How to Write Humor: What's So Funny?
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Writing Humor: Giving a Comedic Touch to All Forms of Writing
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Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology of Humor Writing from The New Yorker (Modern Library Paperbacks)
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How to Write Funny
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And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft
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Comedy Writing Step by Step
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Damn! Thats Funny!: Writing Humor You Can Sell
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How to Write Funny
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DownWRITE Funny: Using students' love of the ridiculous to teach serious writing skills
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Damn! Thats Funny!: Writing Humor You Can Sell
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Funny Business: The Craft of Comedy Writing Second Edition
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Writing Humor: How to Write Funny Articles, Columns & Letters for Profit & Pleasure
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Whose Panties are These? More Misadventures from Funny Women on the Road
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Some of my humor hubs:
- Purposely Purseless and Proud
Shopping in a department store, people mistake me for a salesperson. Individuals ask me where the restroom is, or where to find the designer potpourri simmer-pots, and seem mildly annoyed when I tell them... - Using Garden Gnomes for Self-Defense
I always thought that garden gnomes were useless. Now I am imagining people carrying them around for protection, instead of using pepper spray or other deterrents. If you see a threatening character...
Latest Hubs by Rochelle
- A Future President Explains "Beneficial Control".
Scene: A secret interview room, looking a bit like a talk-show set. Time: someday in the future. " Hello, Madame President-- may I call you that?"" Actually, we prefer just a simple... - 26 hours ago
- Get Answers Right Now. Ask a Questanswer.
All of us have questions, and it has recently come to my attention that the best way to get a satisfying answer is by asking the right person. If you do this, you can can get an immediate answer--... - 2 weeks ago
- "A Fair to Remember" Mariposa County 2009
Yes, the theme for this year's county fair was "A Fair to Remember", and what made it so memorable was that it was pretty much the same as all small county fairs have been since the... - 2 months ago
- Tenaya Lodge Resort: A Luxury Hotel in the Wilderness
Tenaya Lodge Resort , near the south entrance to Yosemite National Park, could be the ultimate destination for those seeking scenic wilderness, rustic charm and the modern conveniences of a four... - 2 months ago
- Walking the Dog in My Neck of the Woods
My dog and I see plenty of trees in my neck of the woods. That's because my neck of the woods is actually in the woods. Our neighborhood is in the Sierra Nevada foothills where there are plenty of... - 3 months ago
Can it be taught?
An editor I once worked with asked if I could teach her how to write humor. Until then, I had never thought of humor as being something that is taught.
I've always thought that people have a humor gene or they do not. It would be like trying to teach some one to have brown eyes if they were born with blue. Or to teach them to be brown eyed when they already have brown eyes. In either case it wouldn't change much.
Also, I felt if I were to analyze it, and really unravel the mystery of what humor is, the fragile elusive humor Muse would be ticked off and forsake me for discovering her address and true identity.
Another reason is-- that I hesitate to call my offerings humor, (usually I call them silliness-) but since she was "The Editor" and had the final say, I happily accepted her judgment.
When I finish a humor column, I often rewrite and/or at least re-read it fifteen times. As you can imagine, by then it has lost the element of surprise. I sometimes go from "this is sort of funny" to "this might be funny" to "I'm not so sure this is funny at all." I often run some of my ideas by my good and close friend just to check. (She has a great laugh.)
However, "The Editor's" question challenged me as a teacher, and I began giving it some thought. I've taught people to draw, but that might not have made them artists. I'm not sure I could teach anyone to write humor, but I can give my thoughts about what makes certain things funny.
In a sense, analyzing it DOES scare the muse off.
I think this may be similar to reading a scientific, medical, clinical manual about the physical procreative procedure. It may contain the correct information, but it is not sexy. In the same way, trying to explain why things are funny, is not, in itself, funny.
SERIOUS THOUGHTS ABOUT WRITING HUMOR... [Disclaimer: I am not a humor expert. And I'm not a psychologist. These are just my thoughts on the subject. Also, there's nothing particularly profound here.
Humor is based on truth, literalness, humility, objectivity and possibility.
