Author: Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor

Jean Wilund is passionate about coffee and comedy, but mostly about sharing the life-changing truths of God’s Word. When she’s not creating zany rhymes for preschool Chapel time, she blogs and speaks to women’s groups. As president of the Lexington, SC chapter of Word Weavers, Jean is able to combine her love for writing, teaching, and encouragement.
Books
Stupid Moments http://amzn.to/2mL9sY1
Precious Precious Moments http://amzn.to/2lrgqQI

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Writing with Humor

Bob Hostettler – The Making of a Humorous Writer (And How You Can Become One Too)

Author, speaker, and overall funny man Bob Hostettler has cost me too much money. He keeps writing books. And I keep buying them. Not only because I enjoy them, but because I’m hoping to learn his secret to writing with both depth and humor.

Bob also speaks at a lot of writers conferences. Of course, I’m compelled to attend them when I see his name on the list. (He should write a book about speaking at writers conferences. I’d buy it.)

If you’d like to inspire people with a powerful message they’ll remember long after they’ve read your last line, glean from Bob’s wisdom and humor here. But first . . .

Who’s Bob?

Bob Hostetler is an award-winning author, agent, and speaker from southwestern Ohio. His 47 books, which include the award-winning Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door (co-authored with Josh McDowell) and The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional, have sold millions of copies. Bob is also the founding pastor of Cobblestone Community Church in Oxford, Ohio. He and his wife, the lovely Robin, have two grown children, Aubrey and Aaron, who have given them five beautiful grandchildren.

Now you know who Bob is. Here’s a glimpse into the making of this humorous writer, and how you can become one, too. 

Here’s Bob!

Jean: Hey, Bob! When did you first discover you’re funny or was it a skill you had to develop?

Bob: Wait. I’m funny? I seriously (get it?) don’t think of myself as funny. I like to laugh and I know what makes me laugh, so I guess that translates to “funny.” But I grew up with two older brothers (much, much older), and each of them has a great sense of humor, so I probably learned from them. But I do think of humor as a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it gets. That has been my experience, at least.

Jean: How does using humor help you in your writing? 

Bob: Oh, so many ways. Humor defuses tension and increases interest. It builds trust, affection, and loyalty. All of those things are critical for a writer. I think of Shakespeare, whose greatest tragedies featured his most memorable clowns and fools—the gravedigger in Hamlet and the porter in Macbeth, for example. His plays are examples of the wise and timely use of humor.

Jean: What are your favorite kinds of humor?

Bob: The funny kind. Oh, you want more than that? Okay, I admit to a fondness for puns, probably because I love words. I enjoy satire and parody. I love Steven Wright’s deadpan quips, and Jack Handey’s “Deep Thoughts.” I even find humor in the Bible, believe it or not, and hope to write about it soon.

Jean: What would you say to a writer who doesn’t think they’re funny but would like to use humor?

Bob: Three words: surprise, exaggeration, and unlikely combinations (see what I did there?). Also, consider what makes you laugh, and then try to understand why it makes you laugh. Then go and do likewise (Luke 10:37).

Jean: Who are some of your favorite humorous writers?

Bob: I guess I already started my answer by mentioning Steven Wright and Jack Handey. And Shakespeare. Feel free to tell those guys I mentioned them in the same breath as Shakespeare. Also, my friends Dennis Hensley, Liz Curtis Higgs, Rhonda Rhea, and Jim Watkins always make me laugh—sometimes even intentionally. I enjoy Steve Martin’s Twitter feed, and some others, like @LloydLegalist and @BackRowBaptist, often crack me up. More than I am already, that is.

Thanks, Bob, for a look into your life as a seriously (I got what you did there) humorous writer.

♦

Be sure to check out Bob’s website and order his books. Also, check his speaking schedule and register for a conference. In fact, you should do it right now: 

Bob Hostetler, Author, Agent, & More

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Writing with Humor

Turn a Tired Cliché into a Humorous Phrase

Turn a tired cliche into a humorous phrase by Jean Wilund via AlmostAnAuthor.com

Where’s There’s a Cliché, There’s a Critic

If you write with clichés, you write things like, “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

If that’s you, expect to be called lazy.

