How to Write Young Adult (with Wattpad's Finest)

Incorporating Humor into Your Writing - CJustMe

Incorporating Humor into Your Writing

CJustMe 

"I think being funny is not anyone's first choice." ~ Woody Allen

Whether you accept it or not, humor plays an integral part in all of our everyday lives: you may find yourself trying to navigate your way back to the last place you remember parking your car or even bribing your way out of a speeding fine. We all seem to have been born with that same desire to share a laugh every now and again, hence sending humorous videos to each other or simply cracking a smile over a comedic show. At the end of the day, when push comes to shove, we'd all rather be laughing our lungs out than curled up in bed sobbing our eyes out.

If you're going to be writing humor, you have to think outside of the box. You need to be creative and strategic in using humor sparingly whilst still keeping focus on the plot. Humor can take away from your story or add quality to it, depending on how experienced you are in writing humor. One needs to be cautious in not letting humor distract readers from his/her true aim.

Effective humor (whether it be misdirected, fabricated or exaggerated) is known to decrease anxiety in people's lives - that's already a plausible reason to write humor stories. Humor also happens to humanize the writer, thereby creating a relaxed environment where the reader will feel comfortable to interact with the writer, thus further cementing the relationship between the writer and the reader. It's apparent that humor is an excellent communicative tool, and connects the writer to the reader in a way that will not be forgotten.

I believe that anyone can write humor. You don't have to personally be funny - it's not important. Writing humor, like everything else, takes practice. You can learn to be funny in your own individual way. Here's how:

1. Innovation in the introduction and interaction of characters

Introducing characters (specifically in humor stories) in a humorous way is vital because it's often the readers' first impression on the characters that lasts. You need to find a way to make each character memorable to the reader. You can achieve this by introducing characters with odd habits/weird quirks or strange backgrounds. Make each character come to life with their own unique dialogue and nature.

There should be a distinguishable difference in interaction between different characters. By that, I mean that your readers should be able to tell characters apart and remember each for their own distinctive characteristic traits. Your goal should be for your readers to feel connected to each character in a different way.

Your focus is to make each character relatable to the reader in some sense or form. You'll notice that if your network of readers are able to relate on more than one occasion, they'll often continue reading your story.

2. Descriptive scenes

Books/stories happen to be the best escape from reality. It is essential that you create scenes whereby the reader feels transported to that moment in the book - to that specific scene. Your readers should feel as if they're currently in the story, or at least wish to be.

To do this, you need to use all your senses - touch, taste, sound, sight and smell. Allow your readers to get an idea of what is happening. You'll also have to address questions such as who, what, why, how, where and when when describing a pressing situation.

Be sure to add metaphors and similes that are able to familiarize yourself with your readers. Dialogue, satire and irony are all necessary tools that should also be blended into your scenes. Stating the obvious or being subtle can also be useful in describing a scene, depending on the circumstances.

3. Misdirection

Predictable outcomes, especially in humor, tend to be boring and repetitive to the reader. My favorite act of humor happens to be the spontaneity in it - you never quite know where it's going to take you. Humor is different from other genres as it frees you from all boundaries and allows you to write about anything and everything. There are no limits to humor.

Misdirection is a brilliant tool used to surprise your readers. You can spend 90% of a chapter convincing your readers to think you're going in one direction, and then suddenly shock them when you spend the last 10% going in the complete opposite one.

4. Find your inspiration

You'll find it difficult to write humor if you do not have a taste for it. Find something that will inspire you to write from the heart whilst still maintaining a humorous story. Whether it be a song or a quote, it doesn't matter. Just find something that will motivate you to test your humor abilities, something that will hopefully bring about/generate new plot lines. Don't be afraid to unleash the funny on your readers. Go all out!

I, personally, find inspiration in TV sitcoms such as 'New Girl', 'Community' and 'The Office'. Please note that I'm not encouraging you to copy anything, but to find it in yourself to come up with your own original, solid ideas.

~*~

Keep your readers on their toes, keep them in anticipation so that they keep coming back for more. Take humor to a whole new level if you have to. Be unpredictable, do not follow the norm! Stand out or fade out...

~CJ