It is a viewpoint and an attitude that most of us have as children. I believe it comes more naturally to those of us who have never quite grown up. People will read a humorous piece , laugh and say "but that is SO true", and often it is. It can be based on the truth of what is , or the truth of what might be.
My Dad was a rather quiet, very kind, good-natured man who had a wonderful way of defusing a tense situation with a quip. I remember one time I called my mother "Maw". She got upset and told me not to ever call her "Maw" Daddy spoke up and said "call her Mammy". This broke everyone up, because what he was saying was "It's not as bad as you think, what if it were this way."
I think the key to understanding humor is to understand why people laugh when they are physically tickled. Some people would say it is because it feels funny, or because it stimulates the nerve endings of your well, wherever part is being tickled. But I think there is another explanation, and it's related to the fact that people can not tickle themselves.
A tickle is a physical assault, quasi-aggression. Because it is not objectively harmful or hostile, there is no defense against it. It would be inappropriate to haul off and slug your tickler, even though we are mentally programmed to defend ourselves from any attack. You cannot justify giving your parent or child or friend or lover a black eye to retaliate for a tickle attack. We are helpless, frustrated and confused in such a way that we react with laughter to release the tension. Also it creates a mood elevating effect which apparently can be measured chemically. That is not an authoritative explanation, but it is my explanation. (However, scientific studies do say that laughter reduces stress hormones and strengthens the immune system.)
Humor is threatening, frustrating and impossible to defend against.-- partly because we are not aware of why it is threatening, and because we know it is that it is not hostile. It is a psychological tickle, a friendly assault. Some "humor" can be mean spirited, but I don't think this is real humor, it lacks the friendly, or non hostile, element. Some people think sarcasm is humor. I don't. I try to avoid it. OK, maybe a little irony or or a gentle gibe, but nothing corrosive enough to harm the environment.
The court jester in Medieval times was often small, sometimes deformed, and weak appearing. He was a "fool" , an object of derision and contempt. Often he was dressed in ridiculous fashion, but because of his non threatening persona he could speak the truth, often in unflattering ways toward the royals and nobles, and get away with it. A great example of the psychic tickle.
When Don Rickles pours his outrageous insults out on an audience, an obvious form of attack, people laugh. Here is this short fat old bald guy who looks like a turtle -- non threatening -- telling the truth about people for the most part, and they are defenseless. He does this so well that if anyone were to really get mad, they would look absolutely stupid. You may notice at the end of such a routine that he always thanks people for being good sports, thus making himself non hostile as well. This is NOT my favorite style of humor, I would never personally attempt it. But I must admit he is a genius at it.
I enjoyed reading the work of a local humor writer who contributed to a paper I read regularly (name omitted to protect- me) He is very funny. Of course he has an advantage over me with two live-in teenagers to provide inspiration. Actually I must credit him with my decision to try "columning". After reading some of his work, I said to myself, "Myself, you could do this. Here is this guy writing silly stuff off the top of his head ... and being an embarrassment to his friends and family... how hard can that be?" Though he makes himself out to be a foolish, hot-headed, know-it-all and borderline ignoramus... I'll bet he is none of the above, and that is part of what makes him funny.
Visual ,verbal, cognitive shift, and conceptual humor are usually based on the non-physical tickle. Humans like things to be comfortable, controllable and predictable. The unusual, exaggerated, incongruous or unexpected thing is threatening and uncomfortable. Puns, and double entendre are ambiguous, confusing , and surprising -- but they are harmless and we can't defend ourselves against them. Though people like to be in their comfort zones, most also like to be slightly threatened, occasionally. If they did not, why would there be horror movies and roller coasters?
Children laugh more than adults, partly because they have not learned to hide their emotions, partly because they are innocent, and often because they see nothing wrong with telling the truth. They often make us laugh as well, because of these (threatening) qualities. The story of the Emperor's New Clothes has always been a favorite of mine, because everyone is suddenly exposed to the to the truth about the emperor (and about their own self doubts and fears) by a child who sees nothing wrong with telling it like it is.
The classic Abbot and Costello "Who's on first?" routine is funny mostly because of the confusion of having the players named "Who, What," etc. Just at the point where we almost understand it, another confusing element is added. keeping the hearer slightly off balance,... tickled.
