on The Rumpus.
As a founding contributor to The Rumpus, Elissa has written cultural and personal criticism since the website launched in 2009. She’s worked in media and publishing since 2007, as an editor, a managing editor, a TV and film writer’s assistant, a producer, a performer, a speaker, and a barista.
Her writing has appeared in over 30 publications and anthologies, and she’s taught for over 20 writing programs. Her award-deserving newsletter about turning tragedy into comedy is Tragedy Plus Time (elissabassist.substack.com). Elissa is probably her therapist’s favorite.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been waiting for this book for so long, and it was everything I dreamed it would be and more!
Anyone who has spent any time scouring the internet for comedy writing advice will likely be familiar with the authors (and may have even taken one of their classes already) but this book manages to encapsulate all the very best knowledge out there so systematically while still being a funny, entertaining, and most importantly motivating read.
I’m so glad this is out in the world as it’s exactly what I needed as a newbie comedy writer, breaking down every single step in the process behind the kind of work you want to create. It’s an absolute cornucopia of illustrative examples and tidbits of comedy wisdom from all the writers you’ve heard of. This level of depth is unparalleled in any other resource out there (and trust me I have been searching.) It is utterly comprehensive. The appendix alone will change your life.
I learned more from this book than from any other (often more expensive) resources out there and I am certain that I will be revisiting it for years to come. I’ve only had it a few weeks and I’ve already been going back to consult certain passages like it’s a comedy bible. Highly recommend any aspiring/early career comedy writers to get a copy of this.
Anyone who has spent any time scouring the internet for comedy writing advice will likely be familiar with the authors (and may have even taken one of their classes already) but this book manages to encapsulate all the very best knowledge out there so systematically while still being a funny, entertaining, and most importantly motivating read.
I’m so glad this is out in the world as it’s exactly what I needed as a newbie comedy writer, breaking down every single step in the process behind the kind of work you want to create. It’s an absolute cornucopia of illustrative examples and tidbits of comedy wisdom from all the writers you’ve heard of. This level of depth is unparalleled in any other resource out there (and trust me I have been searching.) It is utterly comprehensive. The appendix alone will change your life.
I learned more from this book than from any other (often more expensive) resources out there and I am certain that I will be revisiting it for years to come. I’ve only had it a few weeks and I’ve already been going back to consult certain passages like it’s a comedy bible. Highly recommend any aspiring/early career comedy writers to get a copy of this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book makes we want to actually WRITE. That is the highest praise I can give!
October 22, 2026
This book is a bible for anyone who wants to write humor and comedy. Tangible craft tips, lots of inspiration, and great laughs throughout.
October 31, 2026
Great definitions, examples, and inspiration on every page. For all writers—not just humor writers! Honest to god, I read first chapters and applied the craft reminders to a non-humor novel I was editing and the tips—like be more specific!—apply. In a way, it’s life advice as well. Be more opinionated. Cultivate oddball expertise. Own your obsessions. “Always Be Learning.” Much more.
November 3, 2026
(ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
I've already added Inside Jokes to my list of recommended reading for my improv students. It's full of practical advice and encouragement (without any toxic positivity).
Immediately, I was impressed just with the book visually. The formatting and font choices were pleasant and I felt the design was truly thought about. Sometimes the formatting of an ARC feels violent.
I think the book is organized in a logical and helpful way. It strives to be a resource you will return to. I already know I will buy a physical copy so I can experience the satisfaction of flipping to the section I want to re-consult.
It wasn't far into the book until I was jotting down ideas I had and plans for future projects. I think it's great at reminding you that you do, in fact, want to write. The appendix is full of writing exercises to get you started anytime you're feeling stuck.
It covers a wide range of types of comedy writing and each style's particular strengths and struggles.
I left the book feeling inspired to write!
I've already added Inside Jokes to my list of recommended reading for my improv students. It's full of practical advice and encouragement (without any toxic positivity).
Immediately, I was impressed just with the book visually. The formatting and font choices were pleasant and I felt the design was truly thought about. Sometimes the formatting of an ARC feels violent.
I think the book is organized in a logical and helpful way. It strives to be a resource you will return to. I already know I will buy a physical copy so I can experience the satisfaction of flipping to the section I want to re-consult.
It wasn't far into the book until I was jotting down ideas I had and plans for future projects. I think it's great at reminding you that you do, in fact, want to write. The appendix is full of writing exercises to get you started anytime you're feeling stuck.
It covers a wide range of types of comedy writing and each style's particular strengths and struggles.
I left the book feeling inspired to write!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I took a comedy writing class with Caitlin Kunkel a few months (years?) ogo, and she mentioned she was working on this book— I’ve been eagerly awaiting it since! I was so excited to stumble across the opportunity to review an arc, and it didn’t disappoint!
This book is about the ins and outs of all things comedy writing, but with enough universal substance and application that I think every writer could use a copy on their shelf. I’ve never taken so many notes reading an arc before. Loved the book and media recs throughout, as well as the “Hot Tips” which condense otherwise meandering information into easily accessible and applicable advice.
In particular, I loved the Bojack Horseman and Raphael Bob-Waksberg mentions, as well as the chapter on writing about impossible things — a chapter that I think is necessary for a writing craft book debuting in 2026 — and I know I’ll be returning often to the chapters on revision and cutting.
I look forward to sharing this with my writing friends and my students. I’m preordering a copy now!
October 23, 2026
So far, excellent! Waited a long time for this type of book. She teaches great classes, and I wanted to learn more, so I got the book to help add more humor to my writing. (I can verbally make people laugh, but need help getting that to the page! ). I have no finish date on this because I am never finished with a reference book.
October 28, 2026
This is a brilliant guidebook to writing humor! It is excellent on a sentence level and it demystifies the process of writing funny stuff. It makes me wish I taught a humor writing class, so that I could assign it to help students. Sometimes friends say, "I'm not funny in my writing," but this book shows that anyone can adapt concrete techniques to make readers laugh. I listened to it as an audiobook, and I thought Elissa Bassist did a great job delivering the humor with the narration.
October 27, 2026
Brilliant and entertaining!
November 2, 2026
The most important craft book to come down the pike. An indispensable resource for humorists, but there's a lot that speaks across writing genres. It's like having a portable masterclass in humor writing! Thank you Elissa and Caitlin for putting your considerable comedic know-how into this work!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Funny and clever, this book helped me add comedy to my own writing. It was both instructive and compelling, and my family actually laughs at my jokes now!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews