Just a quick note really, on how good this course is. If you've not come across the name, Joel Morris writes comedy mostly for film and telly, but he's done loads of other stuff too, not least the Framley Examiner and those faux Ladybird books from a few years ago.
Anyway, Joel does masterclasses at literary festivals and the like, he's written a book on how comedy works (it's called Be Funny or Die and a new edition is coming out soon - don't buy a new copy of the existing version as it got caught up in the Unbound fiasco earlier this year), and he sometimes does an online five-week comedy writing course too. I took this course Sept-Oct 2025 and it was great.
I'm a nerd for this kind of thing. There's shelves of how-to books behind me right now, I've got yer certificates, I've watched a few of those Masterclass / BBC Maestro courses. Heck, I even did Robert McKee's story structure four-dayer a few years back.
Joel's course is easily the equal of anything I've done before. I'd go further and say that where it offers advantage over other online offerings is that there's a healthy interactive element too.
It runs over five 90 minute sessions, which each are basically split equally between Joel discussing that week's topic and then giving the session over to Q and A. Weeks cover in turn: the basics of what comedy is and why it's important / the craft of comedy writing and performing / comedy and character / comedy and story structure / how to actually do the writing thing. There's a fuller breakdown of the session content here.
Not only was the course fab but Joel was too. Soft and funny and warm and wise and equipped with plenty of stories about the business delivered in ways that reflect knowledge and experience in a friendly and unassuming way. Other attendees were a lovely bunch, and had plenty of questions that provoked interested responses and other contributions. Joel follows up a couple of days after each session with links to download video and audio versions of that week's input if you're minded to have a digital memento. I've put the audio files on my phone for bus journey listening.
So, yep. I learned plenty and had a good time doing so. Can't say fairer than that. No idea when the next presentation will be, but there's a sign-up / expression of interest button on the website.
Cheers to Mr Morris!
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