Why You Need a Writing Group

A writing group is your best test audience for your comedy.

Did you know that comedy writers need a writing group? It’s true! Here are eight reasons why.

1. Pure self-editing is too hard. Yes, you can edit your own comedy writing. But this is hard. Becoming a good comedy self-editor takes years of brain building. The issue is that we’re all trapped in our heads, unaware of whether our jokes are funny and clear. A writing group gives you a built-in test audience who can tell you if something is funny—or just confusing—before you publish it, send it somewhere, perform it, or whatever.

2. Giving feedback makes you a better comedy writer. Giving feedback to other writers sharpens your own comedic instincts. It forces you to think about what works or doesn’t work. It forces you, occasionally, to think about why certain things are funny or not. Over time, you’ll start to see patterns. Your comedy brain will grow. This will serve you in the long run. Feedback is not merely a selfless act!

3. Giving and receiving feedback makes you a better self-editor. I said self-editing is hard, and that’s true. But you can get better at it over time. The best way to do that is to experience the feedback process repeatedly, in a writing group. In the long run, both giving and receiving feedback in your group will make you a stronger self-editor. (For more self-editing tips, see, “How to Self-Critique and Self-Edit Your Humor Writing.”)

4. Get deep exposure to other comedic styles. Working closely alongside other writers—especially as they workshop their early drafts—exposes you to different styles, voices, approaches. The other writers in your group may have leaner or fatter writing styles than you. They have different imaginations. They use wordplay, dark humor, analogy, hyperbole, and other joke types—in different ways. At worst, this in-the-trenches look at different drafts is rather enlightening. And at best, it will help you expand your toolkit.

5. Group feedback thickens your skin in a non-brutal way. The general public—your audience at large—doesn’t give a shit about your success, your failures, or your precious artistic dreams. Learning that your drafts aren’t all gold is a necessary part of growing. Let your ego take the easier, more gentle hits from your writing group first. This toughens you up for the big, bad “real world.”

6. Joke punch-ups are real. I can’t count the number of times I’ve improved a joke due to a specific suggestion or pitch from someone in my group. “Pitch: what if you ended this sentence by calling the baby a snobby British aristocrat?” is common currency in a good group. A good group won’t just point out what’s not working. On the margins, they’ll actually give you new joke ideas. More brains equals more comedy horsepower!

7. Extrinsic motivation helps. Yes, intrinsic motivation is a pure, clean form of motivation. Wanting to write because you inherently find it a joyous experience will take you far. Wanting to write because you love the playful dance of your fingers tapping the keyboard and channeling the divine spirit of Mother Comedy is a strong energy bar indeed. But here’s the rub: We all have busy lives, bills to pay, and shit to do. On a practical level, deadlines are good. Deadlines help you get drafts done. Simply telling yourself, “I need to finish my draft by Friday for my writing group” is really, really helpful.

8. Moral support matters. Having a group of peers to share in your struggles and triumphs is a wonderful thing. It just feels good to have some fellow travelers on your journey. A good group will have other writers who get you. And you will get them in turn. Humans are social animals. We’re happier and wealthier with the support of a likeminded group.

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I will help you find a writing group.

Are you convinced that you need a group? If not, you’re hopeless! I truly give up!

But if you are, you’re probably asking, “How do I find a great writing group?”

Good question.

I wrote a big deep dive on that: “How to Build Your Comedy Writing Network.”

But you don’t need to read that whole dang thing. I will help you find a comedy writing group!

Here at Comedy Bizarre I offer writing group matchmaking. And the newest round is about to begin. Just give me your basic info—via a Google Form, link posted in the comments section below. Then I’ll matchmake you into a group of 4 to 6 awesome funny writers who share your goals.

I’ve formed many of my own comedy writing groups over the years—both in person and online—and the Comedy Bizarre method is the quickest, surest way to get a group.

Writing group matchmaking is a perk for my Comedy Bizarre Founders.

(Exception: If you were previously a yearly paid subscriber who signed up by 5/23/25, you’re grandfathered in. Anyone who joins after 5/23/25 must be a Comedy Bizarre Founder to get the writing group matchmaking.)

To summarize the perks…

Comedy Bizarre Subscribers (Monthly or Yearly) get:

• The weekly Comedy Bizarre, including comedy Deep Dives, Q&A, and everything else.

Comedy Bizarre Founders also get:

• The writing group matchmaking service—twice per year minimum, maybe more, depending on demand.

• A free copy of my eBook, “The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Humor Piece.”

• Free access to “The Ultra Mega Huge List of Humor Writing Formats.”

• (New Perk) Free access to Scott Dikkers’ “Comedy Genius” course.

Want me to matchmake you into a group? Become a Founder.

If you’re ready for a new writing group, and you’re Comedy Bizarre Founder (or you’re grandfathered in as a previous paid yearly subscriber), then go ahead and fill out the writing groups form now.

The final cut off date for filling out the form is Friday, June 20.

Everyone who joins and who is eligible will get a group in June, 2025

Fire away with any questions about writing groups in the comments section.