Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

How do you write funny? Damned if I know. I think funny is probably the hardest thing to do well. For one it's down to individual taste more than any other genre I can think of. Some people love fart jokes (not me). Others are into puns. Some humor is downright mean (looking at you Family Guy and Seth McFarlane). In previous decades ethnic humor was prevalent (and thankfully mostly dead) I definitely find comedies much harder to get into than dramas. You hear people talking about how Americans can't get into British humor, again highlighting the whole comedy is hard.

I don't have a lot of advice here. I don't think I do this well. I can break out some funny dialogue but I've never tried (nor really want to) write a long comedy piece. I'm thinking of this because one of the arcs I just got is another 'comedic cozy' which i didn't know when I asked for it since so many of them aren't funny to me. The author is a sit-com writer originally (that should have been a clue...) Anyhow so far the humor is the 'let's embarrass the protags' style which for me gets old fast. For example in the first three chapters we have the 30 year old protag not working a cell phone video right and accidentally sharing it and then her partner comes up with dumbass ideas to help have things to do at their new motel (she was a sit com writer turned motelier) including an electric bike (that he falls off of) a paddleboard (ditto) and sling shots (he breaks his own cabin window) and I could probably handle that embarrassment until this.

So if I said 'hey gang, I'm going to have a throw away character, a shop owner who had a virus and lost her sense of taste, and she insists of baking things that suck. But since everyone loves her they won't tell her her food sucks and the motelier is going to buy muffins from her every morning for breakfast and then throw them out while she's not looking.' what would you think of that? (I can tell you how not funny I find this)

Anyhow, if you DO write funny and want to share tips go for it.


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Comments

[kitarella_imagines]

At least half of my fics are funny, if you read my pinned post on my journal I talk about that. I don't know how I do it but I love to write funny fics to cheer myself up in this grim old world and if it makes other people laugh, that's great! I think it depends on the characters, some are naturally funny and it's easy e.g. the ones in Our Flag Means Death, and The Professionals, and they just lead me into writing funny stories.

Even my 'serious' fics have funny scenes in because I just can't avoid it. People are funny, characters are funny. I even run my own challenge in January- Funuary where I write funny one shots to cheer myself and other people up in the cold, dark January time of year.

I'm surprised there aren't more writers of funny fics, I seem to be in a small minority. But I can't not write them.

You said you don't like long comedy pieces so here's some of my short ones if you like? Always_Dreaming is me on AO3. They are archive locked.

Having a Blast (The Professionals) https://archiveofourown.org/works/62419417

Not Just Teasing (Downton Abbey) https://archiveofourown.org/works/61838389

Kindergarten Pirate (Our Flag Means Death) https://archiveofourown.org/works/53034439

Sorry, also just wanted to say thanks for that Deadly Sins information from Betty. Remember our discussion of Virtues and Vices a few weeks ago? I also thought of making each character tend towards one of the deadly sins and made lots of notes about how to do it, but as ever it got too complicated for my little brain 😅

[spikedluv]

That book sounds awful. I can't stand most sitcoms because they contain what I call 'stupid humor', where the main character has to do something extremely stupid or embarrassing to create the laugh. (I'm looking at you, Everybody Loves Ray.) Hate it. I hadn't watched a sitcom since Friends until I started watching Big Bang Theory in re-runs. Also, I liked Sports Night (which I watched on DVD) a LOT. Otherwise, I stay as far away from sitcoms as I can.

[cornerofmadness]

It's Solid Gold Murder if you want to avoid it. Maybe it'll get better but that's exactly it. The main character is acting so damn stupid I want to punch her

[falkner]

I can't handle sit-com style humor at all, second-hand embarrassment squicks me so hard I have a physical reaction to it. I'm the kind of person who actually turns away from the TV when pranks are being played.

[cornerofmadness]

Yeah I don't like it either. (So glad we haven't seen that side of Angel Dust. It would make it that much harder to like him for me)

[cornerofmadness]

It sounds a lot like how I end up writing funny dialogue even in darker stories.

A lot of authors i know find comedic writing daunting

thanks for the rec l ist I'll check it out.

Yes I do remember that. This does go toward that conversation doesn't it. they're both neat ideas

[kitarella_imagines]

Yes, I just cannot write heavy angst or whump or endless sex scenes. Those are the subjects I find daunting, my brain isn't like that, I have to have fun and laughter in my fics.

Humour and comedy seem to just come naturally to me, but as I said, it's often just from the characters. OFMD is full of funny characters, Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals just naturally fall into banter, even Thomas and Jimmy from Downton Abbey start arguing comically.