Even Google is critical of clichés, defining them as “a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.”

Ouch.

Lists of clichés to avoid abound on the Internet. One site listed 681 of them. It can be harder to avoid a cliché than a rerun of Law & Order.

Don’t throw the cliché out with the scorn. Throw in a twist instead.

A redeemed cliché can draw a laugh from your readers.

Where there’s a will there’s a family fighting over it.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stranger.

Hopefully, you’re now inspired to transform a tired cliché into a fresh, humorous phrase.

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Writing with Humor

The Difference Between Comedy and Humor

The Difference Between Comedy & Humor via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com

I read a statement once that stuck with me:

All comedy has humor, but not all humor is comedy.

I liked that. Partly because, ironically, it made me laugh. But also because I had never stopped to think about the differences.

Let’s do that now.

Comedy vs. Humor

Humor is whatever makes us laugh in any situation.

Comedy is planned entertainment. Every word and action is chosen for its ability to produce a laugh.

If comedy doesn’t get a laugh, it’s not really comedy. It’s just painful.

Humor pops up out of nowhere. It’s born the moment we laugh. Before that, it was just life.

If you’re walking along a riverbank with your sweetheart, that’s life. It’s a wonderful life, but it’s still just life—until one of you trips and falls into the river. Suddenly it’s humor.

Comedy is attempted. Humor happens.

In the following Carol Burnett Show sketch featuring Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, we see both comedy and humor.

The writers of the comedy sketch carefully planned each line and action to draw the most laughter from the audience. Because of Tim Conway’s brilliant acting, they succeeded. Their attempt at comedy worked.

The humor comes in when actor Harvey Korman is incapable of staying in character and starts chuckling at Tim Conway.

Now the audience is laughing at both the comedy sketch and the humor of Harvey Korman uncontrollably cracking up during the sketch.

Comedy and Humor in Writing

Comedy writers write for the sole purpose of getting a laugh—for the reader’s sheer entertainment. Laughter is their objective.

Writers who use humor will include funny anecdotes, stories, or phrases, but their true goal is to deliver a message. Laughter is merely one of their tools.

Both the comedy writer and the writer who uses humor may write about war — not typically a funny topic — but their goals will be different.

The comedy writer writes about war to get a laugh, as with this military joke:

 The sergeant-major growled at the young soldier, “I didn’t see you at camouflage training this morning.”

“Thank you very much, sir.”

A writer who uses humor is more likely to write about war to reinforce a point. Suppose he’s writing about the world’s increasing dependence on GPS over paper maps. He might choose to share the humorous, but true, story of when Nicaragua claimed it invaded Costa Rica by accident because of a Google Maps mistake.

For the comedy writer, laughter is the point. For the writer who uses humor, laughter reinforces the point.

Which Should You Write? Comedy or Humor?

If you choose to become a comedy writer, be funny. Always be funny. There’s little room for anything less than hilarious from a comedy writer.

And don’t trust your mama or your sweetheart to tell you if you’re funny enough for comedy. Instead, perform at a comedy club or before an objective audience. If they don’t laugh, pick a different profession. Or go to comedy school. They actually exist.

If you choose to be a writer who uses humor, your humor can fall flat and you may get away with it, depending on how flat it fell. The reader may not even realize you were trying to be funny. Whew.

Whether you choose to write humor or comedy, getting your readers to laugh is a sure way to keep them reading—at least for another line or two.

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Craft Writing with Humor

Malapropisms — The Insanely Successful Yogi Berra Technique of Humor

Malapropisms - The Insanely Successful Yogi Berra Technique of Humor by Jean Wilund via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com

Malapropisms

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

Say what?

A malapropism sounds more like a contagious disease than a humor technique, but it’s actually a safe and effective way to catch your reader off guard.

The late baseball catcher Yogi Berra was known as much for his malapropisms as for his skill behind the batter’s box.

