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Eleven Tips for Writing Humor
By Catherine Rankovic
- Write what YOU think is funny, not "for" someone else.
- Draft on paper, but revise for the VOICE.
- Be very honest. Modern comedians don't tell jokes; they tell the truths no one else is willing to say!
- You can't be funny if there's too many things that you're scared to poke fun at. Have the nerve, and be willing to take the flak.
- Use literary devices such as similes, personification, good verbs, compare and contrast, descriptive words, and the expression of strong feelings.
- The "setup" is most of it. Prepare the reader by setting the scene.
- You can't learn to "write funny" from watching TV. Get a David Sedaris book, or a Dave Barry or Erma Bombeck book, and start reading.
- Profanity may sound funny when spoken, but on paper those words stand out and are distracting.
- If you want to write humorous prose or plays, select a piece you admire and copy it out by hand. This brings you close to the author and you can "feel" the author's craft, timing, and techniques.
- Looking for a topic to start out with? Try anything that angers or annoys you.
- Looking for a topic to start out with? Let one of your "sub-selves" out to play. These are your inner cast of characters. One of my inner selves I think of as "Miss Straight and Narrow" or "The Girl Scout." I also have an "Inner Slacker." Everyone has lots of subselves. Pick any subself you have - or any one you are sure somebody else you know has - and write his or her monologue. Just let them speak!
Your subselves may include:
- The Cynic
- The Oscar-Winning Actor
- The Hipster
- The Martyr
- The Nutritionist
- Me Tarzan
- The Misunderstood Genius
- The Ayatollah
- She Who Must Be Obeyed
- The Helpless Invalid
- The Self-Esteem Manager.
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