The Mechanics of Humor: How to Write Funny Children’s Books with Confidence and Consistency

• The difference between humor and comedy
• The theories of humor
• The secret sauce of humor
• The various types of humor within children’s books
• Setup & punch

In-class exercise: In-class exercise: We will analyze several picture books, focusing on their setup and punch. We will also play a simile/mad libs-style game in which we exercise our newfound knowledge of incongruities, benign-violation, and setup and punch. Homework: Students will be asked to produce and bring to the following session a list of 10 words that aren’t that funny but could be used in a picture book.

• Word form & meaning
• Word frequency & funny letters
• Onomatopeia
• Alliteration & assonance
• Rich vocabulary
• Hyperbole
• Puns
• Idioms
• Specificity

In-class exercise: Using the list students bring in as their homework, they will then find alternative, funnier forms of their chosen words using what we’ve learned about language in relation to comedy. Homework exercise: Students will be given a writing prompt and asked to produce a short picture book scene in which they incorporate what they’ve learned in this week’s session about language, capitalizing on the comedic potential of the scene through the use elements and devices such as word form, alliteration and assonance, rich vocabulary, and specificity.

• Character flaws
• Character motivation and objective
• Internal and external character arcs
• POV & comedic lens
• Comedic conflict & tension
• Stakes
• Heart

In-class exercise: TBD Homework: Write a journal entry from your character’s perspective applying what we’ve learned in this session.

• Exaggeration
• Escalation
• Callbacks
• The “Rule” of Three

In-class exercise: Using the previous week’s homework, we will apply exaggeration and escalation to that character’s journal entry or a scene involving them. Homework: Students will be given a writing prompt for exaggeration and escalation and given the option of having it reviewed during the following class.

• Pacing for effective comedic timing
• Pagination
• Page turns for maximum comedy
• Thinking visually and utilizing art notes effectively
• Ending your story with a bang (and possibly a good twist)

In-class exercise(s): A manuscript will be shared with the class on-screen and students will work together to paginate it, keeping in mind pacing and page turns. Homework: Students will also be pitched jokes and scenes and asked to write effective art notes for them to be reviewed the following class.

• Breakdown of concept
• High concept versus low concept
• Breakdown of premise
• Where to source inspiration & mine for comedy
• The elements of compelling titles
• Revision tips

In-class exercise: We will use the “what if?” exercise to demonstrate a potential idea-generating hack students can add to their comedy writing toolbox.