A malapropism is the mistaken use of words often in place of similar-sounding ones. It can also be a nonsensical phrase — one that seems to make sense at first but leaves you scratching your head, such as these Yogi Berra malapropisms:

Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.

We made too many wrong mistakes.

It’s like déjà vu all over again.

Yogi created so many malapropisms they became known as Yogi-isms.

Yogi-isms have cropped up everywhere. In fact, he’s been given credit for more malapropisms than he actually created. This led him to utter one more: I didn’t really say everything I said.

He may not have said all he said, but he did say, 90% of the game is half mental, and You can observe a lot by watching.

Most Effective Malapropisms  

A malapropism is most effective is when it’s unintentional.

My 10-year-old daughter created one when she tried to quote a favorite line from the 1996 version of 101 Dalmatians.

She meant to say, “It’s not hatred that’s important. It’s the desire to annihilate.“

She accidentally said, “It’s not hatred that’s important. It’s the desire to laminate.”

Really? It’s the desire to cover in plastic? I’m still laughing over that one.

Whenever you hear a good malapropism, put it in your “Humor File.”

Feel free to add this one to your file:

My friend Carol was easy to trick and was a good sport about it. Once, when she caught on that I was tricking her, she laughed and meant to say either, “You’re teasing me,” or “You’re pulling my leg.” What came out, though, was, “You’re teasing my leg.”

Could Your Novel Use a Malapropism?

Malapropisms create not only a touch of humor, they can provide a needed comic relief in a mystery or drama. Or you could weave them throughout your entire piece and create a spoof, like the play “Murdered to Death.”

Malapropisms are also a good tool for making a character more lovable, like the animated character Dory of the movies Finding Nemo and Finding Dory .

“I suffer from short-term remembery loss.”

Malapropisms will catch your reader off guard and may hold them to the last page. Try adding some into your writing today.

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Malapropisms - The Insanely Successful Yogi Berra Technique of Humor by Jean Wilund via www.AlmostAnAuthor.comNow it’s your turn.

What are some of your favorite malapropisms?

Share them in the Condiments section at the bottom of the page. 

 

 

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Craft Writing with Humor

5 Easy Steps To Make Readers Laugh Using The Absurd

Click to read 5 Easy Steps To Make Readers Laugh Using The Absurd

Ever laughed in an absurd situation or at an absurd time?

Sure you have. We’ve all done it.

Our friend trips over his feet, falls flat on his face, and instead of helping him up, we fall over laughing, lamenting we didn’t get it on video.

America’s Funniest Home Videos makes a living on our laughing when we “shouldn’t.”

They knew we’d laugh — and we do.

Why do we laugh at the absurd?

The absurd is unexpected, and the unexpected is funny. It’s that simple.

You can find more scientific answers to explain it, but that’s the bottom line.

We’ll laugh at the absurd as long as it doesn’t offend our sensibilities, such as laughing about 911. Not funny. Period.

But even in the midst of turmoil, we like to laugh. We need to laugh.

Comic relief eases pain and sadness.

The absurd makes for great humor material when done right.

Imagine laughing at a funeral. Who would do that?

The writers of the 1970’s TV series The Mary Tyler Moore Show thought it was a great idea. And it was because they did it right.

Using five easy steps, they reaped reruns of laughter even from a funeral.

5 Easy Steps to Make Your Reader Laugh Using the Absurd:

Let’s look at how the writers of The Mary Tyler Moore Show incorporated the five steps into their heralded episode Chuckles Bites the Dust.

1. Know Your Audience.

What’s funny to some may be offensive to others.

The writers of The Mary Tyler Moore Show knew their audience tuned in to watch comedy and expected absurd situations, but they never crossed the line into callousness.

Had their audience been a group of grieving parents, it would’ve fallen flat, even with a clown for a character.

2. Think of an Absurd Situation.

Absurd situations make us laugh. The more common to humanity the situation is, the wider the audience you’ll reach and the more they’ll relate, leading to bigger laughs.

A humorous situation about parenting may be funny to all, but they strike a parent’s funny bone harder.

Find a situation that’s common to the vast majority.

Death.

