A to Z - Humor

Today's post draws on my notes from a class the awesome Sarah Eden taught last fall at the UVU Book Academy. Sarah's always got great humor in her books, and she's just as funny in person.

Why should you include humor?

• Well, for one thing, it makes the characters likeable. 
• Another is comic relief. I remember thinking as my family was watching The Two Towers film about how dark it was. If it hadn't been for Gimli, it would have been an exhausting experience.
• It's a great way to sneak in an emotional experience.
• Like every emotional response, humor must be earned.

So, what makes things funny?

•  Incongruity - something out of place or inappropriate to the situation
• The unexpected - misdirection or surprise (Jack Sparrow--the pirate we never saw coming--is a prime example)
• Familiarity - the reader can relate to what is said or done. This is something stand up comics use a lot.

Now you can have all those things and still bomb because it's all about the context. You need to know your audience and genre. Some things will appeal to certain ages, or to people who have lived through a certain era, or it can appeal to a stage in life or a common experience.

When I was young, there was a joke we used to love to tell.

Question: What's bigger than Winnie's Pooh?

Answer: Gomer's Pyle

I know. This seriously dates me. Many you won't get that joke at all, unless you've ever seen the old reruns of the TV show Gomer Pyle, which was a spin off of the old Andy Griffith Show.

So, play off your strengths and don't try something you're not good at. Don't force it.

Following is a sample of incongruity, where classical pianist Victor Borgia does the unexpected.



Do you have much humor in your writing? What's one of your more favorite funny scenes in a book?