Joke Writing Workbook
Thirty prompts from everyday life, with how to turn each one into a joke.
PDF · 44 pages
Stand-up comic
I’m Rosemarie. I drove a school bus in Pittsburgh for twenty-six years, and at fifty-two I tried an open mic. Now I post short sets and how I write them, and I sell a joke-writing workbook and two courses.
Stand-up I started at fifty-two
Live
The next show
Saturday, November 14 · 7:00 PM
A new hour, tried out on a small room first.
Latest videos
A short set every Tuesday, filmed in the clubs around Pittsburgh, and how I wrote it.
Five minutes on the school-bus years
My set about the route, the kids and the one who always sat behind me.
Writing jokes on index cards
How I write one joke per card and shuffle them into a set.
My first open mic, three years later
I watched the tape of my first five minutes. Here is what I’d change.
Coffee and cards before I go on
What I do in the corridor in the ten minutes before a set.
Downloads and a course
Shop
Downloads arrive by email as soon as you pay.
First Five Minutes Guide
How to write, practise and run your first open mic set.
PDF · 20 pages
Index Card Set Planner
Printable cards and a running-order sheet for building a set.
PDF · 14 pages
School-Bus Years Set
My full twenty-minute set about the route, filmed in a club.
Video · 20 min
Printed to order
Merch
My designs, printed to order and shipped by Printful.
Mic spotlight tee
A soft cotton tee, printed to order.
Tee · printed to order
School bus mug
An 11 oz glossy mug, dishwasher safe.
Mug · printed to order
Index card fan hoodie
A heavy, warm hoodie, printed to order.
Hoodie · printed to order
Yellow bridge print
A matte print, 12 by 16 inches.
Print · 12 × 16 in
About
Hello, I’m Rosemarie
For twenty-six years I drove the same bus route, and the kids on it were the toughest crowd I’ll ever have. When I retired, my daughter dared me to try an open mic. I wrote five minutes on the back of a route sheet and I haven’t stopped since.
I write at the kitchen table and on the bus, now as a passenger. I post a short set every week and how I put it together, for anyone who thinks they started too late. The workbook in the shop is the one I wish I’d had.
Newsletter
Back of the Bus
A letter every Wednesday: one joke I’m working on, how it went and one writing prompt.
3,100 readers
Free, and you can leave any time
Questions
Am I too old to start?
I started at fifty-two. The oldest person at my Tuesday open mic is seventy-one.
Do I need to perform to use the workbook?
No. Plenty of people use it just to write. Performing is a bonus.
How do downloads arrive?
After checkout you get an email with a download link.
Do you do private shows?
Sometimes, around Pittsburgh. Write to me through the contact page.
Can I get a refund?
Write to me within 14 days and I’ll refund you.