Comments on: Writing Excuses Episode 21: Humor

By: Kizor

Kizor — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:53:30 +0000

Hey, folks. I’m hoping that this will find you through the “recent comments” feature, or through comment moderation. When I use the “search inside this book” option on Amazon.com to look at the mass market paperback editions of Final Empire or Hero of Ages, I get extensive previews that include the books’ endings.

The Well of Ascension paperback behind the above link doesn’t have this problem, but its page leads to those of the other two.

By: Sarah R

Sarah R — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:20:26 +0000

I”m new to Writing Excuses, but like it very much.

I use intelligent/sarcastic/ironic humor a lot when I write. I’ve tried other types, but they just don’t flow as easily. But there’s not always a place for that type of humor in my stories, and I have terrible times trying to be funny in other ways when my stories require it. It always comes out forced. Could you guys do a podcast on how to write different types of humor, or how to use the type you’re used to in an out of place situation?

By: Raethe

Raethe — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:08:05 +0000

Hooray, I got something right! And a gender change apparently, but those are no big deal these days.

(Sorry. I couldn’t resist. )

By: Dan Wells

Dan Wells — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:25:30 +0000

Regarding the appropriateness of putting humor into certain scenes, Raethe hit the nail on the head when he said “as long as your joke works….” Simply put, if the scene works, then it works–it’s a tautology but it’s true. If you insert humor into a certain scene and it falls flat, or it breaks the tension, or it pulls the reader out of the story, then it doesn’t work; but if the reader laughs or gets creeped out or has any other reaction that actually helps the scene, then it works. In other words: there are no rules, there’s just good writing.

By: Mike Barker

Mike Barker — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:28:07 +0000

No joking around, just the facts . . .

http://mbarker.livejournal.com/75124.html

By: Karl

Karl — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Ooops. Slight typographical error in the last post. Nothing meant by it, other than I’m a poor copy editor.

By: Karl

Karl — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:39:59 +0000

One point no one has yet address: your hero may say something that, upon reflection may be funny, but he may not realize he’s being funny. I believe it can be well argued that dear, sweet Sergeant Schlock says many a side-splitter. But in his mind he is entirely sincere in what he says.

In this sense I would reject the terminology of having your hero ‘tell a joke.’ Spiderman might get away with glib remarks, but even Dan’s example from “Mom and Dad Save the World” is not ‘telling a joke.’

Also, juxtraposition is helpful. Michael Madsen in Reservoir Dongs dancing around to the song ‘Stuck in the Middle With You’ just before torturing a bound and gagged cop is on the one hand hilarious and on the other entirely repugnant. These are the things that make the viewers’ brain slide sideways while watching.

By: Chivalrybean

Chivalrybean — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:55:37 +0000

I used the writing prompt to kick start a story idea for the 100 Word Stories Podcast I send in stories to. There is a weekly challenge with a topic. This weeks topic is “Popular Mechanics.” I wrote a story where something dreadful happens and person who should swear didn’t. If you want to hear the story, check it out this Saturday at podcasting.isfullofcrap.com either on the blog, or for more fun, put the podcast in your iTunes or whatever podcatcher and listen that way and get a 100 word story every day as a bonus. Or, better, send in a story yourself!

By: Wayne

Wayne — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:19:00 +0000

@Terry M

Vampire Bunnies

Bunnicula
James Howe
(C) 1979
Avon Books

Hope it helps!

By: Raethe

Raethe — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:26:06 +0000

@S.M.: I don’t think there’s a a scenario that’s always the right or wrong moment for humor. I can’t think of any specifically at the moment, but I’ve read things in which something funny happened in the middle of a scenario that wasn’t funny at all. The scene from my own novel that I mentioned in my above post was actually a funeral, and apparently there was a moment of humor that worked pretty well despite that. Then again, it was pretty unobstrusive. You probably wouldn’t want, say, slapstick humor in that situation (though I suppose it depends on what kind of book you’re writing).

I think it comes back to that oh-so-useful catchphrase that Brandon, Howard and Dan keep mentioning: Surprising yet inevitable. If it’s not something we expect, it’s more likely to make us laugh, but it has to make sense somehow. I’m not really sure I can quantify that any further, but I agree that setup is important.

As long as your joke works it doesn’t matter if the Evil Tyrant’s Superweapon of Doom is about to Destroy the World, I don’t think.

Kai: Personally I’m not a huge fan of characters who are ONLY comic relief. As Brandon said in the podcast, I like to care about characters as well as laugh at them (if that’s the intent). Then again, I don’t write humour, as such… I’ll leave that one to people who actually know what they’re talking about.