Cleverness, wit, and creative associations, may be slightly more sophisticated than the ticklish humor discussed up to this point. but it still has some of the same elements, including surprise, and the annoying realization that someone else thought of it before we did. Perceiving someone else to be smarter than yourself can be threatening, but if that person is not hostile, or pompous , or mean spirited, it still goes back to the tickle effect.
Do I think of all these things when I am writing? No, not at all. But going back and looking at some things I have written, I can see that they do generally apply. When I call Garden Gnomes odd, that's the truth. Even people who have Garden Gnomes know it. But those people cannot be mad, especially because I came back and said I had nothing against odd things and defended the right of Garden Gnomes to make a living (incongruity).
There are a few things that I do consciously to "enhance funniness". Besides writing in comic book font (and see,that's funny because there's no way that could really make a difference -- so that's kind of the flip side --or the flippant side--of truth. Something seems logical about it,but it's not).
I use my Thesaurus a lot. Some words just sound funnier than others. The Thesaurus also gives synonyms with a slightly skewed connotation (incongruity) .. or words that sound pompous, antiquated , or too "important" (incongruity). or words that make it possible to turn a phrase into an alliterative string or a rhyme. (I'm not sure why this seems funny. I'll give that part some more thought. I think Gilbert or Sullivan understood this... whichever one did the words.)
Exaggeration is funny, especially the exaggerated truth. This is partly because of the uncertainty it causes. We often know that something is exaggerated, but it's may also be true, and we are not quite sure where the line is drawn uncertainty, threat). My mop directions were confusing (to me) when I first read them, but in order to make the point, I'll admit that I exaggerated the confusion, for the benefit of those who generally understand things better than I do, so they can get the same feeling.
Most of the things I write about are true happenings. I think the purseless story is one of my funnier ones, because it's all true. But I have to look at things in a very objective manner and ask myself if my reaction or non reaction to a situation is true, or is there another way to look at it.
When I fell down walking my dog, that was honest-to-gosh deeply felt pain, but beyond that there was some element of slapstick. When people see (or hear about) others in pain, especially non disabling pain, there are a set of reactions. One is "that was really stupid", but we know it's not nice to think that way so there is guilt (threat) also we are glad it did not happen to us, but we know it could (threat). If the victim over reacts or under reacts to the pratfall , it is threatening (incongruous).
Some things are just funny in themselves. Anti-aging cream, does it for me, because it doesn't make sense that you should be able to rub a substance on your skin and it stops you from getting older. This goes against the laws of physics. It goes against the theory of relativity and the space/time continuum. If it did work to stop aging, users would never get another birthday present. All of these things are absolute truth.
Speaking of truth, let me give another example; Some time back someone sent me an internet item that said something like "You are almost as good as your dog if you can..." then it had a list of things like "If you can be happy with the same simple food every day....If you can be loyal to those who sometimes ignore or mistreat you...If you can forgive those who wrongfully accuse you .. If you can be cheerful even when those around you are unkind...If you are willing to risk your life to save a child" etc.. on and on and on about canine attributes. It was very nice.
I knew my friend who works at the animal shelter, would appreciate this so I sent it to her. Now I like dogs and animals fine,( and I know you do) but I have a slight problem with those who tend to idealize them and make them more virtuous than they are. So I added a few items to the list which are also absolute Truth:
"If you are willing to humiliate yourself and do almost anything for approval and a pat on the head...
"If you see nothing wrong with drinking out of the toilet...
"If you are not embarrassed to have sex in public with someone you have never met before..."
When she got my list, she said her husband came in her studio to see what she was laughing at.
Like the clinical manual I mentioned before, these may be some of the technical elements of writing humor, but I think you just have to actually do it yourself to understand the wider implications. The subtleties are hard to explain, it takes a little patience and practice, but you know when it feels right.
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Comments
That's a matter of opinion, i suppose. Read some of my humor hubs-- you decide.
And thanks for commenting.
I stand naked and exposed.
I am going to take this time for introspect and self discovery. I will read your article again and after deep thought I will reove my rubber nose and hula skirt and add my thoughts.
