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Sometimes you just have to laugh or go insane, right?
We writers know that from our gauntlet of rejections.
So why do we forget to include it in our novels?
Many authors foolishly think of humor in writing
to be limited to Slapstick.
They are wrong.
Why did Joss Say That?
1.) Your Characters Become Relatable
Over 90% of readers think they possess a great sense of humor.
They may be wrong, but weaving humor into your characters will draw your reader to her or him.
2.) Humor Relieves Tension
Sometimes events get overpowering in novels.
Humor gives a vent to tension and allows the reader to take in a breath.
From Casablanca to Die Hard to any Marvel movie you will find this done.
As the poor hunter being mauled by a cougar called out to his companion loathe to shoot lest he hit his friend --
"Shoot! One of us has got to get relief!"
3.) Uncomfortable Subjects become tolerable
Humor is often the only vehicle able to address touchy topics in a non-threatening way.
Think Gran Torino and racism.
4.) Warms Your Reader to Your Character
People with a sense of humor are better liked --
and this comes in handy when one of your characters is a bit prickly in other ways.
5.) Helps Make Your Book a Page Turner
Humor also requires us to slow down and pay attention.
Studies show that changes in brain waves in response to punch lines are similar
to those when we notice a rare, intriguing event that captures our attention.
Humor actually encourages readers to read closely,
and that makes the reading experience more immersive.
6.) Aids in the Flow of Your Novel
Humorous remarks or incidents tend to happen near the end of a chapter or long scene.
They provide a rhythm and let the reader know it’s time for the next scene.
7.) Humor Helps To Make Your Characters Multi-dimensional
People joke all the time --
and sometimes the more tense a situation is the more a person might joke ...
just to relieve the emotional strain.
If you want your characters to seem more real-to-life, humor is one way to go.
8.) Humor is A Great Brush to Paint the Personality
Not everyone's sense of humor is the same.
The jock laughs at different things than the geek.
In fact, what one person laughs at may tell your reader more about him
than three paragraphs of description!
"Hey, Honey, what would you say to a nice walk?"
"Oh, Tom, that would be so nice!"
"Great. Would bring me some beer and cigarettes on your way back?"
Hope I at least gave you a smile. :-)
I wish I were able to communicate humor in my writing. Of course, I struggle with it in real life. I loved reading this post on how adding humor is helpful in writing though. It was interesting. :)
ReplyDeleteHumor is much harder to include in our writing than drama -- I guess that comes from drama being part of each hour to most of us and things which make us laugh come so seldom.
DeleteThanks for visiting, Mandy! :-)
You're so right, Roland. And I love the way you integrate the humor in your stories.
ReplyDeleteYou made my day with that compliment! Thanks. :-)
DeleteHumor does balance the tension. yeah, most people only think they are funny.
ReplyDeleteThe new Guardians 2 trailer rocks.
Doesn't it though? My kitten, Midnight, loves Rocket!
DeleteI was happy to read this post because of the readers who have mentioned enjoying the humor in my writing. I definitely keep that up.
ReplyDeleteHumor is so hard to do so my Stetson's off to you for doing it right!
DeleteGet your own beer, Hubs! Seriously, though, you make an excellent point--especially in stories dealing with oppressively heavy subject matter.
ReplyDeleteYes, Rhonda! Hubs probably needs to work off that beer belly anyway, right?
DeleteYou always give me a nice warm smile, Roland.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy putting humor in my writing. But I'm afraid that no matter how much I have laughed, I hsave still gone crazy.
Thanks, Helena!
DeleteThe best first sentence to a novel that I ever read was: He was born with the gift of laughter and knowledge that the world was mad.
We're not crazy, Helena. The world is!
I love humor in the stories I read, no need to convince me. But as a writer, I know how hard it is to write humor. I try but I more often succeed at irony than clear humor; smiles, not laughter.
ReplyDeleteQuips are easier to write than belly laughs and that is for sure! :-)
DeleteVery insightful! As Olga said (above), it's fun to read but hard to write.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same. :-)
DeleteWhile I can write silly things on my blog (which hopefully are humorous in some way), I find it hard to write a serious piece that used humor sparingly to break the tension etc.
ReplyDeleteWe all have our own styles. Humor just seems a nice way to go for me. :-)
DeleteWell, this post is a relief because I always have humour in my writing, even when it's an extremely dark book, and I've often worried that it's not appropriate. But I can't help myself--my characters are funny (usually on the sarcastic, dry-wit side of the spectrum).
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear my bf laugh while he's reading my work, that's the greatest compliment. It's not easy to make someone laugh out loud.