Writing Hilarious Humor
Making people laugh is an adrenaline high for me; if you have ever told me I made you laugh, I’ll store that in my dopamine bank for the rest of my life.
Though it probably goes without saying, I am not a comedian. I will be the first to admit that my sense of humor is equal parts dark and stupid. If it doesn’t have you asking, “Was she kidding, or does she need therapy?” (yes, and yes), then it wasn’t me that made the joke.
Humor is subjective, and while I tend to think I am hilarious (my husband does too, okay? And probably my mom. I think I have it on record that EJ said I was funny one time, too. So there.), I am often met with vacant, blinking stares and uncomfortable chuckles when I unleash the neurotic chihuahua that is my sense of humor on unsuspecting victims.
Being funny on purpose can be challenging, and it seems the harder we try, the less funny we may actually be. So, whether you are trying to write a comedy sketch, a funny poem, or weave humor into your novel, here are some ways to ensure your humor is intentional and readers stay buckled in for the ride.
What makes you laugh?
A good first step when tackling humor is to think about what makes you laugh. It is very likely that if you think it is funny, it’s because it appeals to the comedy styles you prefer, and there will be other weirdos out there who will be laughing right along with you. You will also have a better grasp of this style. Think about your favorite comedians, funny movies, or books, and identify what style of comedy they employ. Do you enjoy dry, witty humor? Ridiculously goofy humor or quality dad puns? Maybe the highly obscene and blush-worthy jokes get you every time. Once you have identified your preferred style, dive into those stand-up shows, movies, TV shows, and books and take notes.
Comedic writing is more than simply nailing the punchline of a joke and moving on. You’ll want to pay attention to how comedy is contrived and woven into the very fabric of the characters, plot, and dialogue of a story. It is important to understand how to create situational humor that makes sense within the confines of your fictional world and the story you are telling.
Genres and Tropes
Knowing your genre and its common tropes can help contrive humorous situations.
Let’s consider the genre of Romantic Comedy. Rom-Coms tend to lean into lighter humor that uses tropes, quirky character traits, and the often awkward human experience of falling in love to develop comedy.
Some common tropes in Rom-Coms include opposites attract, friends or enemies to lovers, forced proximity, forbidden love, etc. These tropes often create conflicts filled with comedic tension and ridiculous circumstances.
For example, when a bright and bubbly grad student unknowingly kisses an aloof and grumpy professor to trick her best friend into thinking she is on a date, goofy shenanigans are sure to follow (a nod to one of my personal favorite Rom-Com queens, Ali Hazelwood, in The Love Hypothesis). The entire scene here is ridiculous because of the tropes utilized. We have opposite personality types (Grumpy/Sunshine), resulting in humorous misunderstandings and befuddled conversations. We also get an incredibly awkward meet-cute that sets up a foundation of comedy gold for the rest of the novel. The two find themselves in a fake dating situation, which is yet another trope that lends itself to humor quite nicely.
Keep in mind that while knowing the rules and conventions of a genre and its tropes is a helpful starting point, it also allows you to know when it might be more humorous to break the conventions of the genre.
In on the Joke
Nothing is worse than being surrounded by people laughing at an inside joke and being told, “You just had to be there.”
Humor is most effective when your audience knows what the hell you’re talking about. While some topics may be pretty universally understood (working, relationships, public transportation, etc.), others may need a bit more explanation before your audience can be “in the know” enough to find your jokes funny. For example, if your characters are baseball players, you may need to educate your readers on the rules and jargon used in baseball before cracking jokes about tagging up, force-outs, and pinch-hitters. Otherwise, anyone unfamiliar with baseball will hear crickets while a small percentage of your audience guffaws.
Educating your readers to establish shared knowledge you can joke about requires that you gradually inform and begin to joke about the subject. Imagine a fantasy novel set in an entirely made-up world with cultures, magic systems, and species unlike anything in the real world. We can’t thrust our readers into this unfamiliar world and immediately start joking about politics or fashion choices. We have to sprinkle in context and history to establish the “norm” first. Then we can start poking holes in what is considered acceptable to create humor. A goofy hat is just a hat until we establish what hats are supposed to look like in this world (and now I’m picturing a very Dr. Seuss-esque illustration in my head with a plethora of weird hats. Anyways, I digress).
Permission to Laugh
This point is especially important if you are going to utilize a darker comedic style or address difficult topics. One of my favorite comedians is John Mulaney. His most recent Netflix special primarily focused on his drug addiction and resulting stint in rehab. The humor was dry, self-deprecating, and addressed some challenging topics. As someone who has not experienced addiction, I had to be given permission to laugh early on in the show to truly enjoy and appreciate his set. He knew that if the audience was made to feel like they were the assholes for laughing, the jokes wouldn’t land. This also required that he have an intimate knowledge of the subject. The set would have been sickeningly offensive if someone who had not experienced addiction or rehab was the one making those jokes.
People don’t tend to love it when you make fun of something they have experienced intimately when you don’t also understand what it is like to live that experience. It is very likely your ignorance will land before the humor in those instances (slight tangent, but this is also why we get sensitivity readers if we address difficult topics).
In one of my favorite Rom-Com reads this year, Last Call at the Local, Sarah Grunder Ruiz’s MMC, Jack, has ADHD and OCD. At one point he and the FMC, Raine, who also has ADHD, are discussing what it is like to be running late because you were held back by your diagnosis. I loved how Ruiz gave her readers insight into the diagnosis through humor, while (quite literally) permitting them to find humor in the situation:
“‘Oh, yeah. You’re not the only one who shows up late to places. Making a cat tent sounds a lot more fun than getting stuck flipping light switches. Sorry I’m late Mr. So-and-so, I had to flick this light switch over and over until it felt right while only holding good thoughts in my head so my cat won’t accidentally catch the place on fire while I’m gone.’
I try not to laugh, but a giggle escapes me, and I widen my eyes. ‘I’m not laughing at you,’ I say.
Jack shrugs. ‘I know you’re not laughing at me. I made a joke. OCD isn’t funny, but I’m okay with laughing at some of the weird shite my brain tells me to do.’”
As a reader, knowing that it was okay for me to laugh, knowing that I was supposed to understand the content through the lens of humor, freed my mind for the rest of the novel to enjoy, learn, and laugh as I read. Comedy can be such an important and effective way for us to interact with trauma and hurt, but there is a delicate dance to ensuring readers hear the message, get the humor, and don’t walk away with additional trauma, confusion, or hurt from how a writer handled the joke.
Comedy can be a challenging beast to face, but hopefully, the next time you start to pen a joke, you’ll have a little more ammunition in your humor holster to ensure your audience gets a good ab workout in as they read.
