Let’s Get Serious About Funny Writing
w/ Mayur Chauhan

Tuesdays in January 2025 over Zoom from 5-7PM PST (1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28)
All meetings will be recorded and shared with registered participants for a few weeks afterwards.

Whether you're working on short-stories, novels, poems, memoirs, or haikus, a little bit of humor can go a long way. In this workshop, Mayur Chauhan will introduce you to the key concepts of comedy writing and how to infuse humor in your writing, no matter the subject-matter and form. We will read, review, and discuss samples of comedy across genres. We'll learn techniques from sketches, satirical writing & stand-up comics to make our writing (at-will) funny. We are bound to generate plenty of laughs through in-class writing exercises in an extremely supportive environment and of course say hello to our pets!

Participants are expected to work on writing and reading assignments outside the class each week. Each week we will also do in-class writing, plus pay attention and compliments to each other’s work. 

Pre-requisites: Opinions, passions, pet-peeves, feelings, curiosity, frustrations, aka your (or your character’s) perspective on things. More the merrier. As we’ll see, these are not just emotions but a gold-mine for us to keep going back to generate new funny material whether for stage or page.

Special Features: Free parking, free wifi and pet-friendly.

Pricing: The following payment model is inspired by and borrowed from the payment model of Bayo Akomolafe’s class, We Will Dance With Mountains: Into the Cracks.

This workshop offers a sliding scale based on your relative financial standing. In an effort to reflect disparity in economic condition and access to wealth, the following payment system is designed for those with more wealth to help cover the costs of those with less access to wealth and resources. We trust your discernment of your current financial situation and how you fit into the global economic context.

As you decide what amount to pay, please consider your present-day financial situation governed by income, but also the following factors: historical discrimination faced by your peoples; your financial wealth (retirement/savings/investments); your access to income and financial wealth, both current and anticipated (how easily could you earn more income compared to other people in your community, country, and the world; are you expecting an inheritance); people counting on your financial livelihood including dependents and community members; the socio-economic conditions of your locale (relative to other places in your country and in the world); your relationship to food & resource scarcity.

$350 Partner

$250 Supporter (Note: This amount reflects the “real” value of this course.)

$175 Companion

Scholarships are also available for anyone needing further financial assistance. Please email Daniel at registration@corporealwriting.com for more info, or if you are feeling challenged in any way by the financial requirements of participation.

Mayur Chauhan is an LA-based immigrant-actor-writer-comedian and a teacher of creativity. He grew up in New Delhi in such a loving family that when he was leaving for the US, all his relatives came to the airport to ensure it was a one way ticket. He writes stories in all forms. He has published over 30 short humor pieces in McSweeney’s and elsewhere. Mayur is a Breadloaf and Key West Literary Seminar Scholar. Mayur created and facilitates C.A.R.E. for Artists – an online creativity, & accountability group for artists across disciplines. He wants you to know that you’re amazing. ​ Mayur loves writing letters by hand, chai and you.