Wordplay
The Second Meaning Hiding in a Plain Sentence
Learn how a plain sentence can carry two meanings at once, and shape context so its second reading arrives as a clean…
The whole shelf
All pieces
Read at an unhurried pace: a phrase may change meaning halfway through, and a comic voice often tells its story in the margins.
Forms
Choosing Between a Short Column and a Comic Essay
Choose between a short column and a comic essay by matching the idea to its form, so its comic premise gets the space…
Traditions
Before the Punchline: The Comic Essay in Print
The comic essay in print can wander before it turns. Learn how page breaks, paragraph rhythm and recurring details…
Voice
When the Narrator Explains the Joke
When a narrator explains a joke, the sentence can flatten the punchline or sharpen the voice. Learn how placement…
Structure
A Quiet Reading Hour for Comic Lists
A quiet reading hour for comic lists helps you hear their rhythm first, then see how a final item changes the meaning…
Our point of view
A joke is made of choices.
We look at what words, structure and voice do on the page, so a laugh can be enjoyed and understood at once.