Then find a way to make it absurd.

The death of a clown named Chuckles, who was dressed as a peanut when an elephant tried to shell it.

You now know the premise of the Chuckles Bites the Dust episode. And you see how a common situation can suddenly become uncommon and absurd.

3. Add ridiculous timing.

Ridiculous timing can raise the absurdity to a higher level.

This step is similar to the idea in writing of building tension by thinking of the worst thing that can happen to your main character and then making it worse.

Without conflict there’s no story. Ridiculous timing increases conflict and laughter.

The writers of The Mary Tyler Moore Show raised the stakes and the laughter by placing the climax of the episode in the middle of Chuckles the clown’s funeral.

4. Place your characters smack in the middle of it.

Place your main characters into the middle of the absurdity and let them react.

If they react opposite of how the audience would expect, even better. That’s called juxtaposition, and it’s a great humor technique.

The main characters of this episode sit together at Chuckles the Clown’s funeral. Once the pastor begins the eulogy, Mary–the only character to have shown respect throughout the episode–suddenly finds the situation unbearably humorous. Despite her best efforts, she can’t contain her laughter.

5. Have fun, but don’t cross the line.

Even if some audience will laugh at anything, writers should behave with decency.

Some subjects should remain off limits as objects of humor. (Child pornography for instance.)

Other subjects need only be handled with care. (Sickness and death.)

Throughout the episode, various characters respond with appropriate sadness by the news of Chuckles the Clown’s death.

Mary consistently responds in the most appropriate manner. Thus when she loses self-control at the funeral, the audiences’ sensitivities aren’t offended.

If she’d been known to be a callous jerk, the audience wouldn’t have been surprised by her laughter and again wouldn’t have been unduly offended.

Chuckles Bites the Dust

The entire Chuckles Bites the Dust episode is a fun lesson for writers on how to use absurd situations and timing without crossing the line. The fabulous twist at the end (the juxtaposition I mentioned earlier) pulls it all together.

Watch the full episode by clicking the link above, or watch the short clip below: Laugh for Chuckles

Notice how the writers incorporated these five easy steps and made their audience laugh using absurd timing and situations:

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Craft Writing with Humor

Thou Shalt Commandments For Writing With Humor

Click to learn the two greatest commandments for writing with humor

Thou Shalt write with humor.

But how?

By following these two commandments from humor author James N. Watkins:

I. Thou Shalt Know Thy Audience

When you know your audience, you understand how far you can take your humor. You know the envelope.

Once you know the envelope, push it.

Humor that surprises — not horrifies — your audience works best.

Each audience has its nuances. 

What makes a group of writers chuckle might fall flat with a group of doctors.

What works in an article written for teenagers may leave a group of seniors scratching their 80-year old heads, or worse, wagging them in disdain.

II. Thou Shalt Not Be Ungracious

Turn on the news and opportunities to poke fun at someone will present itself in short order.

Someone in Somewhere, USA will have proved yet again a Murphy’s Law of the South which states,

Whenever a guy utters, “Hey y’all, watch this!” something stupid is about to happen that will end in a 911 call.

Watkins encourages writers to ridicule behavior, not people.

If you want to make fun of someone, make fun of yourself.

Watkins’ took his inspiration for this great commandment from the Bible. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:6).

Obey Watkins’ commandments for writing with humor and you’ll entertain your readers, not lose them.

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Check out James Watkins’ website Hope and Humor as well as his book Writing with Banana Peels.

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Craft Writing with Humor

Three Tips for Collecting a Wealth of Humorous Material

Click to read 3 Tips for Collecting a Wealth of Humorous Material (@JeanWilund)

Comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Michael Jr. may never suffer from comedic block, but those of us less endowed with a sharp wit and the skills to use them know the pain too well.

It’s hard enough to elicit a laugh, much less on a deadline.

Ensure you never get caught without the perfect line. Follow these three tips for collecting a wealth of material from which to draw:

1. Make A Note ASAP

Everyday life creates hilarious moments, but if we can’t remember them, they’re as useful as an award-winning BBQ recipe in a vegan cookbook.

