Art by Alison Hunt
(Now we dive into the Character section. Of course, that brings up the question of comedy, which people sometimes try to jam into a story. It doesn’t always work because there are a lot of factors though. Needless to say, I had to tackle the subject since I try to add humor into my stories without diminishing the drama.)
I enjoy adding humor to my stories. This is a personal preference because I believe laughter is a great way to get people to keep reading. So, I do gravitate towards the thought that it should be in a story if it fits the tone.
Shoehorning comedy into a story that doesn’t work with it will be disastrous. Yes, people may crack jokes to handle stress or grief. That doesn’t mean a somber funeral scene needs to have a pie thrown into somebody’s face. Always remember that context and tone are important, which I would even say is the second rule of adding humor. Consider the mood you want to set and the character personalities before injecting comedy. Now, let’s get to that essential and commonly ignored first rule:
Comedy is subjective and differs from person to person.
Jokes and gags don’t always hit the way we want or expect. This isn’t always due to our own sense of humor being off, but what the reader finds funny. A slapstick moment can be hilarious to one person and seen as purely abusive by another. Word play jokes can be missed by a reader who lacks prior knowledge or strong comprehension skills to make it work, so the interaction appears strange instead of funny. A crude joke can cause a reader who doesn’t like that kind of humor to stop reading. This means with every attempt at garnering laughs, you are going to risk getting the opposite or no reaction. It’s no different than a stand-up comedian doing a set since not everyone in the audience will laugh at every joke.
Now, you may think running the jokes by your friends will help, which is a logical conclusion. This can fail too because your friends most likely either share your sense of humor or get your jokes, so they won’t see any issues a stranger will lock in on. This is why some authors try to steer clear of comedy and keep their stories 100% serious. Well . . . That ends this section . . . Guess not. (To prove my point, I thought this gag was funny while one of my beta readers seemed confused.)
With comedy being a double-edged rubber chicken, you have to use it with caution. Accept that you won’t get a laugh out of everyone, so focus more on the joke working within the scope of the story. Consider these questions:
- Do you go out of your way to make it? Then, it’s no good.
- Would the character making the joke actually say that? If no then it’s a scene-cracking dud.
