I wrote a top-selling humor writing book, Comedy Writing Secrets (3rd ed). I know how to target humor, write one-liners, and perform standup comedy. That’s…
Mark ShatzSeptember 18, 2024
I frequently teach writers how to think and write funny at conferences, such as the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference.…
Mark ShatzSeptember 16, 2024
Where's the epicenter of comedic gold? Look no further than the home of Constance Harm, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, and Homer Simpson. For over 30 years, a…
Mark ShatzSeptember 15, 2024
What’s the best holiday for dads? Father’s Day, Christmas, and birthdays are joyous occasions, but you don’t always get what you want. The best holiday…
Mark ShatzSeptember 13, 2024
The educational context of online courses changes humor expectations. Students assume teachers will be scholarly and serious. Yet, everyone, educators included, expects online classes to…
Mark ShatzSeptember 12, 2024
Three may be an odd number in math, but its da-da-Ta-da-da-Ta-da-da-Ta cadence makes it the most important number in comedy. Humorists and comedians have relied…
Mark ShatzSeptember 11, 2024
I love being a college professor, except for one thing – student papers. Reading student assignments is the worse. Like most men, college students are…
Mark ShatzSeptember 10, 2024
A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep. —W. Auden A teacher’s task is to educate, not entertain. And it’s certainly not an…
Mark ShatzSeptember 9, 2024
A classic comedic adage is, “If there’s no corpse, there’s usually no joke.” Humor typically attacks or ridicules something – people, places, things, and ideas.…
Mark ShatzSeptember 7, 2024
