Write Like A Pro

Humour

Writing humour:Humour when used well can be a great edition to the majority of novels and is a good way to make the reader feel involved. 

Getting ideas for humour jokes:

*You can find humour and jokes in movies, books, on the radio, out an about with people and on television. Looking at more humour will help to develop your ideas of humour and can help you work out what works and what doesn't. Don't copy humour try and write it in your own words or add a unique twist.

Types of humour: 

*Sarcasm:when used well can bring a smile to the reader.

*Comebacks: Used a lot in romance novels and in arguments when a couple is bickering.

*Couple comeback examples are: "I don't know what makes you stupid, but it works".

*Inappropriate jokes: There are two types: Type 1 is jokes at the wrong time or place. Type 2 is perverted comments or jokes. These are funny and unexpected but, be careful when using them don't make it too rude.

*Awkward situations and humiliation: Such as a character saying something embarrassing really loud in front of lots of people is funny.

Top Tips: 

*Don't use the same joke twice. Change the style of the joke. Try to avoid using over used jokes and humour makes it different. Your character should not laugh too much at the joke. Don't draw attention to the joke on purpose otherwise this effects the readers reactions to the humour.

*People have different senses of humour so keep it neutral and pleasant.

Adding humour:

Humour helps engage the reader and makes them feel part of the story. Comparison humour is where you describe something that is happening in your novel and then compare it to something funny. When using this try to pick funny situations. To do this you should brainstorm metaphors and pick one that is the funniest.

Cliche jokes can be used by taking a well-known catch phrase and altering it at the end to give an unexpected twist to amuse the reader. For example: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed his neighbours for a life time.

Funny anecdotes and stories that relate to everyday life. This will enable the reader to relate to that particular situation. This may then lead to the reader remembering their own funny situation which will make them laugh. Or the anecdote or funny story you are writing is unexpected and will create laughs.

Don't scatter jokes everywhere, place them strategically and make them link in with the story line. Don't over use humour unless you are writing about a really, really funny topic. Make sure the humour doesn't distract you from the purpose of the novel. Steer clear of sarcasm because it can be hurtful. Edit anything that defeats the purpose of the joke or is irrelevant. Make it unpredictable, do the same with your novel make the story line unpredictable of leave it as a cliff hanger. Use a thesaurus because some words sound funnier than others.