How to Write Topical Humor

Comedian Bill Kilpatrick talks about topical humor - what it is, how it works, why comics are drawn to it, why it's harder than it looks and how to write it better. The go-to style of late-night talkshows, topical humor lets us laugh at the day's headlines. For many people, it's their "news and commentary." But topical humor is also a potential quagmire for comics trying to build a set and develop their own voice. If you do topical, there are do's and don'ts to keep in mind. This book examines how topical can be misleading as well as how to avoid the trap of just being another comic talking about the same story and writing the same joke as 23 million wannabes on Twitter.