How do we keep the treasure trove of humorous material from disappearing into the abyss of forgetfulness? Write it down. ASAP.

Using an old-fashioned, time-tested method, strategically scatter notepads and pens around your house, perhaps next to all your reading glasses.  

A more modern and convenient method takes advantage of the technology we carry with us everywhere — even into the restroom. Our smart phone.

On iPhone, tell Siri to “Make a note.” It’s quick and easy. Plus, whatever Siri thinks we said may wind up creating even funnier material.

Don’t feel like talking to Siri? Use a tape recorder app. Or, avoid receiving the look in public by shooting off a text or email to yourself. The text or email, sitting unopened in your phone or laptop, will also act as a reminder to transfer the story or thought into your Humor notebook.

Locking the anecdotes and one-liners into my cell phone protects memorable moments from getting booted out of my short term memory by my immediate need to remember where I parked my car.

2. Create a Humor File and Notebook

Take an old-fashioned file folder and notebook, label them, and fill them with anything that strikes you as humorous.

At least once a week print out your text messages, emails and Siri notes and drop them into the file folder or copy them into your notebook.    

As much as I love old fashioned pen and paper, I’m hooked on modern technology. The “search” function alone won me over. It makes finding a specific gem of wit easier than flipping through a thick notebook or drawer stuffed with scraps of paper.

My current favorite tool for collecting and organizing note-worthy material is Evernote. It’s available as an app and on-line, and it syncs across your devices. The free version offers all we need to keep saved information at our fingertips.

3. Write Down One Thought or Memory A Day

Form the daily habit of writing down at least one anecdote, thought, or simile into your notebook. It doesn’t have to be funny. You can work with it later and make it funny.

I keep my notebook by my bed. Each night I write at least one thing into it. Daily intentionality can become an involuntary, and helpful, habit later.

With a stash of memories, quotes, and stories within reach, half of our work is done.

Over time we’ll have gathered a wealth of  material from which to draw when a humorous line is needed, because struggling to think of a clever simile on demand is as hard as . . . as . . . oh, never mind.

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Collecting Humorous Material Pinterest

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Craft Writing with Humor

One Word Can Make All the Difference Between Funny or Ho Hum

One Word Can Make the Difference Between Funny or Ho Hum. Click to read Three Tips to Help.

One word can make all the difference between funny or ho-hum. 

For instance, let me introduce you to four kids:

Faith, Hope, Joy, and Jack.

The name Jack is so unexpected, I can’t help but chuckle. It’s the difference between funny and a just list of names. 

Check out these three tips for choosing the right word:

1. Choose An Unexpected Word

We’ve already seen the effectiveness of this technique.

As we hear the names Faith, Hope, and Joy, our minds jump to thoughts of virtuous children with commendable attributes.

Then we hear the name Jack.

It’s a fine name, but it’s not expected, so it makes us laugh. 

Consider Beatrix Potter’s garden-loving rabbits: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, and Peter. Right away we know Peter is going to be different. He doesn’t disappoint. 

2. Choose A Word with a “K” Sound

“Fifty-seven years in this business, you learn a few things. You know what words are funny and which words are not funny. Alka-Seltzer is funny. You say ‘Alka-Seltzer’, you get a laugh… Words with ‘k’ in them are funny. Casey Stengel, that’s a funny name. Robert Taylor is not funny. Cupcake is funny. Tomato is not funny. Cookie is funny. Cucumber is funny…Cleveland… Cleveland is funny. Maryland is not funny.”  (Willy Clark, The Sunshine Boys)

The name Jack makes the “k” sound. According to Willy Clark, that makes it funny. I think he’s right. If their names were Faith, Hope, Joy, and Jeff, that would be funny, but Jack is funnier.

3. Put the Funniest Word at the End

The punchline always belongs at the end. Ba-dum bump. Humor 101.

Faith, Jack, Hope, and Joy is just a list of children. Ho-hum. (No offense to Faith, Jack, Hope, and Joy.)

Faith, Hope, Joy, and Jack. That’s funny.

