54-185 Writing Stand-Up Comedy

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Do you find yourself wishing you could make the perfect joke, but just can't seem to word it? Do you spend an embarrassing amount of time watching Instagram reels of comedians doing crowd work? To many, stand up comedy feels like one of the most intimidating art forms one can pursue; this course aims to combine creative narrative structure, parody, and sketch comedy to give you the tools you need to nail the punchline every time. This course will examine the craft of storytelling and the origins of stand-up across the world, all the way to New Yorker cartoons, to Saturday Night Live. Students will leave with the ability to confidently use literary devices to construct a 5-10 minute stand up set, and gain public speaking skills that will serve any future academic endeavor or career. This course will consist of daily writing practice, discussion, and workshop in order to hone not only writing skills, but also to practice giving and receiving feedback.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Fall 2026, Fall 2025

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