Most people don't like my fics, they prefer angst, whump, sex. But I'm just the way I am 🤷‍♀️

[cornerofmadness]

I'm bored with sex scenes (as I take a break from writing one to answer this). I am definitely a hurt/comfort, whump writer. That said I DO trying to work in the funny into some of them.

I enjoy reading funny stuff if it matches my idea of funny which is the hard part. Interestingly enough, that's sort of a theme in The Amazing Digital Circus, Jax thinks he's funny but everyone else sees it as cruel (not that I think that's your idea of humor at all but it's an interesting look at humor and how some of it has historically been predicated on someone else's pain)

And I always say it, write what makes YOU happy. Someone else will love it too (even if it's a small group) I say this unironically as I'm sitting here smarting over the fact I'm annoyed that my picture post of a still from Hazbin Hotel that I skeeted with a quip got dozens of likes while the stories I skeeted with the exact same hashtags are ignored

[kitarella_imagines]

Yes sex is basically 'object A going into object B', even with hand jobs. How many different ways can I write A into B? Not many.

You sound more normal than me, most people like to read and write hurt/comfort and whump. I don't seem to fit in with any normal interests of people.

Yes, I'd never write anything that was cruel humour. Mine is more banter and silly situations e.g. people walking in on others. I love banter, that's why I like certain shows. If the characters are good at banter, I like them e.g. Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals. A lot of their onscreen dialogue was improvised by the actors, those two had legendary chemistry.

It is annoying when a beloved creation gets ignored. But hang on in there. I've had comments years after I've written something and the commenter is delighted to find it. I bet one day people will comment on your beloveds🤗

[dhampyresa]

That Seven Sins infographic is super neat! And thanks for the links.

[cornerofmadness]

You're welcome, and yeah I need to try that seven sins things

[cornerofmadness]

And I generally have to put sex into my romance novels so I'm so over it.

Most of my humor is banter too (I know literally none of those fandoms you mentioned, sorry)

Luckily my stuff isn't getting ignored but it's not where I'd like it to be. I'm also not above occasionally seeing a truly bad story with 400 kudos and I think WTF

[kitarella_imagines]

I generally go by what my characters want, so if they insist on jumping into bed, so be it 😅

I’m the same, I have no idea what fandoms you are talking about either.

In case you want to see what mine are, OFMD is Our Flag Means Death, a groundbreaking LGBTQ comedy/romance about the pirate Blackbeard and his relationship with his friend/captive Stede Bonnet. Both those were real 18th century pirates, and no one knows what their real life relationship was, so it’s speculation.

The Professionals is a 1970s crime series about two special agents, Bodie and Doyle. The producers luckily found two actors who had huge onscreen chemistry (and a tempestuous real life relationship) and it raised the show above most shows of that genre. It is very popular even 50 years later and one of the oldest fandoms around.

Downton Abbey is a drama about the Edwardian aristocrats and servants living at said abbey. Thomas Barrow is a canon gay character and he got a huge fandom following and inspired many fanworks.

Yes. I learned fairly recently it’s not what you write, it’s who you are. We can write/draw the most wonderful fanworks but if we don’t have a large group of friends/followers/fans, it won’t get noticed. But tbh I’ve stopped caring. I like lurking in the background and if my creations are satisfying to me and as perfect as I can get them, that’s my main goal.

[cornerofmadness]

I did watch a couple episodes of Our Flag. I have it on a flashdrive somewhere. Don't know where. I lost track after I set it aside.

I know Downtown Abbey, just never watched it. 90% not my thing (other than it's historical)

Ah The professionals are on YT, took look, nope have no idea what this is. I don't think this one made it across the pond (back then it would have only been on PBS most likely)

the ones I write the most for were Buffy the Vampire Slayer which you probably know.

Fullmetal Alchemist which was a Japanese anime in the early 00s. The Owl House was a Disney produced cartoon that was incredibly queer focused (and surprisingly adult in story telling for something geared to teens). Hazbin Hotel is an indie animation about sinners in hell (technically a horror comedy)

Star Trek and the XFiles are way up there as favorites but I rarely get bunnied for them

[kitarella_imagines]

Our Flag is very funny but unfortunately it was cancelled after 2 seasons when the writer wanted 3. So the ending is a bit cobbled together. I enjoyed it though, seems pretty different to most shows as regards LGBTQ representation.

Yes Downton Abbey is quite silly, however Thomas Barrow became a stand out character. He was meant to be the villain, fired after series 1, but he was so popular as the classic character of a downtrodden but proud gay man, that they kept him. I think the actor (Rob James Collier) was very surprised to become such a superstar so early in his career!