Pay close attention to word choice, and it will pay off in laughs. Just one word can make all the difference.

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Craft Writing with Humor

Adding Humor to Your Writing Is As Easy as 1 – 2 – 3: The Rule of Three, to be exact.

Adding Humor to Your Writing is as Easy as 1-2-3. The Rule of Three to be Exact. by Jean Wilund via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com

Adding humor to any type of writing is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3.

Not 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

Or 1 – 2.

1 – 2 – 3.

Research shows we like lists of three. Four sounds overdone. Two feels incomplete. Three is just right.

I guess Goldilocks and the three bears were right.

The literary device known as The Rule of Three says lists are funnier, more satisfying, and more effective in threes. 

I agree.

Here are three easy tips for adding humor using The Rule of Three:

1. Add an Unexpected Humorous Ending to a List of Three.

Whether you’re writing a serious or comedic piece, throwing in a humorous ending to a list of three grabs your reader’s attention.

Getting fit and trim is easy. Eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less processed foods, and borrow your skinny neighbor’s five kids and three dogs to chase around.

In the above example, the third point could easily lead into a serious discussion about adopting a more active lifestyle for an article on health and fitness.

It could also lead into a humorous anecdote in a novel about two friends who are opposites.

In my last article, I talked about using opposites in humor, which is otherwise known as juxtaposition for you scholarly types. Check it out here.

2. Add an Unexpected Serious Ending to a List of Three

A list that starts out humorous but ends in a more normal tone is another method for catching the reader by surprise and introducing the topic in a memorable way.

The following example could be used to introduce the topic of why every writer should join a critique group.

The most successful road to publishing awakens delusions of grandeur, unearths deep-seated insecurities, and leads through a writer’s critique group that will help keep the author grounded somewhere in between.

3. Change-up a Well-Known List of Three

Can you fill in the last word in each of these lists?

Live, Love, _____.

Friends, Romans, _____.

The good, the bad, and the _____.

Surely every American knows these famous phrases. (If not, check the bottom of the post for the answers.) 

When we take a familiar list of three and change it up with something unfamiliar, we throw our reader off and make them laugh.

I came, I saw, I bought the t-shirt.

Click to learn how easy it is to add humor to your writing using The Rule of Three.

When well-done, The Rule of Three brings a smile to our readers’ faces, encourages them to keep reading, and results in smiling authors.

It’s a win-win. 

Not everything has to be grouped in three’s.

The answers to the blanks in #3 are:

Live, Love, Laugh. 

Friends, Romans, countrymen. 

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I came, I saw, I bought the t-shirt came from the famous quote by Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered. 

What are some favorite change-ups you’ve heard? Share them in the comments below. 

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Craft Writing with Humor

Five Ways to Add Humor Using Juxtaposition

Five Ways to Add Humor Using Juxtaposition via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com (@JeanWilund)

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn’t belong . . .

Perhaps that should be the theme song for the useful literary device called juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition — positioning two or more characters, ideas, objects, or places beside each other in order to draw comparisons and contrasts — and for our purposes, a laugh.

Regardless of what genre you’re writing, juxtaposition is a powerful tool, especially when you want to add a touch of humor.

Below are five ways juxtaposition can add humor to your writing:

1. Juxtaposition Provides an Unexpected Laugh

A non-fiction author may write about a serious subject, but depending on the topic, he may still wish to add humor. (See How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics.)

Juxtaposition is a great way to inject humor and make any statement more memorable.

I read a poem recently by an unknown author. One line remains stuck in my head like the Nationwide theme hum by Peyton Manning, except I like this line: 

I thoroughly hate loving you.

What a perfect juxtaposition. Love and hate.

2. Juxtaposition Creates Interesting Conflict

Without conflict, there’s no story.

Novels, movies, and plays often feature lead characters with opposite attributes or personalities in order to create interesting conflict.

Consider the 1970’s TV series The Odd Couple.

The juxtaposition of the fussy, neat freak Felix Unger with his apathetic, sloppy roommate Oscar Madison created five seasons of TV fun and plenty of awards.

