Writing Humour with David Cohen

Develop the comic potential of your writing.

In this workshop we’ll ask the question: what makes a story funny? Structure, pace, character, point of view, language—these and other basic story elements can be employed to generate humour, whatever the subject matter. Focusing on short fiction, we’ll examine a range of approaches to humour, applying some of these techniques to our own work.

Learning outcomes

As part of this workshop, participants will:

• Learn some practical techniques for developing and sharpening the humour in your writing
• Employ humour to reveal character, sustain attention, and explore ideas
• Consider the comic value of word choice/arrangement
• Appreciate that when it comes to ‘writing funny’, less is (usually) more.

Format

This is an in-person workshop with a focus on writing craft; it will be held at State Library of Queensland. This workshop is suitable for writers of all levels and writing backgrounds.

About David

David Cohen is the author of two short-story collections, The Hunter and Other Stories of Men (winner of the 2019 Russell Prize for humour writing) and The Terrible Event, and two novels, Disappearing off the Face of the Earth and Fear of Tennis. His stories have appeared in Australian Book Review, The Big Issue, The Griffith Review, Meanjin, Overland, and elsewhere.

For more information about Queensland Writers Centre’s Program of Events and answers to FAQs, please visit: www.queenslandwriters.org.au/program-info