I thank you for another thought provoking and personable hub which you so steadily continue to produce.
I had to bookmark this one. I´ll read it every time I forget how simple humor can be and how seriously it can be write. Thums up ;)
I wondered how you do it! Thanks for another good hub.
Nothing magic about this-- just my thoughts and personal observations. If my editor hadn't asked, I probably never would have given it that much thought. Thanks for your comments, all.
A very interesting read!! you have given me lots to think about!!
thanks 4 sharing your obvious knowldge!
A woman goes into a bar and says, "I'll have a double entendre please."
So the barman gave her one.
Humor is hard to pin down even when it gets pinned down as neatly as this. I would add one thing about the court Fool back in the day though. It is something of a myth that they were misfigured and odd. The fool in many courts was an esteemed advisor who possessed a unique (and dangerous) position. As you said humor is often just truth, granted pointed out with style and tact and delivery etc... the fool was someone who had the respect of Kings and was allowed to point out things that no one else would dare. Shakespeare's Feste is a perfect example in Twelfth Night. The fool was often the only hope a nation had for steering its leaders away from stupidity, or at least pointing it out in a way that they might see. Needless to say, dangerous. Anyway, nice article. Thanks.
Oh, and CjStone... that's awesome.
Hi Rochelle, I enjoyed your thought provoking hub and all the ways we can actually be humorous. In our preschool office, we often laugh at the image that brings to our mind when we utter sentences like "kids please make sure to close the door or the aircon will go out" and "The gate has arrived." :) Love your hub. Thanks for sharing.
Preschool is a great place to find humor. Thanks for the comments.
In our school office , classroom assistants would come each month to pin up classroom artwork on the bulletin boards. Drawings were easy to put up, but one time a volunteer came in with "shoebox scenes" which were three-dimentional. "I don't know how to put these up," she said "I have dioramas."
The secretary advised her to take Pepto-bismol.
Hahahaha :)
I would love to hear others post their comments about "what makes something funny", because I am still trying to to figure it out, myself. i stand by my "tickle" theory, but I am sure there must be other elemnts at work.
Hi Rochelle,
I so enjoyed this hub! You tackled defining humor, which to me, is a feat in itself. I have been told I'm 'so funny', and I like to think I do have a great sense of humor. There are even moments when you can say I'm 'witty'. Growing up with a brother 4 years my senior was possibly how I developed? my sense of humor. To this day, even if we haven't spoken for a while, he'll give me a call, and the witty comments come flying my way. He gets me every time, and I am always taken by surprise to the point that I cannot think of one appropriate come-back. He, to me, is the master of wit! I do however, have an occasional 'shining' moment when I get him back as good as he gives. It's then his turn to be taken by surprise :)
Thanks again for sharing,
PS: I don't have the answer to your question what makes something funny, I guess, as I find to be said rather often, 'you had to be there' :)
Trish
Yes, "being there "is often the key.
Very funny, Rochelle...loved the dog list! Learned from your class - Humor 101!
Thanks, Pam ;)
Thank you, Pam. Belated, but sincere appreciation.
I have added a poll. And becaue of my ineptitude, it has two blank choices. Feel free to to use them if applicable.
Hi Rochelle - ok - I just voted on your poll...we'll learn together how this all works!!
Thanks, Pam. I'm hoping some people will vote for the blanks.
This hub was originally published about three months ago and has quite a few views (for one of mine) so very few people are likely to return to vote.
I do like the option though-- it gives another element to break up the straight text-- especially if someone is challenged with providing photos and illustrations.
Hi Rochelle Great Hub. But humour is a tough subject. Many of the world's great funny men were very troubled people. Fatty Arbuckle, Peter Selllers, Spike Milligan just to name a few. Humour is often the uncomforatble truth. That is why jokes come out so qyuickly after a tragedy. I remember the horrific joke after the Columbia tragedy.
"What colour was Christa McCailiff's eyes?"
Answer ' Blue ---- One blew this way one blew that way"!
I repeat this story to illustrate my point and not to be totally crass.
Yes, humor usually is an uncomfortable truth to at least some degree.
