Seriously Funny: The Magic of Humour in Storytelling
With Janelle Hanchett and Lisa Page Rosenberg
June 11 - 16, 2023
Let’s explore the transformative power of humour in storytelling. What makes a character funny? What do we mean by “humour = tragedy + time?” How (and why) do we laugh at the human condition in a way that deepens meaning?
In every genre, nuanced writing uses humour to create three-dimensional characters, explore complex topics, and form dynamic, relatable stories. It seems some experiences can only be touched through laughter—guffaws or a small smile of deep recognition. Perhaps they’re too massive otherwise. Or, we’re just humans: strange, and a bit ridiculous.
Learn how to incorporate this depth into your writing as we celebrate and examine irony, satire, and even nonsense in the formation of characterization, plot, and narrative. Explore timing and rhythm, voice and tone, as well as the ever-elusive writing of dialogue. Learn how to infuse narratives and plot with humour, even when dealing with the most difficult of subjects.
Humour heals, it keeps us reading and living, and every writer can learn how to use their unique sense of humour to brighten the page. And get ready to laugh.
Schedule
A detailed schedule will be available 1-2 weeks in advance of the program. View sample schedule here.
Terms & Conditions
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Presenters
Janelle Hanchett is an author, editor, writing teacher, and mother of four. Writing after her kids went to bed, between graduate school classes, and on lunch breaks from her “real” job, Janelle founded her irreverent, unapologetic blog “Renegade Mothering” in 2011. Eventually her website grew to draw hundreds of thousands…
Learn more about Janelle Hanchett
Lisa Page Rosenberg is a former writer/director/producer for television. Credits include The Man Show, Popstars, The John Henson Project, Steve Martin: A Comic Life, Uncomfortably Close With Michael McKean, and the film Windy City Heat. Her stories have been published in essay collections, Listen to Your Mother, Moms Are Nuts, A Letter to My Mom, and True…
Learn more about Lisa Page Rosenberg