The interesting thing about the Professionals is that although it is 50 years old, it still works today (apart from the period typical attitudes), it looks fresh and holds your attention. They made a remastered version of it, which looks gorgeous! New fans are still finding it even now. And there is a wealth of weird, contradictory backstory about the actors Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins, who seem to have had a very love/hate relationship with each other and the show. Martin (aged 80) is the only one alive now, so we've only got his version of it, unfortunately.

Oh yes, I loved Buffy! Never written for it but you never know in future!

Thanks for explaining your fandoms, it's a good thing we all have different interests isn't it!

I've watched quite a lot of Star Trek, mostly TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager but I'm not a diehard fan. I've no idea about the X Files, I generally avoid anything scary.

[cornerofmadness]

I had several friends hardcore into Our Flag (which is who jailbroke the show to send it to me. I couldn't stream at the time) I did hear about its early cancellation.

Oh that is cool about The Professionals. I found the same to be true of Emergency! (about paramedics in the 70s and really helped the idea that paramedics COULD be a thing) It held up pretty well with the same exceptions. Johnny Gage started my love of hurt/comfort

Star Trek is my forever fandom (my parents are also fans)

Oddly I don't see the X Files as scary but I'm a hardcore horror fan so don't judge by me

[kitarella_imagines]

Yes it was a pity OFMD was cancelled too soon but hopefully we'll see more shows where LGBTQ characters are just normal people and not made into something weird. I hope that came out right. One of the gay OFMD actors said it was such a relief for him not to be told 'can you act less gay?' but to just be himself when acting. And he said there was none of the 'OMG you're GAY? And you're with HIM?' sort of thing, he said that was very tiring.

I think some of these shows of the 1970s were seen as run of the mill when being made but due to luck or good management, have stood the test of time. The Professionals writer just happened to spot the very young, mostly unknown Martin and Lewis in the New Avengers, noticed that they rubbed each other up the wrong way and decided that's what he wanted for The Professionals. And a legend was born, it was a smash hit and got a huge audience. And it helped that both actors did pretty interesting things in real life because it made people just keep talking about the show.

I think Star Trek is very popular around the world, you are in good company. I was always more a Babylon 5 fan, don't shoot me! lol.

I'm very easily scared so I stick to mostly funny entertainment.

[cornerofmadness]

Yeah that's why a lot of my friends like Our Flag. One of my fandoms, the Owl House (which was Disney) might be something you'd like. It has a few scary-ish scenes but it is aimed at 13-15 year olds. Very queer friendly

Luz (protagonist) is bi, her friend is gay, Eda (her mentor) and Willow (her bff) are Pan, Raine is non binary, Lilith is ace and Hunter is also bi. And that's almost every character.

That is really cool about the Professionals

Ha, I never did get the whole Deep Space Nine/Babylon 5 hate. I tried Babs but couldn't get into it but I didn't think it was bad. I should probably try to watch it again

[kitarella_imagines]

Oh I'll take note of the Owl House. Hopefully the 13-15 year old limit of scariness is alright for me 🤣

Yes Lewis was a trained soldier as well as an actor, singer, dancer. He passed away 12 years ago, pretty young! Martin is now a very famous actor in Britain, he prefers staying over here instead of going to Hollywood because of his family.

It's the old story isn't it! 'I like show A so I hate show B.' sort of thing. As I said another time, I liked B5 because in their future, humans were still as vicious as they are today. I didn't like the happy ever after version of the future that Star Trek showed. But of course, now I prefer the Star Trek version! I hope it comes to pass because I'm sick of the hate and horror of the present world.

[cornerofmadness]

that's cool about Lewis. Maybe I'll watch an episode or two on YT

You're not the first person I've heard say that. I have never really seen Star Trek as all that utopian. Though I always did think, if we can see it, imagine it, we can work toward it which is why I like Star Trek.

[kitarella_imagines]

If you do watch them, these HD versions are the best. Beautiful, clear and distinct:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG0B1Ghs53Q&list=PLKj0xAks4-SSlq60shTEW66yYrXoU5iSG

Both Lewis and Martin were pretty active in real life, they were both pilots, and led extremely interesting lives. They did 99% of their own stunts in the show. The other interesting thing about Martin is that he was almost beaten to death in his 20s, which left him with a broken cheekbone that gave him a thuggish appearance when he was young. There is also a mysterious autobiography of Lewis around that his family refuse to publish, so god knows what it contains!

Yes if we can imagine it, we can work towards it. Which is the point of fiction really.

[cornerofmadness]

oh thanks

and that's really neat about the actors

[kitarella_imagines]

You're welcome. I love HD versions of old shows!

Yes, both extremely interesting and quite mysterious guys, from the days before every single piece of information about actors was all over the internet.

[cornerofmadness]

some of them had interesting lives

[kitarella_imagines]

Yes and hard to find out much about them from the time before the internet.

[cornerofmadness]

that's true