As for the disturbed "funny people"-- troubled people can be found in any category or group. I would dare to say that there is a higher percentage of mad criminals than comedians.
On there other had there are many examples of comics who were wise and benevolent and charitable -- (Bob Hope, Will Rogers,...) And I can't think of any criminals, with the possible exception of Robin Hood, who are.
Personally, I don't find either sarcasm or hurtful 'humor' to be appealing.
I appreciate you balancing the scales so well with good examples. I prefer clever cute funny stories over the hurtful ones too. LOL
If you have seen my latest hub you may see some humour in that experience which more in keeping with my style.
Sixtyorso, I especially enjoy your travel adventures.
thanks for the attempt to share something which cannot be shared, or can it?
I believe that "timing" is a very important element in humor (or in what constitutes funny). I guess it would be a little different if you are writing something funny or physically saying (or performing something funny). But I believe that humor and what is funny comes from the way we see things; our perspective on life. I can say that seeing life with a sense of humor has saved me. I don't know where I would be if I could not laugh at life and not take things so seriously. By the way, it is great to see a humorous blog getting so much attention. When I think of keeping a blog, I always think that it has to be about something "meaningful" and "life changing" for others to get something out of it. You have just proved that that isn't necessary. Now I know that there is a place in "blogs" for humor and light-hearted writing that will bring a smile to others when they read it. Great information. I enjoyed it!
Thank you Benson.
And thank you andyjay. I do appreciate your comments, and sometimes I too feel that i would like to write something deep and meaningful that would change people for the better. I guess that is not my calling, but maybe it's just enough to sometimes have someone say, "Thanks, I really needed a laugh today."
The best paper I ever wrote was in high school with a friend. We took a boring assignment of an economic projects and laced it full of humor. Our teacher loved it and we got the highest score he had ever given for that assignment in all years of teaching.
Thanks for the hub!
Thank you RGraf-- I sometimes wish I could write more deep meaningful things-- but I DO think humor is important. Sometimes it helps us break out of a set way of thinking, and sometimes it just lightens our mood-- which might be the same thing, come to think of it.
(Please submit this to the department of redundancy department.)
Great insights. I've been trying off and on to analyze humor for a while without much success. I've found it way too complex and subtle. I have made some observations though:
I find humor liberating. It allows one to express things he or she otherwise couldn't.
For example, consider what the parody news anchors like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Keith Olbermann get away with.
I tried taking a systematic approach and analyzing humor grammatically. So far I have only been able to come up with this verb conjugation.
I am hilarious.
You are silly.
She is an embarrassing buffoon.
Finally, I have found that humor is something you have to work at. When I forwarded a piece I had written to a friend, he emailed me back saying, "I see you are still trying to be funny." I thanked him for his encouragement and assured him I will try harder next time.
I think you are on the right track-- very funny response.
Awsome Hub!
i think humor should be some thing for your own self not for others. There are all kind of people out there some find tom and Jerry to be funny and some find BORAT or Ali G to be funny. Now you cant humor the both kinds , coz both are in different zip codes . So your humor should satisfy you more than others.
I agree, Saa-- But if I am the only one who thinks something is funny, is it really humor? it is always gratifying if someone else thinks the same thing is funny. It creates a kind of bond.
The ability to convey humor is an Either Or. Either you're born with it or you're not. Can't be taught. And analyzing it DOES scare off the Muse. I wrote my "McCain Picked Sarah Palin" hub a week into a 2-week Cold From Haedes. The entire hub landed in my head when my defenses and the dreaded Writers Block were zero. If I *hadn't* been at death's door, I would've tweaked it for days, then *maybe* published it, maybe not. As it was, I just "did it" and it was an instant hit. Go figure.
Wow great hub Rochelle, thx!
Wow, a great hub from a very intelligent woman! Good job!
--John
Very intelligent? Well, modest as I am, I don't know that I would say "very", but thanks.
I love this! You're awesome:)
I love this. Wonderfully written.
Thanks for a seriously good hub.
The great radio personality Norm Nathan (50 years with WHDH and WBZ in Boston)
said that you should always try to leave the world a little sillier than you find it.
