My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the most important thing about humor?" After a short pause, he interjects, "TIMING!"
I've rolled my eyes many a time over this joke.
But here's a new version for writers: "What's the most important thing about writing funny? ...... WORDING!"
Whether you're talking about stand-up comedy or humorous writing, surprise is one of the biggest elements of laughter. (Yes, Dad, I know, "Surprise" is what your little timing-joke is really all about.)
Readers become accustomed to seeing things written a certain way. As a writer, you have a choice: give it to them they way they expect, or surprise them with something different.
Here's an example:
In my article "Does Target Shun Veterans?" I say that Internet Urban Legends are "stories that scare readers into believing such things as rat urine contaminating the tops of their canned peaches, and so forth." I could have just as easily written, "Internet Urban Legends are stories that scare readers into believing the tops of their canned food is dirty." But that wouldn't surprise anyone, and it would have made my piece just another bland "news story."
I also shook up the sentence about Internet Urban Legends by including some humorous exaggerations. Simply writing "canned food" isn't nearly as funny as being super specific and writing, "canned peaches," and being "dirty" is far more typical than having "rat urine" on your lid.
The idea of being very specific is what comedian (and my hero) Jerry Seinfeld has built his entire career on. He doesn't just talk about flying on an airplane, he mentions everything from the really small bag of peanuts to the pilot announcing the flight play-by-play. As an audience, we laugh at these things because it's something we've experienced but never given much thought to. Who else but Seinfeld could have an entire 30-minute television show about toxic glue on envelopes?
Drawing attention to things that are common to all but seldom discussed makes people chuckle. This is mostly due to their slight embarrassment when they realize "wow, I do that," but it's also because for the first time they are paying attention to something they might not have otherwise.
But aside from timing, exaggerations and calling attention to life's quirks, sentence structure may be the ultimate weapon for writing humor. Just as a lyricist times his verses to a beat, writers need an internal rhythm to make their work conversational and surprising. There is quite a difference between writing a factual news piece and composing a humorous essay, but the biggest difference is sentence structure. Cut-and-dry news pieces need to follow a formula so that the content doesn't get lost. When writing a narrative or essay, however, you can play with pauses (dashes, colons, etc.), italics and words to create a feeling and rhythm.
Follow these hints and your writing will be surprising and funny....AND have great timing.
About The Author
++You may reprint the above column on your website so long as the following is included the URL address is actively hyperlinked back++
THIS MUST BE INCLUDED: Copyright 2004 Sarah Smiley http://www.sarahsmiley.com - Sarah Smiley's syndicated column Shore Duty appears weekly in newspapers across the country.
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareOp-ed articles, also known as opinion/editorial articles, are a great... Read More
~~~Old age, to the unlearned, is winter; to the learned,... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More
If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Our plotting stage is our testing area.Everything... Read More
FIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a... Read More
All Writers need the press, especially new writers. As a... Read More
In the business of freelance writing, it's not enough to... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
The writing community is a strong one, with many new... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
Productivity begins by recognizing and valuing your brilliance, time, and... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
The following rules are essential if you want people to... Read More
I went to school to be a teacher. In fact,... Read More
Are you ready to abandon your short stories? Before you... Read More
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?The writer, who doesn't have the time... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial workers have turned... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..FIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a... Read More
You have a great idea for a poem, a story,... Read More
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More
If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England, in1812. His father... Read More
"The Magic of Layout..."???Okay... "magic" might seem a bit over... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts... Read More
If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be...uh, very... Read More
How long should your chapters be?I can't resist... I have... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
In the beginning of your story you have to grab... Read More
Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More
Human beings seem to be born with a gene for... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
Sure you can write, but can you write crisp, compelling... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
So you're one of 20 million Americans who want to... Read More
The self-indulgent writer listens only to the mumblings of sycophants,... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
BAITED, BATEDBaited usually refers to traps or snares. When the... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial workers have turned... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
Writing |