Kids love humor, and publishers know it. Face it—parents love humor too. That’s why knowing how to add a few ha-ha moments to your story holds so much value to children’s book writers. But where do you start?
Last month, I explored four ways to add humor to your picture books. Those methods included word play, or puns, selecting words that have a funny sound, like snorkel, exaggeration, and crazy foils. This time around, let’s dive into even more funny business.
The Unexpected
Ever watch a blooper video? Those reels often show actors in an intense, dramatic scene, and then something unexpected happens on the set, and guffaws and giggles break loose. That’s because in any given situation, people hold expectations about how we are supposed to behave and react. Any break from that norm, and it strikes the funny bone. As writers, we can use this to our advantage.
A good example of this type of humor is found in the book Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. When kids pick up the book, they expect something scary. The entire book builds up a sense of foreboding and fear until the final page. That’s when the reader is finally let in on the gag, and that unexpected twist is outrageously hilarious.
You can practice creating an unexpected ending by rewriting the finale of already established stories—ones familiar enough to the reader that they already anticipate the conclusion. Brainstorm a list of ways to turn the ending upside down. For example, maybe Goldilocks doesn’t run out of the cottage at the end of The Three Little Bears. Instead, we discover she’s a party animal who’s been hired to throw a surprise birthday rumpus for baby bear. Once you have mastered changing up traditional tales, you can create your own.
What a Character!
Readers latch on to funny characters. These have amusing quirks, behaviors, or appearances that make them funny. When accompanied by the perfect illustration, it’s hard not to laugh when you pick up the book. Some examples include the pigeon from Mo Williams Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, the duck from Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, or the dinosaur from Ryan T. Higgins’ book We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
To develop this skill, make a list of your favorite funny story characters. Pick one and study him in depth. Pinpoint what you find so humorous about him. Dream up a foil or companion for the character. Then write out a conversation between the two characters being as silly as you can. Allow your character to dominate the give and take until he emerges as his own standalone entity.
For example, let’s say I picked Helen Lester’s main character from Tacky the Penguin. Tacky, is an odd penguin. He’s loud, he dresses in a sloppy Hawaiian shirt, and he’s slapstick clumsy. I’d introduce him to an overly friendly skunk who is completely oblivious to its odor. The little critter might even want to be a penguin too. Then I’d write a scene where the two meet, being as outrageous as possible, and let my skunk take over. If he was over-the-top silly with a strong enough personality to pull it off, I might just have the star for my next story. If not, I’d think, well, that stinks, and try again.
Ha-ha, Ho-ho, Hee-hee-here We Go!
With these past few months of ideas, you now have a handful of tools to help you add more humor to your stories. How do you start? With a grin. Then a chuckle. Then a good belly laugh. Oh, and a pen and a piece of paper might help too.
Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction. Her down time is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lame jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/dogs/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing.
Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 175 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. Lori also contributed to over a dozen books.
Lori enjoys speaking, leading workshops, and visiting local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Follow her on Instagram @Lori.Z.Scott.
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