Description
Providing both theory and praxis, this insightful and creative textbook explains how to write humor, comedy, satire, parody, nonsense, and both the literary and the joke monologue. Through its close analyses of short stories, sketches, essays, and scripts, it is a must-read for serious and not-so-serious writers of every genre. Guiding aspiring writers through the many techniques for creating humor, it illustrates and analyzes what works and what doesn't, suggests ways to energize passages that fall flat, and offers insights into brainstorming, team writing, and revision.
This book includes the history and cultural background of each major genre, followed by a rich array of writing exercises. Readers will find an inventive selection of examples to learn from, including a script from M*A*S*H and pieces by such humorists as Woody Allen, Ogden Nash, and Art Buchwald--and by students as well.
Author: Mary Ann Rishel
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Published: 04/01/2002
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.21lbs
Size: 8.96h x 6.04w x 0.74d
ISBN13: 9780814329603
ISBN10: 0814329608
BISAC Categories:
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Writing | General
- Humor | Form | Comic Strips & Cartoons
About the Author
Mary Ann Rishel is an associate professor in the Department of Writing at Ithaca College.