Why did the comedian and the writer never see eye to eye?
Because one is a stand-up and the other is a sit-down!
A while back, I took a stand-up comedy class, because, as you can see, my jokes need some work! Over the eight weeks of the course, I learned a bunch of things about how jokes are constructed, and these techniques have turned out to be quite useful when I’m writing CNF. So I thought I’d share three of these tips:
Humor is amplified by concision. Because humor writing is “light” in tone, there is sometimes a perception that it’s easy to produce. This is far from true. To achieve that relaxed tone on the page often requires the most rigorous editing. For example, humor essayist David Sedaris famously edits a lot, and then makes further edits after reading his essays in front of a live audience. Saying something in a more succinct way means getting to the punchline quicker. Humor is all in the timing. And the best timing is achieved by tightening the prose or joke until it contains nothing but the essential information.
The comic triple almost guarantees a laugh. This classic technique involves providing your audience with a list, in which the first two things go together and seem to suggest a pattern. But then, when you get to the third thing, you swap in something unexpected, which becomes the punchline. For example, a waiter might ask a rude patron: “Sir, would you like anything else? Coffee? Dessert? A better personality?”
The funniest stories are often the most honest. Audiences (and readers) seem to have a sixth sense for knowing whether a story is truthful or just made-up. In comedy class, I noticed that the jokes from my real life always got the biggest laughs—a discovery that has since made me braver about being truthful in my nonfiction writing too. I recently published an essay that includes some of the most candid jokes from my standup set. You can read “Callback to the Cube Champ” here (and if reading on your phone, I suggest turning it sideways).
Next time you find yourself writing a funny piece of CNF, or including humorous moments in an essay, remember to play around with these techniques: strip the joke to its barest bones by taking out any detail you don’t need; consider including a comic triple; and always be as honest and vulnerable as you can. That way your readers will trust you enough to open up themselves. And when they do, maybe a laugh will escape.
Are there any CNF writers who crack you up? Perhaps you’re a fan of funny essayists like Jenny Lawson, Sloane Crosley, Mia Mercado, Samantha Irby, Scaachi Koul, Nora Ephron, or Eufemia Fantetti? Do you have any experience using comedy in your own nonfiction? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Some Upcoming Opportunities
I teach two online CNF courses for University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies, and both have sessions starting soon: Intro to Creative Nonfiction (Sep 15-Nov 23, 2025), and Creative Nonfiction Level II (Sep 29-Dec 7, 2025).
Black Warrior Review conducts a yearly writing contest for CNF of up to 6000 words. This year’s judge is Elissa Washuta and the deadline is fast approaching: Aug 16!
Geist is accepting short CNF for their Notes and Dispatches section, or longer nonfiction features until Sep 2. More details here.
Word on the Street is sponsoring two upcoming free Virtual Workshops: Self-Care Tactics for Writers (Aug 19, 6pm ET), Creating Time and Space to Write (Sep 2, 6pm ET)
Also LOVED "Callback to the Cube Champ." Brilliant, Becky.
I too highly recommend Becky’s classes. Thank you, Becky, for continuing to share your knowledge!