Five Tips For Writing
Humor
Too many
writers who want very much to write humor, get bogged down in some of
the most obvious mistakes a humorist can make. Here are five ways to
tighten and lighten your work.
1. Keep the
analogies to a dull roar.
Humor diva Erma
Bombeck had that one down to a fine science. She never drowned her
readers in ‘like or as’. She
let one slide in and take its toll on your mental images and merrily
went on her way with the story. In many cases, analogies can kill the
reader’s attention … faster than a one-legged chicken on a downhill
slope. (sorry, I couldn’t resist)
2. Don’t
force your words.
Let the
language have its head and take you along with it. Don’t force it into
attempts at humor that will lose your readers and make your work sound
hyped. Humor has to have a force of its own. It is a living breathing
funny-bone we’re talking about here. If you believe you have a sense
of humor, let it express itself on its own terms.
3. If you do
not have a sense of humor, one will be appointed for you.
I haven’t met
too many humorists without a sense of humor. Humor is a necessary part
of our life. A feeding tube for some hidden and hungry deranged freak
with a pen. The unpleasant side-effects of not getting it down on paper
are too …well… unpleasant to describe here. Trust me though, I know
whereof I speak. It takes
weeks of recovery with copious amounts of scrabble, the New York Times
crossword puzzle in INK, and plenty of coffee.
4. Death may
not become you.
Unless it comes
very naturally, writing on the mishaps at Aunt Dottie’s funeral may
not be something you’re able to pull off. When in doubt, write it,
have a family member read it and if they haul off and belt you for
disrespecting the dead, it may not be in you to write ‘morbidity
mirth’.
5. And the
truth shall set you free…sometimes
The coolest
aspect to being a humorist or satirist is that both are given a far
wider berth in the vast dry lands of litigation.
Humor and satire can take liberties far beyond the usual
boundaries and generally get away with it. There have been cases of
satirists confined to the stocks in front of Radio City Music Hall, but
in general, we can take the boundaries a bit further than writers of
other genre.
All in all,
being a humor writer is a wonderful job. We keep the world laughing and
reduce stress. Now if we could only claim low cholesterol, we’d be the
perfect food.
copyright 2002 |
