18.8 How to Write Like Tom Segura

Instructor:
Jerry Corley

Tom Segura finds comedy in the questionable decisions people make for reasons that initially seem understandable. Rather than simply labeling someone stupid, he establishes what the person wants, follows the logic behind the choice, and reveals how hilariously disproportionate the consequences become. A small goal—buying twenty dollars’ worth of weed or preventing a bird from damaging a house—can escalate into danger, embarrassment, or complete absurdity.
In this course, you’ll study how Segura builds story jokes around recognizable human motives, escalating complications, revealing dialogue, and darkly comic observations. You’ll learn to measure an enormous risk against a tiny reward, heighten a situation while keeping each decision believable, and expose the contrast between what a character is thinking and what they say to appear calm, capable, or normal.
You’ll also explore how distinctive character voices and planted callbacks can connect separate moments and produce a stronger ending. Through guided exercises, you’ll develop relatable premises into structured stories in which every detail clarifies the situation, raises the stakes, reveals character, or prepares the final payoff.