I'm trying to do my part.
I'm over 65 years old but I promise to never grow up.
I promise to keep eating jelly & peanut butter sandwiches.
I promise to watch 'The Stooges' and least once a month and to view four Seinfelds per week.
I promise to keep putting teeth under my pillow for the tooth fairy - but if they don't get exchanged for money overnight, the dentures will have to go back in my mouth in the morning.
I am seriously happy about your post Bilrrrrrrr. I also think you are seriously funny, you still have a way to go. I am seriously older than you, but not seriously funnier.. I do try to spread the silliness when I can. CHeers!!
This is very enlightening, and I am so glad I came across this hub really. I am alway fascinated about the different types of humour. Congratulations on a very stimulating hub.
Everything you've said is very true and any writer who wants to tackle humour must study all of these lements; Life experience and personality add to the mix. For me I believe that when it comes down to the nitty-gritty - to getting the words down onto paper - there are two essential ingredients - the situation and timing.
There's the trick, getting it on paper. As a fan of Dave Berry, I was always amazed that he could do it time after time.
Like you just said in the comment above Rochelle there is a trick to getting it on paper and I think you have proved with this hub that it is a trick that you have mastered very well. You even made my son laugh with your additions to the canine attributes list and he is a tough audience to crack. I read that bit out to him after he asked me what I was laughing at.
Very cool, Maggie. I love it when people share. It is a virtue.
I find things that conjure absurd images in my mind funny. Like the aircon with two legs walking out the open door or the gate ringing the doorbell upon its arrival. Teacher Michelle, aka Ripplemaker, and I laugh about things like that at the office. I'm often the first one to start cracking up. :P
im finding that when i want to be funny oim not.. it just happens.. i also find i dont get some jokes.. usualy the inside jokes that people forget i wasnt arround for.. or i think something is much funnier than the others arround me especialy sarcasm.
since my current project is merchandise with "odd ball humor" i finding that i realy am an odd ball.. that or people like my funny they just dont wana buy it.. im sure it's a mix of not funny and not impropper sales pitching.. but since this is about humor i'd like to ask how you feel about deadpan humor. like the eye drop commercials "wooooow....." any advice?
I think everyone has to work with what seems most natural to them. I know a very funny guy who frequently comes up with funny quips and comments, but he has a heck of a time remembering a funny joke he has heard-- seems like he always leaves something important out.
Quantifying humor is a big challenge; taking something that's supposed to be fun and analyzing the fun out of it. Great work!
Just one take on it--yes, it is hard to pin down. thanks
I came across this hub from a Google search on how to write humor. Ironic, really, because all it has done is made me question further.
I have realized something though:
The things I find funny tend to be tied in with the choice of words.
For instance, I was reading a submission on a certain fan fiction web site and the author was, quite obviously, trying to be funny.. and failing. Perhaps because they were using the oldest tricks in the book, perhaps because they were telling it as if it were an article on molecular gastronomy..
And then I went on to read another submission which I found absolutely hilarious. I had tears streaming down my face and I was clutching my side, trying to stop myself making too much noise.
The word which cracked me up? Manties. If it had said "men's underwear" I would've been thinking 'Well, that wasn't funny.'
I think something to consider, also, when writing humor is randomosity. If you have heard the same joke, the same line, before then you're less likely to find it side-splittingly funny. Throwing in some original material definitely spices things up, though, it would be wise to consider audiences first.
I know you have already pointed out that some words are funnier-- I am simply backing up your point and giving my two cents.
Fantastic article, by the way.
Thanks so much for your comments, HAYASHI Sora.
Yes, the definition of humor is very hard to capture. I think this is partly because different people react differently. Styles, subject matter, presentation, timing, word usage-- all of that and more comes into play.
Keep smiling.
I have no idea how I missed this. You've done a fantastic job of nailing down a very subjective topic. For me, randomness definitey comes into play. The more random an observation, the funnier it is. I guess that's why one of my favorite comedians is Stephen Wright.
I also don't call my writing "humor." I merely aspire to humor people who need the occasional laugh. I do add a humor tag to my hubs, though. But that's only because it's more likely to be found with a humor tag than a "ridiculous and absurd" tag.
