Jokes
The Missing Step Between Setup and Punchline
The missing step between setup and punchline is a clear link. Learn to plant an expectation, shape a surprising turn…
The reading room
All articles
Explore writing about jokes, characters, scenes, comic forms, and timing. Each piece takes one question at a time and follows the choices that shape the effect.
Characters
Foil or Mirror: Two Jobs for a Comic Sidekick
A foil or mirror comic sidekick changes what an audience notices about the lead. Learn how to choose the role that…
Scenes
Escalation Without Simply Getting Louder
Escalation without simply getting louder gives a comic scene fresh pressure: shape each consequence so it changes the…
Forms
The Comic Essay Myth: More Jokes Do Not Make a Stronger Piece
A comic essay needs more than punchlines. Give its central thought direction, and each joke can sharpen the piece…
Timing
Reading a Pause in a Comic Exchange
Learn how to read a pause in a comic exchange, identify what changes during the silence, and revise beats that delay a…
Our point of view
A laugh has a shape worth noticing
Comedy often depends on a precise shift: a detail arrives late, a plan grows too large, or a character takes the wrong thing seriously. We look at those choices without treating laughter as a formula.