Let the chorts happen on their own!
And no, I don’t like asparagus.
I do love natural chorts. And it’s okay if you don’t like asparagus–that’s just more for me to enjoy!
Thanks for the post, Gayle! Great tips…especially not forcing humor. That’s never funny!
You’re so right! Humor really is subjective, isn’t it? It’s often hard to know what readers will find funny. And, yet, I know for myself, when I’m reading, I do like wit in a book; when it’s done well, it can be fantastic. Thanks for these ideas for thinking of the wit I put in my own books; it’s a dimension I hadn’t thought of, but definitely worth looking at more carefully.
Exactly, Margot! We can read a novel and think, “well, I’m more of a cozy reader, so this thriller isn’t as appealing,” but we don’t think, “yeah, I’m more New Yorker than Three Stooges, but the plot and characters are interesting.” Still, I hope you can push past that and insert a little of your natural charm and wit into your writing. Let’s face it–we all need more lightness and humor these days!
I’ve never attempted humor in my fiction. Maybe a little in my non-fiction though.
A little humor never hurts in a book–unless it’s a book on how to do brain surgery, I guess.
I thought I already replied, but it’s not showing up… forgive me if you get this twice.
A little humor is good for all of us, in fiction and nonfiction–unless it’s a book on how to do brain surgery?
I never thought of including humor with a mystery but it could add a dimension to the story. Thanks for the tips on how to do it right.
I actually teach a workshop in how to write humor at the Southern California Writers Conference, so I’ve been able to dissect how I manage to get a laugh (or a chuckle, or a chort) from my writing. I think if I wasn’t teaching it, I wouldn’t even think about it. Hope these are helpful!
I think a little humor added in a mystery is always good (if you don’t force the humor). As humans, we tend to smile or laugh no matter the situation. I think we need to find something to make us do that so that we can hand the bad stuff better. Great tips and a great couple as an example, Gayle. Wishing you much success.
Thanks, Mason! I think you’re right–I notice that in action movies, they tend to lighten things up with a wisecrack either just before or after a heavy dramatic scene. Sometimes I think the audience might explode from too much trauma if someone doesn’t say something funny, or at least wry. Have a great day, and I love your kitty profile pic!
Thank you SO MUCH, Elizabeth, for inviting me to your blog! It was a fun post to write, and I always enjoy sharing what I’ve learned with everyone else. I hope these hints are helpful!
I am just starting to explore adding “humor/comedy” label to my writing and this article made me consider closely why I was doing it and if it fit my objectives. Thank you for sharing your experience!
As long as your number one objective is to tell a damn, fine story, there’s always room for a little humor on the side.
Thank you, Gail! For me, the best tip here is “characters should not find themselves hilarious.” It’s the same as in real life–do you want to hang around the person who’s always laughing at their own “jokes,” or expecting others to? That’s not organic humor–that’s performing. For this reason, I’ve always hated dialogue tags like “he quipped” or “she cracked.” As soon as you tell me a character is trying to be funny, it falls flat.
Agreed, Bill. And I hate advertisements that guarantee this book/movie is so wacky/zany/uproarious (lord save me from those words), you’ll split your sides laughing. It’s like a dare to me. “Oh really? Make me.”
Comments are closed.
{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
Let the chorts happen on their own!
And no, I don’t like asparagus.
I do love natural chorts. And it’s okay if you don’t like asparagus–that’s just more for me to enjoy!
Thanks for the post, Gayle! Great tips…especially not forcing humor. That’s never funny!
You’re so right! Humor really is subjective, isn’t it? It’s often hard to know what readers will find funny. And, yet, I know for myself, when I’m reading, I do like wit in a book; when it’s done well, it can be fantastic. Thanks for these ideas for thinking of the wit I put in my own books; it’s a dimension I hadn’t thought of, but definitely worth looking at more carefully.
Exactly, Margot! We can read a novel and think, “well, I’m more of a cozy reader, so this thriller isn’t as appealing,” but we don’t think, “yeah, I’m more New Yorker than Three Stooges, but the plot and characters are interesting.” Still, I hope you can push past that and insert a little of your natural charm and wit into your writing. Let’s face it–we all need more lightness and humor these days!
I’ve never attempted humor in my fiction. Maybe a little in my non-fiction though.
A little humor never hurts in a book–unless it’s a book on how to do brain surgery, I guess.
I thought I already replied, but it’s not showing up… forgive me if you get this twice.
A little humor is good for all of us, in fiction and nonfiction–unless it’s a book on how to do brain surgery?
I never thought of including humor with a mystery but it could add a dimension to the story. Thanks for the tips on how to do it right.
I actually teach a workshop in how to write humor at the Southern California Writers Conference, so I’ve been able to dissect how I manage to get a laugh (or a chuckle, or a chort) from my writing. I think if I wasn’t teaching it, I wouldn’t even think about it. Hope these are helpful!
I think a little humor added in a mystery is always good (if you don’t force the humor). As humans, we tend to smile or laugh no matter the situation. I think we need to find something to make us do that so that we can hand the bad stuff better. Great tips and a great couple as an example, Gayle. Wishing you much success.
Thanks, Mason! I think you’re right–I notice that in action movies, they tend to lighten things up with a wisecrack either just before or after a heavy dramatic scene. Sometimes I think the audience might explode from too much trauma if someone doesn’t say something funny, or at least wry. Have a great day, and I love your kitty profile pic!
Thank you SO MUCH, Elizabeth, for inviting me to your blog! It was a fun post to write, and I always enjoy sharing what I’ve learned with everyone else. I hope these hints are helpful!
I am just starting to explore adding “humor/comedy” label to my writing and this article made me consider closely why I was doing it and if it fit my objectives. Thank you for sharing your experience!
As long as your number one objective is to tell a damn, fine story, there’s always room for a little humor on the side.
Thank you, Gail! For me, the best tip here is “characters should not find themselves hilarious.” It’s the same as in real life–do you want to hang around the person who’s always laughing at their own “jokes,” or expecting others to? That’s not organic humor–that’s performing. For this reason, I’ve always hated dialogue tags like “he quipped” or “she cracked.” As soon as you tell me a character is trying to be funny, it falls flat.
Agreed, Bill. And I hate advertisements that guarantee this book/movie is so wacky/zany/uproarious (lord save me from those words), you’ll split your sides laughing. It’s like a dare to me. “Oh really? Make me.”