Spring – Summer 2025
The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Spring-Summer 2025)
In this 2-cycle journey, participants will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, you’ll learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Through workshops and performance coaching, you’ll develop your own comedic voice. Discover how satire and personal storytelling can raise awareness, inspire dialogue, and challenge the status quo— all while keeping your audience laughing. By the end of the journey, you’ll have developed a 5 -10-minute stand-up routine that not only entertains but sparks meaningful conversations about the world around us. Comedy is a form of intelligence, whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.
Learning Objectives
Apply to Join
Deadline: January 15, 2025
As a mentee or mentor in The Power of Punchlines Journey you’ll have access to an online course designed to help you learn about comedy writing as an essential aspect of the humor writing process. You’ll be paired with a mentee or mentor for two full cycles, and you’ll meet with them at least once each month. You’ll attend two Journey Meetings a month and are encouraged to attend monthly Workshopping Studios.
- Cycle(s) Spring – Summer 2025
- Time 4 hours per month
- Areas of Focus Comedy Writing, Performance, Leadership
- Requirement Write your own stand-up set & participate in 2 live comedy shows
- Available Spots Per Cycle 20
The Power of Punchlines Courses
Participants will be enrolled in two courses during the Power of Punchlines Journey, which spans two cycles: Spring 2025 and Summer 2025. The first course, Intro to Stand-Up Comedy, will take place in the Spring Cycle. The second course, Stand-Up Comedy: Cookin’ & Poppin’, will follow in the Summer Cycle, building on the content from the first course.
- Intro to Stand-Up Comedy (Spring)
This course teaches the fundamentals of joke writing, comedic structure, and crafting punchlines. - Stand-Up Comedy: Cookin’ & Poppin’ (Summer)
This course is designed to build on the foundational skills of stand-up by focusing on refining material and delivery.
The Power of Punchlines Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in The Power of Punchlines Journey will be paired for a minimum of two cycles. Each pair will meet for at least two hour-long sessions per month. Mentees will develop community-based social activism projects, while mentors will provide support and guidance throughout the process. This journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.
The Power of Punchlines Community Experiences
Participants will attend two Journey Live Meetings each month as part of the course for that cycle. Additionally, you can schedule 1:1 office hours with the Journey Instructor for individual assistance as needed.
Each cycle will conclude with Stand-Up Comedy Shows, where participants can perform their sets for a live audience. There will be one in-person show and one virtual show per cycle.
- Spring Cycle Journey Meetings:
March 8th & 22nd
April 5th & 26th
May 10th & 31st - Spring Cycle Stand-Up Comedy Shows
June 7th and 8th - Summer Cycle Journey Meetings:
July 12th & 26th
August 9th & 23rd
September 6th & 20th - Summer Cycle Stand-Up Comedy Shows
September 27th & 28th
Lead 360 Adventure
The Power of Punchlines Journey is a part of the Lead 360 Adventure.
All journeys within this Adventure emphasize leadership, aiming to help mentees and mentors develop their leadership skills and work together to create a better future. Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Sharpening Your Inimitable Voice in the Age of AI (Fall 2025)
AI can replicate form, but not the glorious quirks of you. Together, we’ll explore the tenets of human inimitability—Play, Empathy, Friction, Serendipity, Physicality—and explore AI tools that amplify (not blur) your unique voice. That wonderful, specific, spiky point of view that each of us has—and that the world needs now more than ever.
Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures (Fall 2025)
This Journey invites multilingual storytellers—and those curious about language, identity, and culture—to explore how the languages we speak and the communities we come from shape our stories. Through writing, discussion, and creative expression, participants will examine the connections between language, culture, and self. The Journey celebrates multilingual voices and empowers participants to honor their perspectives and grow as confident storytellers across cultures.
Perspectives on Media (Fall 2025)
The Perspectives on Media Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work in today’s media ecosystem. It provides insight from media professionals in a variety of fields such as sports journalism, broadcast journalism, true crime podcasting, and more! Participants will also learn how to develop a pitch for a media project of their choice.
Hooked on Fiction: Crafting Your First Chapter (Fall 2025)
In this fiction Journey, our curriculum will focus on opening chapters. The first pages of a novel are some of the most daunting for many writers. There's so much to establish in very few pages—the ones your future readers will flip through to decide if they should keep reading. In this journey, we'll deep dive into the varied ingredients that make a compelling first chapter. We'll examine how to use your limited space to build motivated well-rounded characters, craft palpable stakes, establish a fully-realized setting, create a killer hook, and so much more. We'll tackle big questions, like how to know if you are starting in the right place and how to get all this information onto the page without overwhelming your readers. Whether you're starting a story from scratch or already editing a draft of your novel, join us to develop some impactful opening pages.
Wicked Stagewriting: From Plays to Musicals (Fall 2025)
The Writing for the Stage: From Plays to Musicals Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s theatre industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a playwright – a deep understanding of live storytelling and professional scripts, plays vs musicals, professional working practices, and employment strategies. We will look to popular musicals such as Wicked for inspiration in creating original pieces. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually seeing a script to fruition.
Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Fall 2025)
In this one-Cycle Journey, Mentees will develop essential skills in public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking. Through engaging activities and interactive discussions, participants will learn to craft persuasive speeches, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present their ideas with confidence. They will explore techniques for effective communication, refine their ability to think critically under pressure, and practice responding to diverse perspectives in a structured setting.
Book Club: Page to Stage (Fall 2025)
This Journey invites mentees and mentors to explore classic and contemporary literature through both reading and performance. Participants will read three books and then experience them brought to life through dynamic solo stage adaptations in partnership with Literature to Life (LTL).
Independent Study (Fall 2025)
Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to help you plan creative projects and meet your goals.
Teach GWN (Fall 2025)
In this Journey, Members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a community studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure. Each cycle involves facilitating three community studios, one per month. Participants will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and Mentors can facilitate a community studio either solo (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.
The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Fall 2025-Spring 2026)
In this two-Cycle Journey, participants will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, you’ll learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Comedy is a form of intelligence—whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.