Thanks for this hub, Rochelle. It's yet another gem.
Yes, I understand the reluctance to put the humor label on a piece, simply because it is so subjective.
You are right about the randomness, as well. i think that is all part of the surprise factor-- and it is also mildly threatening because we think we should understand and we often don't.
I think you humor is superb-- therefore, this is especially appreciated. Hasta!
Writing humor is tough, and it seems brevity is what people find funny today. The more words, the less funny it is. Well, there's a lot more to it, but when writing, simple seems to work.
And Don Rickles is a genius, thanks for mentioning him. This is a great hub.
Incredible article....I was ironically involved in a discussion about the act of "teaching humor" a few days ago. A lot of humor is involved in the delivery...rather verbally or literally...and while I think people can pick up certain characteristics in this regard...to teach it is another story.
You really nailed the concept in this article and I loved the phrase - "If you are willing to humiliate yourself and do almost anything for approval and a pat on the head..."
Again...great piece of writing..was a pleasure to read!
This is probably the best article I've read on HubPages. I've heard someone before state that there is a "humour gene" and that only about 8% of people have it. I find that really unbelievable, as sometimes my jokes will only have people shaking their heads in embarrassment, and at other times I have actually had a couple of people rolling around on the floor in laughter and one or two even pulling out inhalers to keep themselves breathing!
In essence, I love what this piece is about and enjoyed the advice rendered!
Very good info. Thanks for your willingness to share insight gained.
What a nifty article... You explained the whole deal such that I understood why it was folks laugh when I say or write something. Had I known this stuff earlier on, I would probably be quite rich by now. Ah well.. water under the bridge, right? Met a fellow in a dialysis clinic one time in Trenton, New Jersey. He was a fine fellow - old, wrinkled, and full of beans - even though he was as ill as a person can be and without a dollar in his pocket. He told me that his name was "Goode." Then he told me that he fell in love with a gal and they married. Her name was "Rich." Then he explained to me that, after they married, they were "good and rich." You could tell that he was lamenting his present circumstances, and so I had trepidations about laughing at his little story. Yet, he wanted me to laugh, and that was obvious, too.
Your article was a beauty, and I enjoyed learning from it.
Well, thanks Gus, I'm not sure it will make you rich, but laughter does a person good-- and that is a special kind of richness, I do believe.
Hello again, Rochelle. Just so that you will know it, I grew up in a place named, New Rochelle. At that time, everyone (almost) was very poor, but as I recall, people smiled a whole lot more then compared to today. I personally do two kinds of writing. I write serious items for tech columns and papers for journals. They are really fussy things to put together - really tight formats and protocols. Humor is what I like best. I just today put the first three of many Hubs online that are ostensibly cooking recipes, but it was impossible for me to not combine them with some funny tales as well. (Redneck Recipe # ...) Good food, so why not some good fun, too. Thanks again for your fine article. I hope to see more stuff that you put together for the world to read. Gus
Thank you for very,very informative hub on how to write humor. thanks for sharing it. creativeone59
Thanks Gus and creativeone-- I appreciate your comments.
Explaining humor is such a slippery thing. I love the adage,
"Tragedy plus time equals comedy."
It definitely bonds people. I live for laughter. I have found writing humor to be one of the most difficult tasks because of reworking and reworking a piece. As you said, it loses it's surprise and you start second-guessing yourself.
Thank you for shining a little light on an ephemeral subject.
Thanks a bunch "abcd.." ,
(I love alphabetical things).
And, yes, The seriousness of life does eventually become absurd with enough time.
It is slippery-- I suppose that is why the banana peel thing seems hilarious.
It isn't so much that we don't feel sympathy for the banana peel victim-- it's just that we feel a bit treatened by knowing that it could easily happen to us. Plus it looks so absurd-- who wants to admit that we might look absurd, ourselves? A tickle, I maintain.
Thanks for your comments. I will be looking for your funny stuff.
Great hub! I really enjoyed reading it and I think you're right on the money with many of the things you say :) Thanks!
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glassvisage says:
17 months ago
So much information about humorous writing! You must know what you're doing :)