SWRT 266 | Writing Humor

October 6, 2022

person typing on MacBook Pro on brown wooden table during daytime photo

This week, Alida, Robert, and Kathryn answer a listener’s question about writing humor into our stories. Is comedy just a special gift some writers have and the rest of us don’t? Or are there things we can craft to make our story moments funny?

Join us as we explore the topic and let us know your favorite funny authors as well as how you handle comedic moments in your writing. Share in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

Do you have a question or topic you’d like us to explore? Let us know. We’d be happy to!

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

The question about comedic moments. (0:52)

Do we read much comedy or find comedic moments? (1:37)

The problem with creating comedy in words. (2:30)

Subverting the expectation of the reader. (4:33)

Use your voice and tone to help provide a comedic value to the story. (5:00)

What are the ways you can bring comedy in? (7:05)

How do you structure comedy? (9:00)

Reframing with twists and reveals. (11:20)

Using a standard set up. (15:25)

Have we ever written humor? How do you craft that? (18:48)

What are the best kinds of humor for text? (24:00)

Find stuff that makes you laugh and analyze how they created that humorous moment. (26:00)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

Things we mentioned:

P.G. Wodehouse
Road Fever by Tim Cahill
Comedy Writing Step by Step by Gene Perret

Want more about these topics? Check out:

SWRT 169: Oral Storytelling with Molly McCloy
SWRT 170: Oral Storytelling with Molly McCloy part 2

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Two of her short stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series. Alida lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com