I get asked a lot about how to write humor, which is strange because I don’t consider myself successfully funny. I come from a family that makes horrible puns, so I never know if what I think is funny while translate. That being said, I might have a decent wit and some comedic timing. This was earned watching Marx Brothers, Abbot & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, and Mel Brooks for most of my youth. I watched a ton of Marx Brothers and I love that kind of comedy.
There are a few schools of comedy that you can choose from. I only know a few and I’ll start with the ones I don’t use as often:
- Surprise Humor– These are the jokes and gags that come out of nowhere. Your goal in this school is the surprise the reader with something unexpected and funny. This can be risky because if it’s too far out of left field then it will simply be stupid. The Naked Gun movies are a good example of the successful use of random gags.
- Potty Humor– Any bodily function, excretion, and noise can fall into this one. Also, drugs and alcohol (isn’t that redundant?) would be in this school. Think ‘The Hangover’ for a good example on this.
- Wit and Wordplay– The video is a good example of this and it takes practice. You need to analyze your words and your characters to pull this off. Find unique, funny uses for your words and find a way to fit them into a scene without making them a red flag for comedy. You want natural here and the character needs to have a keen mind. The village idiot shouldn’t be doing this stuff unless they’re not really an idiot. For example: Groucho Marx’s character talking about his time in Africa “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I’ll never know.”
- Banter– Funny stuff can happen when characters bicker and if one of your strengths is dialogue then this is for you. You can start this with a simple argument that escalates into either name-calling, rough-housing, or stays as an argument that becomes extremely ridiculous. There has to be some back and forth here and you need to keep the characters’ personalities in mind. Will one turn physical or go for extremely rude insults? Will one pull out an embarrassing story? All questions you need to ask before fine-tuning your comedy.
- Slapstick– I watched some Three Stooges and a lot of Looney Tunes, so I use slapstick in my books. Smacks upside the head, tripping, falling, and other well-timed physical acts can add a spark of humor to your scenes. Just try to make sure it isn’t lethal to the character.
I’ve repeated a few things here. One is that you need to keep the comedy to the personality of your character. The stoic shouldn’t be cracking jokes unless you’re gradually establishing that he’s loosening up. If a character is the type to joke when tense then use him to break the tension of a scene, but don’t overdo it. Even a nervous joker has some limits and a brain, especially if he’s witty. An example that comes to mind of comedy abuse is Michelangelo of the Ninja Turtles. In the 2007 animated movie, he made jokes at every opportunity including the somber ending. The movie ended on a bad joke with Mikey being an idiot. Stuff like this will make people see your comedic character for a fool and a pest.
Now one of the most important parts of comedy is timing. This goes for any version of comedy and there is a natural ability to it. If you don’t have a natural comedic timing then study the masters from way back to learn it. There is a time and place for a joke. For example, don’t make the joke after a block of exposition and description. It’s too far removed from the trigger. Also, you have to remember the setting that the characters are in. Making loud farting noises around a sleeping dragon might seem funny, but it better result in that dragon waking up. If not then you’re just being ridiculous and are wasting ink. That’s another point. Try with all your might to have the joke make sense within the context of a conversation or event. Even the surprise gags have to be connected to the scene in some way. Seeing a fish flying through the air might be random and silly, but it better have a point. We can’t all get away with random zaniness like Seth McFarlane . . . dammit! Almost made it through this post with mentioning him. I’ll end on a classic:
Legends of Windemere 
I’m lousy at writing humor…
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I think everyone has a type that they can do. Cutting wit and sarcasm count. Just takes practice.
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I also like cynical and sarcastic humor. I think that is why I like so many British sit coms. It is dry and rather intelligent humor.
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The dry wit is entertaining. I’ve always been more of a fan of razor wit like Groucho, but that’s what I grew up with.
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Good stuff! I guess my favorite style falls under the ‘banter’ category by creating fictitious characters and having their personalities shine. Again, enjoyed your article.
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Thanks. Big fan of banter myself. It really helps bring out character personalities.
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Oh, and of course, a whole heck of a lot of satire!
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I see something funny in all aspects of life ( except tragedy, of course, that goes without saying), the problem is, I can’t describe or explain why it’s funny… sometimes it’s just that one moment, a facial expression that I definitely can’t put into words.
By the way, I think Sponge Bob cartoons are really, really, funny.
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A lot of comedy is subjective and ‘you had to be there’ moments. I’m not sure on SpongeBob since he showed up when I was older. His laugh irritates me a times.
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I don’t think these are “possible” tips – I think you nailed it! 🙂 Definitely followed!
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Thanks. I never like to say I’m sure of something when it comes to comedy. I’ve had a lot of jokes fall flat.
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What – no mention of Monty Python…tut tut 🙂
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I think they fall into the wit and wordplay. I actually didn’t get into Monty Python until high school.
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I can understand that. I think it took a while for you on that side of the pond to cotton on to them and even still , they’re an acquired taste for some.
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They’re very popular, especially with my age group. I saw them, but didn’t get the jokes until older. Though I watched a lot of Benny Hill as a child.
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Reblogged this on The Ranting Papizilla and commented:
Some hints on how to write humor from our resident funnyman Charles!
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Well done post. It’s amazing how well the humor you’ve shared holds up. Groucho’s wit (and topic) are still relevant today, 80 years later. Incredible. Abbot and Costello? That routine (especially their timing) has never been topped. Humor on the page is an extremely tricky thing. It must flow naturally or it feels forced and falls horribly flat, going in one swift moment from humor to embarrassment.
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I think the old masters of comedy from the Vaudeville days really paved the way. I wonder what’s scarier. Telling a joke on stage or writing one in a published book? Both are nerve-wracking from what I can tell.
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Oh yeah, both are nerve-wracking, though one in a written work is buried amidst so much more and unless you hear specific feedback you don’t know if it didn’t work. On stage…the silence tells all immediately.
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Yeah. Writers have editors and beta readers too.
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