Watch the following opening theme song for The Odd Couple’s humorous juxtapositions:

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Craft Writing with Humor

More Is Caught Than Taught: A Fun Way to Develop Comedic Voice

Click to view: More Is Caught Than Taught: A Fun Way To Develop Your Comedic Voice by Jean Wilund via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com

More is caught than taught.

This truism haunted me as I raised three impressionable children. Now it inspires me as I seek to improve my humor skills.

It also gives me a great excuse to go out or stay in. Going out to the latest comedy now qualifies as needed research. Hunkering down at home with an amusing book is necessary study time.

This is not to say that all is caught and none is taught. Even if we were born with a comedic gift, writers need to examine the various forms and styles of humor such as epigrammatic, ironic, and farcical humor.

But not today.

Today we’ll focus on a less technical and more fun way to develop comedic voice. I suggest we watch and learn from the pros.

Grab your favorite witty book, blog, or magazine and a pen. Mark the lines that grab you. Then after you’re done laughing, study them.

Or watch a comedy and note the moments that stand out. Study those moments.

As I’ve done this, I’ve noticed a pattern emerge of the type of humor I prefer. This in turn reveals a course of study for improving my own comedic voice as I emulate my favorites and study their specific styles.

One of the blogs I study often is Jon Acuff‘s. He offers helpful and inspirational articles about career development in an entertaining manner. His sense of humor draws me in every time.

In his article 3 Reasons to Give Someone A Book For Christmas (12/15/15), Jon opens with the following:

Do you know when I realized I was an adult?

When I got luggage for Christmas and was excited.

I got a new suitcase and was thrilled/depressed. I was thrilled because it had a tri-fold department that would keep my shirts from getting wrinkled when I flew. I was depressed because I cared whether shirts got wrinkled.

As part of my studies, I watch a lot of comedies and comedians. Michael Jr. is my current favorite. He tells everyday life stories from a unique perspective with excellent timing. He’s helping me learn to stop and see the humor in life from a different angle. His take on being Jesus’ little brother is great study material.

My all-time favorite author to read and study is C.S. Lewis. I’ve never heard anyone call him a comedian, but I find much of his work not only insightful but quite humorous. The opening line in his book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is one of the best first lines ever written.

“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”

What about you? If it’s true that more is caught than taught, which authors and comedians will you begin to study? Share your suggestions in the comments.

[bctt tweet=”More Is Caught Than Taught: A Fun Way to Develop Your Comedic Voice #AmWriting #Authors #Humor”]

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Craft Writing with Humor

Five Tips For How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics

Five Tips for How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics by Jean Wilund via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com

In my last post, How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics, I explained how working humor into the background of your article or story allows your message of hope to take center stage.

Today, we’ll look at just how to use humor effectively.

Follow these five simple tips to help lift the spirits of your readers.

1. Open with Light Humor.

Hint at hope from the start by opening with a little humor.

Revealing your acquaintance with pain, but also your ability to smile through it helps your reader trust your message.

This isn’t the time or place to tell a joke, though.

Instead, use a humorous anecdote or observation that strikes a familiar chord with your audience.

The level of humor you use will depend on your topic. The heavier your topic, the lighter your touch of humor should be.

2. Use Sarcasm Sparingly, if at all.

When dealing with sensitive topics, sarcasm can be risky.

In fact, at all times, sarcasm is risky.

I’m a great fan of this type of humor, but I’ve left an unfortunate wave of wounded by my misuse of it.

Consider leaving it to the professionals, or at least reserving it for light-hearted articles about kittens.

If not done well, it’s too likely to come out snarky or bitter.

3. Poke Fun at Yourself, Not Others

Laugh about your own pain, not other’s.

When your reader sees that you can laugh about your pain now — even just a little bit — it gives them hope that they’ll laugh again one day.

If you laugh at other’s pain, you’ll appear cruel and lose their trust.

Please note, I said to laugh at yourself, not tear yourself down.

Don’t make your audience uncomfortable by forcing them to watch you wallow in self-pity.

