Tyler Paterson is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, holds an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of New Hampshire, and is a graduate of Second City Chicago. His work has appeared in over 80 publications worldwide including The Saturday Evening Post, The Forge Literary Magazine, The Delhousie Review, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and Fresh Ink. A semi-finalist in the Aura Estra short story contest, his work has also received notable accolades from Lycan Valley, North 2 South Press, and Lumberloft. He spends most nights yelling for his cat to ‘Get down from there!’ Tyler has led writing classes for people of all ages from University students, to local communities, to remote learners. His goal is to build the confidence in writers, give them the tools to build the stories they yearn to tell, and support them along their journey. A number of past students have gone on to get their work published.
Start Date: 5th November, 2025
Duration: 6 Weeks
Fee: $190
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Unleash Your Funny Bone: The Ultimate 6-Week Online Comedy Writing Course for Beginners
Welcome to the start of your comedy writing adventure! If you’ve always wanted to make people laugh but didn’t know where to begin, or if your sense of humour has been gathering dust, this Beginners Course is for YOU! Over six weeks, you’ll explore the craft of comedy writing: from shaping sharp punchlines and memorable characters to developing your own comic voice. With steady guidance and one-to-one feedback from your tutor, Tyler Paterson, you’ll complete practical weekly exercises designed to build confidence and creativity. By the end, you could have the beginnings of your first comedy sketch, stand-up set, or short story collection —whatever form your funny takes.
Expert Guidance and Personalised Feedback
Our experienced tutors are dedicated to helping you grow as a writer. When you enrol in the course, a dedicated professional tutor will be available to provide personalised feedback on your work throughout the six weeks. These one-on-one interactions with your tutor will improve your writing skills and boost your confidence as a budding writer.
Flexible Learning at Your Own Pace
We understand that life can be busy, which is why our course is designed with your schedule in mind. There are no set class times, so you can work through the weekly modules at your own pace whenever it’s most convenient for you. We recommend dedicating 2-3 hours per week to get the most out of the course content and assignments.
A Comprehensive Curriculum
Each week, a new module will be released, covering essential aspects of creative writing. After completing the course, you will have a strong foundation in creative writing, as well as your own original work to showcase your newfound skills.
What Our Modules Look Like
Week 1: Headline Punchline – One of the best starting places for any aspiring or seasoned comedian is joke writing. But how do we find material? Start with the news. This is why Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live and shows like The Daily Show are so popular. Scroll through news websites and grab a handful of headlines, then craft punchlines based on those headlines. This week will challenge you to both get a better understanding of the world while sharpening your sense of humor.
Week 2: Puns and Word Play – Once seen as a sign of great intelligence, puns now carry a similar reaction to “dad jokes.”. Yet, we still love them! This week will dive into how to use language, awareness of the greater situations, and alternate situations to craft really fun passages, puns, and moments in your writing.
Week 3: Crafting a tight 5 – Many people daydream about hitting the stage as a stand-up to relay their set to an adoring crowd. But how does it work? This week will dive into the techniques used to create a tight 5 – or a five minute set that contains a definite beginning, middle, end, while also branching off into tangents, punchlines, and jokes.
Week 4: The simple but impossible task – A great way to weave comedy into a larger story is to give your character a simple, but impossible task that forces them to improvise, make bad decisions, and then deal with the consequences of those decisions. Imagine a character wakes up and just wants to brew coffee. It can’t be that easy for them. What if they’re out of coffee? They decide to go to the store for more, but once outside, they realize they’ve been locked out! What if they then try to crawl back in through a window but a passing cop mistakes them for an intruder? Simple task (making coffee) feels impossible for our character. This is where a lot of whimsical fun can occur.
Week 5: A fish out of water – One of the most fun you can have as a writer is taking a character who is really good at something and putting them in a situation where that skill is taken away. Imagine a dentist arrives on a remote island where the inhabitants have no teeth, or a professional boxer who finds themself on a distant planet of pillow people? Or, imagine someone who is afraid of crowds finds themselves at a bustling airport. By exploring reactions of a character who is out of their depth, we will uncover the true source of comedy in your scene.
Week 6: The more logical, the lower the status – Grounded characters are necessary for most comedy. They call a sense of reality into the moment, which makes other characters look even wackier. BUT! It’s not that easy. Traditionally the grounded, logical character has the lowest status in the scene and is therefore not taken seriously. Knowing they have the lowest status, the grounded character has to get creative to get their point across or comment on the shenanigans around them. This week will give you tools to set up scenes, craft characters, and allow them to lose in hilarious ways.
Embark on Your Creative Journey Today
Don’t miss the opportunity to unlock your creative potential and take the first step toward becoming a skilled writer. Register now for our 6-week online comedy writing course, and begin your journey toward mastering the art of hilarious storytelling.