The thread on writing humor.

I'm not going to give much advice on this subject yet, because I suck at it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be starting this thread.

However, I know from reading some of the stuff here that some of us desperately need it.

So this thread is basically going to be kind of like the Writing Support Group thread. If you have something that you've just written, and you want to know if it's funny or not, post it here.

Also, if you have tips on writing humor or links to tutorials on the subject, that would be awesome.

As the word "humor" describes nothing specific of the characters, setting, or plot, it is not a genre. "Humor" describes the tone of a work and nothing more. Therefore, writing a humorous scene involves choosing words that clearly convey a humorous atmosphere.

That is all.

I never said it was a genre. It's a skill.

A very very difficult skill.

It's not really a skill. You can't humor something so that it's more funny. Appropriating the right level of humor in a word so that it isn't overdone or falls flat, sure. And I wasn't talking to you, Weezy, I was just addressing the common misconception.

But it really does just boil down to picking the right words. "Squished" vs. "trampled" and all that.

(If either is correct, pick trampled. Trust me.)

Eh, the former is slightly more correct than the latter. Perhaps I should have tried "Squished" vs "pressed".

Anyway, humor is also the sort of thing that is only as hard as you make it out to be. Try a little optimism, you guys!

edited 8th Jan '11 7:59:39 PM by Slan

Study the kind of writing you find funny. Steal it. You are now a genius humourist!

Drinks for all!

Naw, "Squished" is funnier. :3

I like "pulverized," myself.

I have this trend of writing with the sense of humor of the last funny book I read. So after I read Catch-22 it was a lot of self-contradicting jokes, and after John Dies at the End a lot of the mix of smart and just plain bizarre and disgusting humor, etc.

Also, while room cleaning I dug up some short little comedic scripts I wrote back in junior high. I was appalled at how bad they were. Jr. high kids suck.

^^^^^oh, that's fine then. It's just that trampled only comes up in situations that would have/ could have been funny anyway, and adding 'squished' would probably make it sound overdone.

Other than that...ya, just don't worry about it. Write what you think is funny and if it isn't, just pretend it was never supposed to be.

Humour comes in such a wide variety, there's lots of little ways things can be made humourous. In general, you cannot intentionally sit down to write something funny. (Unless you're some kind of robot, in which case you shouldn't be concerned about this anyway. Doesn't that kind of thing come programmed in?)

As mentioned, word choice is key. Most humour comes from the style of speech and the way it's delivered. Comedic timing too. Another thing to consider might include reactions from others which, if handled correctly, can lend to the hilarity fairly well even in text form. This might just be me though (I love that kind of thing). Someone watching their friend walk into a pole, funny enough. But when the observer laughs so hard their fizzy drink shoots straight into their sinuses and they're reduced to a quivering puddle of trembling goo on the sidewalk... well I laugh a lot harder.