They won’t watch. They’ll walk away.

4. Know Your Audience

Your audience will determine how much humor is appropriate. What may offend one audience might make another laugh hysterically.

If your reader’s suffering makes your loss look like you simply misplaced your 30% off coupon at Kohl’s, your attempt at humor may appear to display a lack of compassion and poor judgment. Your message will fizzle or fall flat.

If your suffering equals or exceeds theirs, you get a free pass to make them laugh as much as you want — within reason, of course. Every audience, except the most coarse, appreciates tact.

5. Ask Someone To Read Your Article Out Loud

What seems humorous to us as we write it can sound the opposite when read by someone else.

Ask your friend, spouse, or critique partner to give their honest opinion of whether your humor is coming across as compassionate or crass.

If it sounds differently than you intended, you may only need to reword it. But you also might need to toss it.

Humor can help foster healing. Inappropriate humor impedes it.

Even Momentary Relief From Pain Can Be Welcome.

A friend of mine emailed me asking for prayer. Her father is suffering with the onset of dementia and recovering from a broken hip.

My father went through both at the same time as well. I understand the excruciating pain she’s experiencing watching him struggle.

I shared with her some of Dad’s and my more humorous moments from that time. She said, “Thanks for the stories. They made me laugh.”

Humor can punch a hole through your reader’s pain and give them momentary relief. Even the smallest relief from pain is welcome.

[bctt tweet=”Humor can punch a hole through your reader’s pain and give them momentary relief. #Writers #Authors #Humor”]

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Categories
Craft Writing with Humor

How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics

How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics by Jean Wilund

At first glance, making people laugh when addressing a sensitive topic seems absurd, maybe even callous. But then again, a little humor used the right way can make a tough topic easier for your audience to handle.

Laughter Sets the Spirit Free

“Laughter sets the spirit free through even the most tragic circumstances.

It helps us shake our heads clear, get our feet back under us and restore our sense of balance.

Humor is integral to our peace of mind and our ability to go beyond survival.”

(POW Survivor Captain Gerald Coffee.)

Capt. Coffee spent seven years as a POW in North Vietnam at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” Speaking to a group one evening, Coffee told a story that showed how humor helped keep him sane. It started with a bite of bread.

“One day I took a bite out of my bread, and I looked at it, and I was inspired to compose my very first poem.

I said, ‘Little weevil in my bread, I think I just bit off … Coffee, you’ve got to be going off your rocker. How can you be sitting here in these abysmal circumstances laughing at your stupid little poem?’

But I was.

It just reminded me of that beautiful, traditional, axiomatic sense of humor that serves every single one of us each day.

I couldn’t do what I’ve done — you couldn’t do what you do — without that sense of humor.” [1]

[bctt tweet=”Laughter sets the spirit free through even the most tragic circumstances. – Capt. Gerald Coffee #Writers”]

Humor Hints at Hope

Just because we’re tackling a tough topics doesn’t mean we have to be grave in our delivery. We don’t want to depress the cheerful and drag the saddened down deeper. Instead, we can give hope to the hurting by inviting them to laugh with us through our tears.

We should never pretend a situation isn’t as serious as it is, but leaving our audience depressed will likely leave us without an audience, and they’ll miss our message.

Not long after subscribing to a certain blog, I had to give it up. The author continually wrote about sensitive subjects, professing hope, but consistently left me feeling only sadness.

I never sensed she was experiencing the joy she promised her readers. Her tone didn’t deliver what her words had promised.

To Laugh, or Not to Laugh

Not every topic we write about can be approached with humor, even light humor. Some experiences demand utmost seriousness. Wise judgment comes in handy at these times.

If it seems appropriate to the topic, your audience will thank you if you invite them to laugh.

Working humor into the background of sensitive topics can ease the blow and allow your message to take center stage.

In my next post, I’ll give five tips for how to use humor effectively when writing about a sensitive topic.

[bctt tweet=”How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics. #Writers #Authors”]

 1. RECORD OF SOCIETY OF ACTUARIES 1989 VOL. 15 NO, 3B