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Inside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers
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Expected 20 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
17 days and 15:07:14
20 copies available
U.S. only
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
·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. 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
·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. 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.
- GenresHumor
395 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
Elissa Bassist
8 books118 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 - 2 of 2 reviews
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!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book makes we want to actually WRITE. That is the highest praise I can give!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews