Humor

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Humor is something that is so hard to pull off in writing, usually because when we use humor in real life it depends on tone of voice, especially sarcasm, which you should probably steer clear of in writing unless you're really good at writing.

But for those of us who suck at being funny and/or writing, humor is definitely an issue to write. So here are a few tips that might help you in writing humor.

[1] State Something so Blatantly Obvious
This is also known as stating something that is too ordinary to be thought into too much. Actually, now that I think about it, those posts that you see on Instagram, Tumblr, and what-not called just-shower-thoughts.

A good example of this technique would be,"When you think about it, a spoon is really just a tiny bowl with a handle."

[2] Use the Rule of Three
Also known as the comic triple when used for humor. The rule of three is so simple yet so underused. It's when you use two similar and normal items while the third one is unexpected. Establish a pattern in your reader's mind and then throw the pattern off.

Examples include:

"One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor."

"I can't think of anything worse after a night of drinking than waking up next to someone and not being able to remember their name, or how you met, or why they're dead."

"I enjoy walking in that park because it's so peaceful. I can listen to the birds, take in the scenery and enjoy the crushed beer cans underfoot."

[3] Juxtapose
I know that's such a strange word, but I couldn't seem to think of something simpler than that. This is when you over exaggerate something ordinary or simple, like if a character is terrified and is wailing to their friend about being experimented on or stabbed with sharp tools, only for the reader to find out that the character is sobbing about going to the dentist.

[4] Use Your Own Material from Real Life
It's kind of explained in it's title.

[5] Analyze
Analyze humorous passages that you've read to find out what the core behind the humor is, don't plagiarize or steal, instead build ideas and practice with what you've learned.

[6] Comparison Jokes
This is when you take something really simple and make a list of metaphors, and choose the funniest one.

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