Whether as a direct source or just a general template, one's own life is a great - and readily accessible! - way to write humor pieces. There's so much to laugh about in our lives that you can't fail to churn out at least one funny thing a day, as long as you keep your eyes open.

I generally find that there are two different approaches you can take when writing with laughter in mind, and I've already hinted at both of them. The first is lifting events straight from your life and relating them to your reader. Generally these events speak for themselves, and they just need your writing flair to bring the comedy to life: a conversation, perhaps, or a funny accident that set your mind racing.

Yet not every story is funny enough on its own without a bit of embellishment, and that's where the second form of this humor comes into play: exaggeration. Despite how funny it might be to directly relate something you found humorous, not every incident in life is worthy of an entire piece. There might have been one little thing that was funny, but which would go nowhere in a story - and that's where your creativity comes in.

I do this quite often, and as long as your reader is made aware of the exaggerations it's hardly a sin. Let's take, for example, my parents. My father is notoriously bad in remembering where he has to go when he's in the car, to the point that he actually drove right past my mother who was waiting to be picked up at the mall. Funny enough on its own, right?

Maybe. But a bit of embellishment would help, since he remembered moments later, and turned back to retrieve my bemused mother. I would take this base story and twist it to the extreme to wring all the juicy entertainment value out of it, to the point that, instead of turning BACK almost immediately, my father would keep going - to a few more stores, perhaps, and maybe even home, leaving my mother to stew in front of the grocery store. And all the while I'd describe him happily picking through items, maybe making a snack and sitting down, with a constant nagging doubt in his head of having forgotten something.

Or perhaps not. Complete ignorance of my mom's plight would be pretty funny too, as the whole 'nagging doubt' thing is a bit cliched by now.

Regardless of the approach you take you need to be ever vigilant. Virtually ANYTHING can be made funny, as long as you portray it in the proper manner. Though I don't often do it personally, I suggest budding humor writers keep a pen and paper on them at all times and take down everything they see that could be of possible comedic value during their day. Think of any popular sitcom: they thrive off those little everyday details that we may normally ignore yet, which when put int he proper context, are great fun.

You may think your life is boring, and chances are good you're right. But something is only boring if you portray it as such. As one of my teachers was fond of saying, "There are no bad stories, only bad writers" - and I think I could extend that to "There are no dull moments in life, only dull perspectives." You just need to make sure YOUR perspective is anything but.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
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