Comedy Creative

Maria Bamford is a creative genius. But the process of creating is not something that “comes easily” or “is enjoyable” for her. So, over the years, she’s invented a number of helpful techniques for tricking, shaming, coercing herself into doing things. You Are (A Comedy) Special is 15-step comedic send up of a self help guide that examines Maria’s approach to stand-up in a hilarious fashion.

Author Scott Dikkers will tell you how to write jokes. He’s a master joke writer, founder of the world’s most popular humor site TheOnion.com, number one New York Times best-selling humor author, professional public speaker, and successful cartoonist. In this definitive joke-writing handbook, he'll teach you comedy writing and how to write a joke with a simple comedy-writing and joke-writing formula you can use right now to write your own jokes.

Dawson Houser makes sure everyone who comes into the office knows I'm "just his secretary." Heck, I've even said it to suppliers and CEOs when they smile knowingly at the two of us during business meetings. He scowls and grumps around the office afterward, as if the two of us dating is the most ridiculous thing on the planet. Dawson can handle them. I can handle them—and him too, once they leave. And he's no picnic, let me tell you.

Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson—aka the Bloggess Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She’s a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She’s an award-winning humorist but struggles with...

This marriage will be a convenient business arrangement and nothing more. No strings attached, and above all—no broken hearts. Growing up in a broken home taught me to watch out for myself, and that the only love out there is what I create. That's why I stick to taking care of my baby sister and the hodgepodge of wildlife I volunteer to rehabilitate. Add in a stray puppy I found under the car with the help of Wil, a grumpy single dad move-in to Button Blossom, and everything’s good. He's cute. (The puppy, not Wil…well, okay. Wil's broody, which also makes him a teensy bit hot.) Except...

The legendary comedian, actor, and writer of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and A Fish Called Wanda fame shares his key ideas about creativity: that it’s a learnable, improvable skill. “Many people have written about creativity, but although they were very, very clever, they weren't...

I am not that woman. The one who falls for her much older, extremely handsome, and totally unavailable boss. That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. I’ve watched the other women in the office fawn over Gavin, who just so happens to be one of Texas’ richest and most desirable bachelors.

My heart’s a mess, but a charming veterinarian might have all the right remedies. The last place I thought I’d be after becoming a pediatrician is back in my hometown. I was supposed to be traveling the world, running medical clinics for underprivileged children, with a man who should have proposed by now. Instead, he dumped me. Wait. What? With my life on hold, I’ve sought refuge running a mobile pediatric clinic. The work is satisfying, and I have a great view of the hunky veterinarian across the street. Milo Fox is arguably the hottest bachelor in a 50-mile radius. With my heart in...

There are a million and one reasons why I shouldn’t fall for my BFF’s twin... Too bad love isn’t reasonable. For years, I've successfully hidden my crush on Zane--my best friend's ultra grumpy, ultra hot twin brother. But now that he's hired me to fix a tech glitch for his startup, I'm having trouble keeping the feels under wraps. I SHOULD just keep my head down and do my job like a good employee. I should NOT go on the investor's weekend that will keep me up close and personal with Zane.

WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take...

No Script, No Problem: A Practical Guide to Embracing the Unexpected Unleash your creativity, build confidence, and find joy in the spontaneous! This comprehensive guide, born from 20 years of improv experience, is your ticket to mastering the art of improvisation. Whether you're a teacher looking to inspire your students, a performer seeking to hone your skills, or simply someone eager to embrace life's unscripted moments, this book has you covered. Inside, you'll discover: The Fundamentals of Improv: Learn the core principles and techniques that make improv work, from "Yes, And..." to ...

Smack in the middle of a cascade of unfortunate events, Amelia finds Calvin (derogatory)—cocky, annoying, too-often shirtless, and right next door (bummer). Sparked by an unfortunate habit of inside thoughts not staying that way (she’s working on it!), their petty back-and-forth banter easily—and a little too quickly—slides into something neither of them shake.

I want the simple life—which means I’m staying far away from any and all bad boys. Me and love? We aren’t friends. My ex broke my heart, and I can do without that again, thank you very much. So I’ve chosen as uncomplicated a life as I can find—working as a server at a small-town diner. Except trouble just walked in, with a capital T. Preacher, a retired football star, is six glorious feet of incredible good looks and a teasing smile that threatens to derail my plans. He pretends he's a confident playboy, but I can see through the ruse. It's an armor someone who's been hurt wears ...

My new remodeling client is about to get the upgrade of his life. It isn’t every day I arrive at a worksite to find my new client is the deputy who gave me a traffic ticket the day before. It is fairly normal for people to be taken aback when they find a petite redhead in overalls on their doorstep, ready to renovate their house. That'd be me, and it's so awkward. Every. Single. Time. Whatever. I'll show Clint by virtue of my work ethic and skills that I'm the right woman for the job. Of course, if a fortune cookie paper predicting that we'd fall in love didn't slip out of the air duct, ...

He’s not my type, except he kind of is. I’m going to be music’s next chart topper, but I’m determined to make it on my own without my father’s hearty bank account. If I wasn’t so stubborn, I might have given up and lived my best life buying mountains of shoes and cruising the world on yachts. I might have even passed up an opportunity Harrison, a mutual acquaintance, offered. A last-minute tryout for a reality show singing competition? Not my thing, but as a beggar, I can't be a chooser. A win would be a cinch anyway, so why not? The plus side is I get to work with Harrison. ...

I, Ashley Jane Moore, am a glorious disaster. Listen, I like myself, but the men in my life typically don’t. Not my dad and certainly not my manipulative ex. The one exception is my best friend, Rusty. He’s the ultimate farm-boy-next-door, and he has a way of making me feel less disaster, more glorious. We’d be perfect for each other if it weren’t for two things: he friend-zoned me instantly, and I only seem to go for jerks.

My reason for hating Christmas is simple: my mom loved Christmas, and now she’s gone. My reason for hating Cooper Kellogg is also simple: he annoys the jingle out of me. The all-star, all-ego player is on the injured list, and—lucky me!—we’re assigned to work on a special project together. Between awkward team events, a Christmas escape room, and some very inconvenient mistletoe, Coop and I are getting way too close for comfort. Then we’re trapped in a blizzard overnight, and Coop’s cocky grin slips, showing the man behind the mischief.

New York Times Bestseller “Just because everything appears to be a mess doesn’t mean you have to be one. Mark Manson’s book is a call to arms for a better life and better world and could not be more needed right now.” — Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and...

The first rule of touring? Don’t fall for your crew. Especially not the grumpy, emotionally caged, impossible-to-read sound guy who acts like tolerating pop-country singers is pure torture. Patrick “Patty” O’Shannan clearly doesn’t want to be here. He does his job and barely looks at me unless it’s to scowl. But my last sound engineer quit days before the start of my first tour, and Patty? Well, he was my only option. The deal is simple: he helps me survive the tour, I help him save his family’s bar, and then we go our separate ways. No complications. No getting attached. 

A Vulture Best Comedy Book of 2025 A wildly entertaining book by one of the world’s most obsessed and informed fans of TV icon Johnny Carson, setting the record straight on Carson's legacy and shining light on the personality behind the legendary comedian and talk show host Over the course of...