One of life’s simplest pleasures is laughter and the ability to create laughter through your own writing is an accomplishment. But writing humor effectively isn’t easy. It takes time, effort and skill. Don’t fret though. There’s tons of information out there to help you develop techniques you can use to get even the sourest of sourpusses rolling on the floor.
Here are 5 tips to help you get started.
1. Use your own life experiences. Oftentimes, truth is funnier than fiction so try writing about something you are intimately familiar with. For example, kids are a great resource. So is the job site, or that Christmas when Uncle Fred tried to ski off of the roof…
2. Don’t force the humor. Overdoing it in an effort to generate laughs is actually annoying.
3. Be descriptive. Actors and comedians have an advantage on stage whereas writers have to create the image – the atmosphere. So, be sure to use plenty of metaphors and similes mixed in with the action verbs and dialog.
4. A little exaggeration doesn’t hurt. As a matter of fact, most people expect it so there’s nothing wrong with pushing the “over the top” envelope. Just be sure you don’t push it into the ridiculous range unless that’s the intent.
5. Edit your work. This can’t be over emphasized! You need to write, read, rewrite, reread and then do it all over again if necessary.
By simply incorporating these 5 tips, you will enhance your humor writing but the only way to really improve it is to write, write and then write some more!
