by Kate Shea

Created on: November 27, 2007

Writing humor is a difficult art to nail down for both the reader and the writer. What makes it especially difficult is that what the writer finds funny usually isn't what the reader finds funny. You may write a full length novel and find it dreadfully absent of humor, and all of your readers will find it hysterical. What am I trying to say? Defining humor in stories is very hard to do since everyone finds different things funny. But if you are trying to be funny, I will do my best to help you.

In opening there are two sides to this story. Many writers like to claim that humor cannot be learned, it is something that some people have and others don't. Other writers/critics say that humor in writing is something that must be carefully studied and perfected. I mix these two ideas together and say some people are naturally better at humor at some level, but that it is easy enough to achieve the talent to write humor even if you have the driest personality on earth.

Why do I say this? Because there are so many types of humor! There's sarcasm, irony, jokes, hysterics, and on, and on, and on. You just have to find the type that fits you best!
A lot of people use other books/TV shows as spring boards. I am not a very big fan of this because it floats into the realms of plagiarism, but I know I've lent out pieces writer friends because they liked the lines so much. And that's ok since they had my permission! It is possible to use books/movies/TVs as examples, just be careful not to copy too much though.
Okay, and now onto the more technical stuff.

Zingers and one liners gathered from friends and family will only take you so far. Humor comes with the way you write. How do you set that up? It all starts with the characters.

For humor it is ESSENTIAL that you have quirky, psycho characters who are positively out of their mind, and don't interact so well. Do NOT make them like your best friend, who is probably a nice, normal person. Make them bouncing off the walls, sugar rushed, bumbling idiots who can't tell their left hand from their right. Below are two examples of a group of three characters interacting. The first is an example of what normal, every day, modest characters are like. The second contains characters who are petty, cheeky, and colorful.

Holly smiled at her two new classmates that sat on either side of her. "So, who are you?" she asked, turning to the girl on her right.
"I'm Stephanie," the girl briefly smiled, glancing at Holly.
"And you're?" Holly trailed

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>