2 Sessions: Thursday, January 15 + 22
7:00-9:00pm ET
Greg Mania

This generator is taught by Greg Mania, author of the memoir Born to Be Public, which has been named a best book of 2020 by NPR, O, The Oprah Magazine, Electric Literature, The Brooklyn Rail, Largehearted Boy, and was a 2020 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Humor. He is currently working on his debut novel.

What makes something truly funny on the page—and how do you actually conjure LOLs from the void? This two-session workshop is for writers looking to craft short humor pieces for outlets like McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, and other literary-humor platforms. We’ll break down the anatomy of a successful humor piece—tone, rhythm, pacing, structure, escalation, and surprise—while exploring how humor springs from your unique voice and worldview (and not just caffeine and mental illness). Through close readings, group discussion, and guided exercises, you’ll generate new material, experiment with comedic forms, and refine your ideas into sharp, submission-ready pieces.

In the second session, we’ll workshop participant drafts with a focus on comedic clarity, structure, and punch. You’ll learn how to heighten jokes, tighten prose, and find the emotional or cultural core that makes humor resonate beyond the punchline. Whether you’re new to writing or already a seasoned quipster, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to bring your comedic voice to the page—and the confidence to face that blinking cursor like it owes you money.

Workshop Highlights:

• A clear understanding of what makes a written piece actually funny (and why timing, tone, and surprise matter more than punchlines alone).

• Practical tools and techniques for developing, structuring, and refining short humor pieces fit for McSweeney’s, The New Yorker, and beyond.

• Personalized feedback and strategies to sharpen your comedic voice—so your jokes land, your sentences sing, and your readers stop scrolling.

This workshop has 1 full and 1 partial scholarship available. To apply, please fill out this form by Friday, January 9.