{"product_id":"inside-jokes-a-comedy-and-creativity-guide-for-all-writers-9781538770771","title":"Inside Jokes: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All Writers","description":"\u003cb\u003eA step-by-step practical guide to all types of comedy writing, filled with invaluable advice, exercises, interviews, tools, and jokes that will turn anyone into a funnier writer and person, from authors\/editors\/teachers\/perfect 10s Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Comedy writing is hard. Or is it? Not with Inside Jokes. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eInside Jokes\u003c\/i\u003e is a masterclass in a book that teaches you how to write anything funnier, from short humor to essays to psychiatric in-take forms. Each chapter has technical and practical advice to turn comedy outsiders into insiders, comedy readers into writers, and nonfunny nonwriters into funny writers. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Included at no extra cost: interviews with professional comedy writers, brainstorming and writing exercises, prompts, and assignments that will take your writing from nonexistent to shitty first draft to award-deserving. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eInside Jokes \u003c\/i\u003eis a blend of writing guide, creativity bible, and therapy session with secrets that most writers learn through trial and error and professional humiliation. It's for: \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e People who are funny already \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e People who worry they can never be funny \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e People who've been asked to give a wedding toast (hot hip: mention ex-partners in a list of 3, 5, or 17) \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Writers who work across genres or want to learn \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Employees who just want to get one solid laugh in their department meeting \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Basically, \u003ci\u003eInside Jokes\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003ci\u003eThe Artist's Way \u003c\/i\u003efor the funny soul. Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel have taught thousands of classes to thousands of students at thousands of institutions, including people who are now writers for \u003ci\u003eLast Week Tonight with John Oliver\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Onion\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eReductress\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e, film, TV, their own books, and more. Inside Jokes collects their experience, lectures, step-by-step replicable processes, and no-fail techniques to make comedy writing accessible to anyone with something to say. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"I guess it's not enough that Caitlin and Elissa are both monstrously talented, hilarious writers; apparently they have to stick it to the rest of us by also being warm, big-hearted educators with a knack for breaking down the dark art of joke craft in a way that even a dummy like me can understand. Did I mention they're both hot? RUDE.\" ―Emily Flake, cartoonist for \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e and author of \u003ci\u003eThat Was Awkward: The Art and Etiquette of the Awkward Hug\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"I felt every emotion reading this book by Elissa Bassist and Caitlin Kunkel: joy, bliss, euphoria, horny, cheese-hunger, gigglefits, delirium, horny. Work wives Elissa and Caitlin are true comedy masters, alongside French clowns and a dog looking directly into the camera.\" ―Janine Brito, writer and actor on \u003ci\u003eGirls5Eva\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMr. Mayor\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-4466840\"\u003eElissa Bassist\u003c\/a\u003e,\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-11822846\"\u003eCaitlin Kunkel\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Grand Central Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/20\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.25h x 5.50w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781538770771\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1538770776\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HUM\"\u003eHumor\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HUM000000\"\u003eGeneral\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-LAN\"\u003eLanguage Arts \u0026amp; Disciplines\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-LAN005000\"\u003eWriting | General\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-PER\"\u003ePerforming Arts\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/flcorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-PER010050\"\u003eTelevision | Screenwriting\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eElissa Bassist\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the memoir \u003ci\u003eHysterical\u003c\/i\u003e, a semifinalist for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, and the creator of the \"Funny Women\" column on The Rumpus. She's worked in media and publishing since 2007, as a managing editor, an associate editor, an assistant editor, a TV and film writer's assistant, a producer, a performer, a speaker, and a barista. Her humor and sad essays have appeared in over 30 publications and anthologies, and she's taught for over 20 writing programs. Elissa lives in Brooklyn and is probably her therapist's favorite. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eCaitlin Kunkel\u003c\/b\u003e is the co-author of the gift book \u003ci\u003eNew Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay \u003c\/i\u003eand co-founder of the comedy and satire site The Belladonna. Her comedy writing has appeared on public radio and in \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker's \"\u003c\/i\u003eShouts \u0026amp; Murmurs,\" \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, \u003c\/i\u003eand McSweeney's Internet Tendency\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e Caitlin created The Second City's online satire writing program that has trained and continues to train thousands of writers. She co-founded the Satire and Humor Festival, was named one of the \"Fifteen of the Best Humorists Writing Today\" by \u003ci\u003ePaste Magazine, \u003c\/i\u003e and serves as a judge for The Thurber Prize for American Humor. She was raised in the wilds of Rhode Island. \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Grand Central Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54229458452777,"sku":"9781538770771","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/5747\/7673\/files\/9781538770771.jpg?v=1790358876","url":"https:\/\/www.njcorrectionsbookstore.com\/products\/inside-jokes-a-comedy-and-creativity-guide-for-all-writers-9781538770771","provider":"New Jersey Corrections Book Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}