The Unfinished Joke Society

There’s nothing harder than coming up with a strong comedic premise, starting to write… and then wandering off into the weeds. This workshop is built to focus on strengthen the foundation for jokes, sketches, scripts, routines, etc. We will use a structured practice to identify, test, and sharpen premises before you build from them. So you know what’s solid and what needs work.

You’ll get focused feedback, see what makes a premise truly strong, and leave with a clearer direction — ready to generate the next ten jokes from something that can actually support them.

Bring in the premises you think are funny — we’ll help you stress-test them by putting them through the paces. This workshop is built to get you on your feet quickly, generating material, receiving focused feedback, and developing ideas in real time. I call it Shotgun Joke Writing because it’s fast, wide-ranging, and a little chaotic — but you will hit something funny.

Think of this as a concentrated version of working out material in front of a live audience, without the expectations that come with or waiting for stage time. It’s designed to sharpen your skills, get out of your head and help you get more out of your stand up going forward.

Suggested Prep:
- Bring 10 pre-written comedic premises if you want to work on your own material. Premises can be provided if you don't bring your own - Don't let that stop you creating.
- Improv or stand-up experience is a plus, but not required.

If you need help developing premises, consider attending our Strong Comedic Premises Workshop earlier in the week.
https://www.meetup.com/the-unfinished-joke-society/events/313299016/

This workshop is inspired by a fast-paced exercise used in professional writers’ rooms. You’ll be given a premise, constraint, or specific expectation for a joke — and then you’ll have a limited amount of time to write 20 jokes.

The rules might be structural (“write in a tricolon”), practical (“it must last 23 seconds”), content-based (“include ‘Tide’ in a positive light”), character-driven (“don’t reveal she’s getting fired”), or completely absurd (“give me the worst knock-knock joke imaginable”). The constraints change. The pressure stays. The goal is volume, flexibility, and surprise.

Once time is up, everyone pitches their jokes to the room. We’ll offer encouraging, constructive feedback focused on sharpening instincts and helping you discover your individual writing process under pressure.

If time allows, we may also take premises from participants and collectively punch up one of your jokes as a group.

This is a high-rep, low-ego environment designed to strengthen joke mechanics, adaptability, and speed — while still making room for your voice.

Ever get stuck trying to “find the funny” in a topic? Sometimes it feels like the subject itself just isn’t funny. I’d argue you can write a joke about anything — the trick is knowing what you actually have to play with.

This workshop is about breaking a subject open. I call it Joke Research — and no, you don’t need the internet. You’ll learn how to dissect a topic in your head: what it is, what it isn’t, what it means to people, how it functions, what it sounds like, what assumptions surround it, and where the tension lives. Once you see the available angles, the jokes start to surface.

We’ll give you a subject to attack and guide you through exercises designed to dig deep and uncover what’s usable, surprising, or absurd. This is a hands-on, idea-generating session meant to dismantle writer’s block and strengthen your premise instincts.

Eager beginners are absolutely welcome. If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t even know where to start,” this workshop was built for you. Come curious, leave dangerous — and probably with more jokes than you expected.